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• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000F67IA4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,882 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I keep seeing someone behind her...", May 25, 2006

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ringu 0 (DVD)

Cheesy villains are the ones who just kill because they want to. A good villain has a backstory.

And for weedy-haired demon-girl Sadako, the backstory is "Ringu 0: Bâsudei," a prequel to the hit movie "Ringu." It starts off as a quiet movie about a quiet outsider who falls in love, but rapidly turns into a shocking story about a demon in human form. Of the "Ringu" series, this is the only one that rivals the original.

Sadako Yamamura (Yukie Nakama) is a member of an acting troupe, and though she is pretty and quiet, the other actors don't like her. Then an actress dies unexpectedly, and Sadako takes over the lead part... except now more people are dying, and the survivors are blaming Sadako. The only one who doesn't is Hiroshi Tôyama (Seiichi Tanabe), who is falling in love with her.

To make matters worse, a reporter with a grudge against Sadako is nosing around, searching for evidence that Sadako killed several people... with her psychic powers. The acting troupe finally attacks Sadako, and travel to her childhood home. What they uncover is the OTHER Sadako, a horrific demon who is slowly overtaking her "good" half...

Yes, yes, it sounds like some sort of Japanese "Carrie," if Carrie had an evil twin. Fortunately Norio Tsuruta is too talented a director to try cheap thrills or the "outsider angst" approach. Instead, he creates a tight, dark, intense little story that unfolds slowly, right up to the shocking ending. It's inevitable, but still shocking.

Most of the movie is a gradual buildup, with Sadako slowly turning into the monster of the other movies. There's a cute, innocent romance with the boyish Tôyama, which is sad when you consider what will happen. But most of it is a slow buildup of frightening deaths, mysterious healings, and nightmares of Sadako's alter ego.

Tsuruta is definitely a talented director, with a sense for both horror and tragedy. While the climax is made up of Sadako's bloodthirsty rampage, the most horrible moments are the ones that show inexplicable hatred, doomed love, prejudice, and worst of all, destroying someone you love. Tsuruta hits all the right emotional buttons, and leaves you stunned.

Nakama is a talented actress, even with her blank expressions and slouchy body language. And as a dancer, she is able to do that bone-crunching, jerky walk as if she were being pulled on strings. The supporting cast is almost completely excellen. But Tanabe is a standout as the naive, kindly Tôyama, who doesn't care who or what Sadako is.

As prequel, "Ringu 0: Bâsudei" is excellent. But it's also an outstanding movie on its own, with solid acting and a shocking, tragic story. Shatteringly good.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy and astounding..., May 23, 2007

By 

Nathan Christian (Pitcairn, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ringu 0 (DVD)

This has to be tops on my list of Japanese horror films. Very well acted and presented in a way that you are drawn in until it's shocking climax in the woods. The direction and camera angles at the end, in my opion, were excellent. In broad daylight, you see the demon floating in the trees, in the back ground, just glimpses, until....well...watch and see. I was creeped out. The story is very well thought out, with sadness, compassion, and violence. By the end of the film, you are both saddened and chilled by what you have seen. Alot of the vilence happens off camera, and that, I feel, adds more to the impact.

Too bad Ringu 2 and Ring 2 couldn't have learned lessons from this truly amazing film in the Japanese horror genre.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easily the best Ringu., June 7, 2006

By 

Renfield "Up the Irons" (Edmonton, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ringu 0 (DVD)

When the entire Ringu series came out on DVD, I had had the movies before (but unfourtainately they went missing) so I had to buy the box set. Still an awesome movie!

In this prequel to the first Ringu, Sadako becomes an actress in hopes of escaping her horrible past. Everyday she keeps getting rejected and misunderstood by her classmates. And (almost) everyone in the school hates her except a man named Toyama, who absolutely loves her. But then, Sadako's powers become more visible to the members of the school. When a woman named Aiko dies, she replaces her role. But then, everyone in the staff and a woman who's researching her form a band of pople to try and kill Sadako.

Ringu 0 is easily the best in the series. So if there's one movie that you want for a cry, then make it Ringu 0.