Common Sense Media Review
Remake of Japanese horror film is terrifying and creepy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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The Ring
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 59 parent reviews
Parents say this film is highly effective in creating a chilling atmosphere, leaving many viewers feeling disturbed long after watching. Most agree it’s suitable primarily for older teens, as it features psychological horror elements coupled with some graphic imagery, but lacks explicit content like sex or significant profanity.
- scary atmosphere
- older teens
- psychological horror
- graphic imagery
- disturbing themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 272 kid reviews
Kids say that the movie has some creepy moments and provides a mix of mystery and slight horror, but many feel it isn't truly scary and lacks gore. While it includes disturbing content and swearing, a mature audience of around 12-14 years old might find it entertaining, although younger viewers may find certain scenes more unsettling.
- creepy moments
- not too scary
- swearing included
- suitable for teens
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In THE RING, a remake of a Japanese horror film based on a series of books, urban legend meets scary movie reality when four teens die, as predicted, exactly seven days to the minute from when they watched an unmarked video in a remote mountain cabin. Rachel (Naomi Watts), the aunt of one of the teenagers, is a savvy and skeptical journalist whose curiosity is sparked by tales of the tape. After finding and watching the source of the mystery, she receives a phone call announcing that she has seven days to live. From there, it is a race to solve the clues and answer the riddle of the video, with the stakes greatly raised when two of the people closest to her, including her young son, watch the deadly tape.
Is It Any Good?
Director Gore Verbinski does an excellent job of letting our imaginations find portent and peril in the most mundane of actions, such as picking up groceries at the local corner store. Watts is a relief as she plays through the gamut of Rachel's emotions with truly credible, but not overwrought, gusto. While the adults are busy solving the riddle of the tape, the heart-stopping pair of the Ring's children usher in the deeper dimension of fear. Rachel's son, Aiden (a stony-eyed David Dorfman), is the medium and interpreter for the terrifying Samara (Daveigh Chase), who is at the heart of the mystery.
The Ring dips deep in the well of oft-used scary images, which paradoxically results in a movie that is both architecturally firm but, with little new to add, empty of true revelation.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the decision that Rachel makes at the end of The Ring and the ramifications of her actions. Did she make the right decision? Why, or why not?
Discuss the way that different characters deal with the untimely death of a loved one.
For fans who have seen the original Japanese tale, how does this movie compare? If you have seen the sequels, how does this one stack up?
What is the appeal of scary movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 18, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : March 4, 2003
- Cast : Amber Tamblyn , Martin Henderson , Naomi Watts
- Director : Gore Verbinski
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : DreamWorks
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 115 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements, disturbing images, language and some drug references
- Last updated : March 5, 2026
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