The Ring (2002)
Before you die, you see.
Journalist Rachel Keller investigates a strange videotape that may be behind the untimely deaths of four teenagers. There is an urban legend about this tape: the viewer will die seven days after watching it. Rachel tracks down the video... and watches it. Now she has just seven days to unravel the mystery of the Ring in order to save herself and her son.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 18 October 2002 |
| Genre | Horror, Mystery |
| Director | Gore Verbinski |
| Starring | Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson and David Dorfman |
| Runtime | 115 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 6.6/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 71% · Metacritic 57/100 · TMDB users 6.7/10 |
| Budget | $48 million |
| Box office | $249 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Ring
The Ring is streaming on Netflix ($19.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Fubo, Paramount+ ($13.99 a month) and Peacock ($16.99 a month). If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Paramount+ is $13.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 28 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent The Ring on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and JustWatch TV Store. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Ring in 34 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Albania | SkyShowtime about |
| Andorra | SkyShowtime |
| Australia | Paramount+ |
| Austria | Skygo, Paramount+ |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | SkyShowtime about |
| Bulgaria | SkyShowtime €6.99 |
| Canada | Paramount+ |
| Chile | Clarovideo |
| Colombia | Clarovideo |
| Croatia | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Czechia | SkyShowtime 259 Kč |
| Denmark | SkyShowtime 109 kr DKK |
| Finland | SkyShowtime €9.99 |
| France | Paramount+ |
| Germany | Paramount+, Skygo |
| Hungary | SkyShowtime 2590 Ft |
| India | Jiohotstar |
| Ireland | Paramount+ |
| Italy | Paramount+ |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Mexico | Clarovideo |
| Netherlands | SkyShowtime €9.99 |
| North Macedonia | SkyShowtime about |
| Norway | SkyShowtime 109 kr NOK |
| Poland | SkyShowtime 34.99 zł |
| Portugal | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Romania | SkyShowtime about 37.44 lei |
| Serbia | SkyShowtime about 1058 din |
| Slovakia | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Slovenia | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Spain | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Sweden | SkyShowtime 109 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Paramount+ |
| United Kingdom | Paramount+ |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Gore Verbinski’s 2002 horror film runs 115 minutes. Naomi Watts plays a journalist who watches the cursed tape, triggering a seven-day countdown to her death. The hook is the clock, ticking down in real-time while she investigates the source. It is a puzzle box with a fatal deadline, where the solution matters less than the panic of finding it.
What the critics said
The reviews landed in a comfortable middle ground, which is rare for a horror hit. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 72% as of August 2024, while Metacritic scores it 57 out of 100, a figure that usually means the critics are shrugging. Roger Ebert called the film "borderline ridiculous," a verdict that suggests he saw the ending and immediately lost interest. Richard Roeper, however, found it gripping, proving that taste is a private affair. The consensus praises the atmosphere and Watts, but questions the script. It is a film that works if you like dread, and fails if you need logic.
What came next for the cast
Naomi Watts arrived from Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, then moved into King Kong. David Dorfman stepped from Bounce into The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Ring Two. Brian Cox came from Rushmore and Braveheart, later adding Troy to his reel. The credits show what followed. They do not prove the film caused any of it.
Where it left its mark
The film proved that American audiences would pay for Japanese horror, opening the floodgates for a decade of remakes. From The Grudge to 13 Sins, studios rushed to adapt titles that The Ring validated. It also secured a spot on Bravo’s list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments. Bloody Disgusting ranked it sixth on their "Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade" list. They argued it was the first American J-horror remake out of the gate, and it still stands as the best. A bold claim, but one backed by the sheer volume of imitators that followed.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Ring.
Sources
- The Ring on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q212804 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Ring (2002 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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