10 Ways Horror Movies Got Scarier By Accident
6. A Crew Member Resembles A Shadowy Figure - The Ring
Gore Verbinski's 2002 remake of J-horror classic The Ring is an uncommonly effective Hollywood re-do, filled to the brim with creepy imagery, well-executed shocks, and a cracking performance from Naomi Watts.
But there's one additionally creepy moment that actually sneaked in by accident, and it occurs late in the film when Rachel (Watts) and her ex-boyfriend Noah (Martin Henderson) return to her sister Ruth's (Lindsay Frost) home to pick up their son Aidan (David Dorfman).
For about a second, a sublimely creepy, shadowy figure is briefly visible in front of a window in the background, and while this was clearly just a crew member who carelessly wound up in the shot, the moody lighting accentuates the film's well-honed anxiety perfectly.
Some fans have suggested the shadow might in fact be that of Ruth simply waiting for her sister to leave, but even if that was true, why on Earth would Verbinski frame her silouette with such intentional creepiness?