‘RINGS’ trailer goes back to the well to reinvigorate a dead franchise

Bonnie Morgan as Samara in RINGS by Paramount Pictures.

Courtney Howard // Film Critic

It’s been 12 years since last we saw Samara and her creepy-ass video terrorize innocent folk. THE RING 2 might have not raked in a lot of critical praise, but it certainly garnered more than tripled its budget ($50 million) in world-wide gross ($160 million). While the Japanese put out a JU-ON/ RINGU (THE GRUDGE/ THE RING) movie mashup, titled ‘SADAKO V KAYAKO’, in 2016, us Americans haven’t gone back to the well (pun intended) since 2005. However, Samara has never faded from our memories – especially director F. Javier Gutiérrez’s as his iteration, RINGS, looks to scare the crap out of us once more.

I have to say, I love the simplicity of this well-cut trailer. Beginning with the basics of watching the video and then being terrorized by the malevolent spirit is brilliant as it hints at the scares, but doesn’t totally give away its hand. This is a true feat given many trailers now a days tell too much of the story.

It must also be said, this is a ringing (pun, again, intended) endorsement to NEVER open an email if you don’t know who sent it.

Here’s the official synopsis:

A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before…

The frightfest stars Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Aimee Teegarden, Bonnie Morgan and Vincent D’Onofrio – and will haunt your dreams.

RINGS opens on February 3.

Courtney Howard

Courtney Howard is a LAFCA, CCA, OFCS and AWFJ member, as well as a Rotten Tomatometer-approved film critic. Her work has been published on Variety, She Knows and Awards Circuit.