Oct 112005
 
three reels

Gen-Y thrill seekers watch a cursed videotape that kills in 7 days, and then see how long they can hold out before having someone else watch a duplicate, thus breaking the curse.  Jake (Ryan Merriman), an obnoxious high school student, is drawn in by the college crowd to play this dangerous game, but when the person who is supposed to watch his copy refuses, Jake becomes desperate.

A 16-minute short film that bridges The Ring and The Ring 2, Rings is a creepy vision of where The Ring 2 should have gone.  As a comment on current society, Rings is exceptionally dark.  The characters range from unpleasant and moronic to deeply unpleasant and nearly brain dead.  These are the folks you wish you could avoid all your life, and yet I see them everywhere.  If you are misanthropic, this is your film.

The lovely cynicism is diluted by unnecessary quick cuts and a distracting, “guerilla-style” look, but the theme is strong enough to win out and make a watchable short.  It is, however, a voyeuristic film.  I never felt pulled in as I lacked concern for the characters (since they are such lovely people…).  That works for the message, but isn’t the best way to provoke fear.

Rings finds a new angle on the cursed tape, and is the only film in the multinational Ring series worth seeking out after the original Ringu/Ring Virus/The Ring.