Is the Rings Reboot a Worthy Addition to The Ring Legacy?

The haunting imagery and eerie atmosphere of The Ring have etched themselves into horror cinema’s annals. Yet, the arrival of its long-awaited reboot, Rings, on streaming platforms is met with cautious skepticism. With 14 films spanning the The Ring franchise, its dual success in both original and English-language adaptations sets a high bar. But history shows that not all entries are created equal.

It all began with 1995’s obscure Ringu, which gained traction with director Hideo Nakata’s acclaimed 1998 sequel. The Ringu phenomenon exploded with the 2002 American remake, The Ring, captivating audiences worldwide and paving the way for several sequels. The original Japanese series, enriched by over ten titles including Ringu 2, The Ring Virus, and 2019’s Sadako, continues to thrive, while the English-language iteration faced a stark downturn after the poorly received 2017 reboot.

2017’s Rings Was A Critically Slated Reboot of The Ring Franchise

The Movie Earned A Paltry 8% On Rotten Tomatoes

Following the box office success of The Ring and its sequel, The Ring 2, the franchise’s future was jeopardized by F. Javier Gutiérrez’s Rings. While the film managed to gross $83 million against its $25 million budget, it suffered from one glaring issue: critics largely panned it, signaling an end to the English-language version’s potential. Rings will soon be available for viewing on Prime Video starting June 30.

Featuring Matilda Lutz, who rose to prominence from Revenge, Rings portrays Julia, the latest target of the infamous curse. As Julia descends into a web of frightful events after viewing Samara’s harrowing tape, the plot unravels into a convoluted mess that disappoints. With co-stars like Vincent D’Onofrio and Johnny Galecki, the potential was there, yet the execution fell short.

A failed attempt to modernize the franchise’s premise, Rings struggled to balance similarities with the original and new, complex narrative elements. Critics remarked at both extremes—some called it too reminiscent of its predecessors, while others deemed it bizarre in its fresh attempts to innovate. Given the sheer fright delivered in earlier installments, delivering a worthy sequel was an uphill battle.

Our Take On Rings Streaming On Prime Video

The Ring Reboot Is Only Essential Viewing For Franchise Purists

Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes reflect a shared disappointment, encapsulating a consensus that the reboot was neither innovative nor evocative enough. The fearsome sequences that made previous titles iconic were glaringly absent, leaving fans wondering what could have been. As the critical response dissuaded further exploration into the series, Rings became an outlier that did not serve the evolving mythology of the franchise.

In the end, while fans may feel compelled to explore every facet of the saga, Rings is far from essential for anyone outside franchise enthusiasts. As horror aficionados await what the future holds for the legacy of The Ring, one can only hope that the mythos finds new life beyond the shadows of its past failures.