User reviews

I just want to start by saying I don't find this film anywhere near as bad as most seem to. The mistake is viewing this as a direct sequel to "Ringu", made at the same time by a different director it of course does not have the same feel, or menace as its predecessor. Since most people will watch the original first the change in tone is hard to accept. A lot of people also declare this to detach itself too far from the original and explain too much of the mystery with science. When in fact the first two Ring novels have a firm root in science. I also found "Ringu 2" to be just as guilty at favouring science over the unknown, the difference being "Rasen" does explain things thoroughly. The major disappointment here is that I never really felt anything close to fear, or even uneasiness. However in terms of drama, and expanding on the first this film succeeds. The cinematography is just stunning, and the final scene is a scene I find just as disturbing as the ending of "Ringu", not in a fear inducing way, but in a contemplative sort of way. It is also a beautiful scene, and the whole film is well shot. Unlike "Ringu" the acting is a mixed bag, Koichi Sato just about holds up, but as the lead he seems to struggle with acting with emotion, which is a minus considering his character deals with suicide. Overall I think the film should be watched, as a side-note to "Ringu" but judged on its own merits, as it certainly surpasses many scientific thrillers around.

Forget everything you might have seen in Ring 2 and Ring 0: Rasen (AKA The Spiral) takes a different approach to the other sequels of Hideo Nakata's influential J-horror Ringu.

In this version of the events that follow the first film, Koichi Sato plays Mitsuo Ando, a grief stricken pathologist who contemplates suicide after the tragic death of his young son, but who finds himself unable to go through with the act.

When he is called upon to perform an autopsy on his old friend Ryuji Takayama (Hiroyuki Sanada), Ando discovers the existence of the cursed VHS tape that caused so much trouble in Ringu. After cracking a code left to him by his deceased pal, Ando comes to believe that the deadly tape was intended as a macabre present which would provide the solution to his suffering.

The truth, however, is far more sinister: Takayama's gift to Ando is actually the return of his son, but for this feat to be possible, Ando must first betray the whole of humanity by allowing Sadako's curse to spiral out of control.

Although a slow moving and often rather confusing movie, Rasen is not an entirely worthless experience: the film introduces some interesting ideas about the true nature of the curse and reveals its objective—to alter the course of the entire human race. Casual horror fans might be disappointed by the distinct lack of scares, and once again gore is almost non-existent, but Rasen should be enjoyable enough for those who love creepy Asian flicks and don't mind doing a bit of research to fill in the blanks (apparently, reading the books helps a lot with understanding the story).

Although Spiral contradicts many things in the original film ringu it is actually based on the sequel book written by the original author of Ringu. He also worked closely with the director when making Spiral. He actually wrote three books in total but the third hasn't been made into a film probably due to the lack of popularity of spiral. If anything this version/universe of Ringu is more to what the author intended and is not an awful film I thought it had quite a good plot twist at the end, however it isn't wholly satisfying as it does contradict the original to much and takes away most of the horror aspect of Sadako. I think it should be appreciated as it is a well made film and is based on the authors original intentions as a sequel to the Ringu he created in his original novel and not despised as an attempt at a sequel just made up by this director as that isn't the case.

Filmed and released at the same time as it's predecessor "Ringu" (or "Ring", which inspired the hit American remake "The Ring"), "Rasen" (or "Spiral") is an ambitious idea. The theory behind releasing both "Ringu" and this sequel at the same time was that it would increase profits, as "Ringu" was already a successful book series and television series. However, while the 1998 release "Ringu" became an international hit, this sequel didn't sit well with people, as it is of a different tone and altogether different genre, and it wasn't as big a hit. Hence, it became the ignored, "forgotten" sequel, and was overshadowed by another sequel "Ringu 2", which was released a year later, that eliminated "Rasen" from the series continuity. (Basically, "Rasen" is to "Ringu" what "Highlander 2" is to "Highlander"- a forgotten, non-canon sequel that people ignore)

However, as the film was still made, and is easily obtainable (even in the US, where it is included with all three of the other "Ringu" films in a boxed set), I feel I should give my take, as a fan of the original film.

"Rasen" is actually not a "bad" movie, but I will say, as a sequel, it is quite misguided. I hear it follows the original novels more closely, which had more of a Sci-Fi flair to them. But as "Ringu" was changed into more-or-less a standard ghost story, this sequel's focus on the science of it was too awkward for many.

It begins soon after "Ringu"- a pathologist named Ando is called into work to perform an autopsy on Ryugi, whom as you will recall was killed in the first movie. However, during the autopsy, strange things begin to happen, and Ando is haunted by various phenomena. Eventually, he hears about the cursed video tape, and decides to watch it and solve the mystery of the vengeful being Sadako himself, with the help of Ryugi's former assistant Mai.

The film delves deep into science-fiction territory, with constant talk of viruses, cloning, etc. And without spoiling anything, the final act is very much a cautionary tale about science gone out of control. Which is why it conflicts with the ghost-story established in the first film. This is not a horror movie, this is a Sci-Fi film in the vein of "The Matrix" or "Dark City", though the battles are fought with words and not fists.

