The Ring horror movies don’t have a lot of depth; they’re mainly based on the fact that curses and women who can crawl out of TV screens are inherently creepy. Furthermore, sequels and prequels tend to peter out after a few years: although many franchises can sustain one or two good sequels, not many can manage three (just ask Joel Schumacher). That’s why it’s a surprise that the prequel/fourth film in the Japanese series, Ring 0: Birthday, is such a good film. This TV movie offers us the origin of troubled psychic-girl Sadako, before she gained the power to curse people with videotapes and while she was still alive). Sadako is normally peaceful but, as you might expect in a movie of this nature, people pissing her off leads to her going all Carrie come the end. Definitely a must-see for fans of the franchise.
