Why you can trust GamesRadar+
Big in Japan, Nakata's ongoing adaptations of Koji Suzuki's Ring novels mix dense horror with folklore, urban myth and, in fine Blair Witch-style, intense fear of the inexplicable.
This first part starts with a mysterious videotape. Watch it, the story goes, and you'll die within a week. Reporter and single mother Reiko (Nanako Matsuma) just can't resist, and when she takes a peak, along with her ex-husband and young son, she has to race to lift the VHS curse. Her fraught enquiries flesh out an intricate back-story about a vengeful ghost-cum-witch, in a middle act that rejects shock tactics for sensitive performances and an affectingly sombre grapple with mortality.
It's cunning slow-burn, and once the two creepy pay-offs arrive, thick with inky shadows and insidious sounds, all the more potent for it. A sure, stealthy shocker which certainly primes you for the sequel.
The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.
Eric Barone quietly reveals new Stardew Valley update that's a game changer for honey farming: "Life will never 'bee' the same"
My next Metroidvania kick is an ingenious mix of Zelda-like exploration, twin-stick combat, and pitch-perfect controls – with 97% positive Steam user reviews
Wait a minute, Bandai's latest anime game actually looks pretty good: a console and PC action-RPG city builder based on one of the best video gamey anime in years