Ringu (1998)

“The subtle dread will keep you up at night in a cold, clammy sweat.” — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Dracula, Michael Myers, and Carrie are rank amateurs when compared to the ultimate supernatural killing machine — a VHS tape. Television journalist Reiko investigates an urban legend about a cursed tape that murders the viewer seven days after they watch it. As the mystery hits closer to home, Reiko joins forces with ex-husband (and exorcist) Takashi to destroy the curse and hopefully survive an encounter with a creepy dark-haired girl named Sadako.

Directed by Hideo Nakata (DARK WATER), RINGU melds traditional Japanese folklore with contemporary anxieties about the spread of technology. As the highest grossing Japanese horror movie in history it redefined the genre, inspired dozens of remakes and rip-offs, and STILL manages to shred our nerves with its quiet, phantasmic elegance.