Ringu 0 (2000)

In this prequel to Ring, a young Sadako becomes an actress in hopes of escaping her troubled past. But strange visions and terrifying powers begin to manifest...

Director:

Norio Tsuruta

Writers:

Hiroshi Takahashi (screenplay), Kôji Suzuki (novel)

Stars:

Yukie Nakama, Seiichi Tanabe, Kumiko Asô

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yukie Nakama	...	Sadako Yamamura
Seiichi Tanabe	...	Hiroshi Tôyama
Kumiko Asô	...	Etsuko Tachihara
Takeshi Wakamatsu	...	Yûsaku Shigemori
Ryûshi Mizukami	...	Wataru Kuno
Kaoru Okunuki	...	Aiko Hazuki
Yasushi Kimura	...	Togashi
Mami Hashimoto	...	Joshikôsei
Daisuke Ban	...	Heihachirô Ikuma
Masako	...	Shizuko Yamamura
Norio Murata	...	Gekidan'in
Kôji Yano	...	Gekidan'in
Hinata Takamine	...	Gekidan'in
Tasuku Unô	...	Gekidan'in
Akira Igarashi	...	Gekidan'in

Storyline

The prequel to the horror film Ringu, this movie provides the background story of how Sadako later became the vengeful murdering spirit. The story starts with her as a shy, somewhat withdrawn, college student who nonetheless gets involved in a drama club. The director thinks she has talent, but some of the other performers start to get jealous of the attention he gives her. Meanwhile, a reporter investigating Sadako's spiritualist mother thinks there's something very suspicious about the young woman, and arrives on campus to confront Sadako just as a series of strange deaths start sweeping through the drama club.

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Plot Keywords:

supernatural power | theatre | horror icon | prequel | third part | 

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Taglines:

The ring grows wider.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

22 January 2000 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Ringu 0

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Black and White (some sequences) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Takasige Ichise offered Hideo Nakata the chance to direct who passed on the offer.

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Goofs

In one particular shot, Etsuko goes backstage for a scene in which no other person should have been present. And yet, in this scene, one can plainly see a small hand poking out from behind one of the dresses.

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Connections

Followed by Sadako vs. Kayako (2016)

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Soundtracks

Finale
Music by Tetsu
Lyrics by Hyde (as hyde)
Performed by L'Arc-en-Ciel

User Reviews

Good prequel to round out the Japanese Ring series

Combining elements of drama and horror, Ring 0 is a very worthy installation of the indie horror franchise. This film really starts, though, as a drama, telling us the story of Sadako in a very linear fashion (which, deliciously, has become the more difficult and confusing path to take, since we already know the end of the story). We see Sadako as a human (!) who is not scary or evil at all but actually seems rather pleasant and almost painfully shy. A while later in the film, we see that Sadako is actually warring desperately with herself . . . and is losing. Her eventual slide into the monstrosity of the first and second Ring films is a sight to behold (and, hardcore fans will note, is echoed by a similar fall of Ando Mitsuo in the less popular Rasen).

The social overtones of this film are also outstanding and a fine addition to the series. Whereas the first two films are more exercises in combining psychological terror with techno-horror, Ring 0 takes a more Romero-esque approach to the social aspect of Sadako's transformation, meditating on the cruelty of her peers and the burning need for revenge of one journalist that brings the whole tragedy crashing down.

Incidentally, although it takes some time, this film WILL scare the hell out of you at the end. Just wait for it.

Very, very good. See it.