Friday Film Noir
The Ring (2002) is a supernatural horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Ehren Kruger, based on the Japanese film Ringu. The story follows Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts), a journalist who investigates a videotape rumored to cause the death of anyone who watches it seven days later. After viewing the tape herself, Rachel begins tracing its origins while racing against time to save both herself and her young son, Aidan (David Dorfman). Her investigation leads her through a series of unsettling locations tied to the tape’s imagery, gradually revealing the story of Samara Morgan, a child whose past is connected to the curse. As the deadline approaches, Rachel believes she has uncovered a way to stop the deaths, only to realize the truth behind the tape is far more complicated.
Filmed primarily in Oregon and Washington state, the production used real coastal towns, forests, and industrial sites. Director Gore Verbinski deliberately chose locations with persistent gray light, often scheduling shoots to take advantage of natural cloud cover rather than altering skies digitally. Naomi Watts has said she focused on keeping Rachel emotionally contained, allowing reactions to emerge gradually instead of escalating quickly. David Dorfman was encouraged to play Aidan with calm intelligence, avoiding overt “creepy child” mannerisms and keeping his delivery restrained. Verbinski avoided jump scares where possible, favoring sustained unease built through framing and pacing. Upon release, the film became one of the highest-grossing horror films of its time and introduced many American audiences to Japanese horror concepts.
