Review of Rings (2017) by Adia%20 G — 18 Nov 2017

Pointless, pathetic, perfunctory and other pejoratives that begin with a P, Rings is yet another entry in a franchise which is, for unfathomable reasons, still going. Now an utter diversion from the Japanese original, which was creepy, suspenseful and rooted largely in a scary realism while still having a supernatural element, we now get endless, eyerolling jump scares, a lead character whose vision essentially tell them exactly what to do, and an ending that sets up the only genuine horror this movie produces: The potential for a sequel.

There's so much supernatural nonsense in this film, creating no tension or drama, and just being an excuse to use CGI to lazily circumvent practical effects. I found myself sighing in frustration most of the time, since banging doors, flashing lights and people popping up behind the characters are what passes for scares in this and countless other modern horror films.

It's a dreary plot with substandard acting and a series of uninteresting developments, culminating with a ridiculous twist that dangles the carrot of potential continuation in front of the audience.

The fact that uncertainty surrounds the next instalment gives me a little hope that they'll realise that the Americanisation of a classic Japanese property has been milked completely dry, but I wouldn't count on it.