Like I’ve mentioned a few times in the past, I don’t scare easily. Most horror movies may as well be rom-coms starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, because it takes a whole lot to get my skin to crawl. I can’t even remember when last I had a proper “jump in your seat, swear at the screen” moment in a movie.
Actually, I’m lying. February 15, 2002, around 8:45 pm, that was the moment, at N1 City cinemas. The movie was The Ring, director Gore Verbinski’s blockbuster English-language remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ringu, and the scene was an early one that simply saw a family at a funeral calmly discussing the deceased young girl, when suddenly – out of bloody nowhere! – a shot of the dead girl’s mangled face is flashed on screen with a screeching sound effect. I was this close to needing new underwear.
I can’t even tell you what it was about that scene that did me in the way it did, but all I know is that it was the first of many moments in that horror that had me – and the rest of the world judging by its $249.3 million worldwide tally – all freaked out. Nothing in 2005’s lacklustre The Ring Two ever came close to matching that sense of suspense and shock though, as the sequel offered lame scares and an increasingly silly plot.
But apparently Paramount think that third time’s the charm, as they’re bringing creepy long-haired ghoul Samara back for another bout of death-by-video in the upcoming Rings. Previous franchise lead Naomi Watts is no longer in the picture, with newcomer Matilda Lutz now being the victim of Samara’s latest 7-day curse. But while the latest trailer for the film is filled with some unnerving shots (please remind me to frantically run away the next time a cat coughs out a furball) this doesn’t appear to reach the scary heights of the original.
Or maybe I’m just back to being un-scare-able again? Check out the trailer below and see for yourself.
Rings also stars Alex Roe, David Dorfman, Johnny Galecki, and Vincent D’Onofrio. It releases on October 28.
Last Updated: August 25, 2016
