12 Best Horror Movies Since The Year 2000
4. The Ring (2002)
"Before you die, you see the ring." Now that's a tagline.
Gore Verbinski debuted this remake of a Japanese horror flick to great critical and commercial acclaim - no small feat seeing as the flurry of J-horror remakes that followed mostly fell far short of their original inspirations. The Ring stars Naomi Watts as a mother whose son views a videotape that apparently kills whomever watches it seven days afterwards.
In a brilliant move the film shows that videotape in its entirety, supposedly cursing the actual audience in doing so. The Ring was successful because of its commitment to the universe within the film. There is a mystery to be uncovered which is an entertaining enough ride by itself, but the threat of unnatural death looms ever closer along the way.
This makes for a dark atmosphere composed more of grief and despair than ghouls and things that go boo in the night. Then, when the ghouls do show up they are all the more effective.