In stark contrast to the American remake, they proceed on a logical, realistic investigation to find out the story behind the tape. Also, unlike the American remake in which every scene rain is pouring down on our hapless protagonists and the settings all look like East Berlin, much of Ringu takes place in bright, sunny, everyday settings. God bless a filmmaker who is so skilled at building a tense, suspenseful atmosphere that they don't need to rely on the hoary clichés used by hack filmmakers.
Dialogue is fairly limited, and both the acting and directing is pleasantly spare and streamlined. The filmmakers are not afraid to take time to build up actual suspense and they are masters at proving the old axiom that what you don't see is much scarier than what you actually see. With its fully realized characters, complex relationships and intricate, coherent plot, Ringu is a wonderful modern horror film. Particularly when viewed in conjunction with its hackneyed American remake. Although the remake was very popular, hopefully it will lead people to check out the original for a far superior and sophisticated horror movie experience.