But I will say to its credit that this is still a fairly interesting film. The acting is halfway decent, the direction is alright, and even though it drags, if you can get into the Sci-Fi tone, it will keep you watching until the end.

I'd say if you're a fan of the series, check it out. It's not really a strong film, but it's worth seeing. I give it an average 6 out of 10. Not as good as "Ringu" or even "Ringu 2", but not awful, either.

I think that many movies are misjudged here on the IMDb, particularly those within the "horror" genre. For some people, horror should be funny, while for others, humor in horror ruins a film. Some people are gore fans, and others favor suspense. When horror has so many different faces, the viewer ratings here on IMDb reflect opinions from those going into a film that will inevitably be disappointed, because their definition of "horror" is not what this particular horror movie happens to be...hence middling scores on a great many horror movies here on IMDb, as well as very mixed comments from viewers. I try to judge a film based on its own merits, rather than my expectations going into a film...and sometimes when my first impression is to be disappointed, I find other value in the film when I realign my expectations to view a film for what it is.

I have to say, that this film is not really a "horror" movie. And that is OK. It is a drama that departs from the original horror film. And that is fine too. What is not fine, is that this is not a particularly interesting drama. While it is filmed and framed extremely well, pretty pictures don't substitute for an involving story and characters that you care about. For the most part, this plays like a TV drama. While the final scene is good, that doesn't make the film worth-while. I'm a viewer who can find good in most films, and I can find good in this film as well. All the same, I have to say that the good isn't worth it, and this is a film that is completely worth skipping.

For a more worthy title worth your viewing, check out "Another Heaven" by the same director. While not a perfect film by any means, it is entertaining, and your time will be better spent.

Set almost immediately after the events of Ringu (1998), Rasen/Spiral tells us the story of Mitsuo Ando (Koichi Sato), a forensics doctor who gets wrapped up with the "Ring curse" when his the body of an old friend, Ryuji Takayama (Hiroyuki Sanada, reprising his character from Ringu), makes its way onto his autopsy table. Will the curse continue?

Series Note: There are many different films, television series, books, comic books, etc. based on the "Ring Universe", and it's very complicated trying to sort them out. Rasen/Spiral was the original "Ringu 2". As such, it should be watched after Ringu (1998) (which you can choose to watch after Ringu 0: Basudei (2000), which is a prequel) and before or after the now official Ringu 2, made in 1999, which was made when audience reaction to Rasen/Spiral was less than favorable.

Like the other Japanese Ring films, Rasen/Spiral is a mixed bag. For much of its length it is a relatively slow moving drama, with only subtle horror elements. Yet, much of it is very atmospheric and when the horror material arrives, it is as effective as anything else in the series. In fact, if the film had continued with the tone of the first ten minutes, this would easily be my favorite Japanese Ring film--a far cry from the travesty that many claim. As it turned out, writer/director Joji Iida doesn't sustain that level of excellence, but he periodically returns to it. Rasen/The Spiral is also notable for the bizarre sci-fi turns it takes, which gradually become more absurdist (a good quality in my book) until the climax. If you're a fan of that kind of material, and you do not mind sequels with vastly different tones and foci, you should like this film a lot. For some others, the attempted scientific explanations of the "Ring curse" are a turn-off that saps some of the supernatural creepiness out of the rest of the series.

At the end of Ringu, scripter Hiroshi Takahashi and director Hideo Nakata suggested that the Ring curse operated something like a paranormal, deadly chain letter. In one of the better moves of Rasen/Spiral, Iida quickly trashes that idea. He pulls the rug out from our expectations and dispatches characters who were the focus in the previous film. On Iida's account, and possibly in the Koji Suzuki novel (also called Spiral) upon which Rasen/Spiral's script is based, The Ring curse is much less benign than such an easy solution would have it. Of course, audiences often feel alienated when their former heroes are so wantonly disposed in a sequel (and I'm guessing that's part of the reason for making an alternate reality Ringu 2 where the characters Reiko (Nanako Matsushima) and Yoichi Asakawa (Rikiya Otaka) return), but it's a move I love. I'm definitely a fan of nihilism in films, especially in light of its relative rarity. An American film that alienated audiences in a similar way, and which I also loved, is Alien 3 (1992).

Suzuki and Iida make Rasen/Spiral nicely parallel symbolically to the overall metaphors of the series. "Ring" is called ring for many reasons. The ring of the phone, the circle of the well, the moon, the shape of the mirror, the chain letter aspect, Sadako's eye, the circuitous route the curse takes via its video instantiations, and even the temporal period between encountering the video and the curse coming to its resolution, if one takes a cyclical view of time (as is more the case in many Asian cultures). Spiral is an extension of a Ring, figuratively and literally. The sci-fi aspect of the story this time around has the curse as more of a virus, which under the microscope looks ring-shaped with a "bruised" side, corresponding to the crack in the well. The path of the curse is more complex and spiraling this time around. And of course, a strand of DNA is a spiral.

DNA is important in this film. Ryuji first gives Ando an indirect clue to DNA via a piece of paper that Ando finds in Ryuji's stomach, and which he translates as "dada" (or "father", or "parent/parentage"), then "DNA". This thread of the plot eventually supplies the outrageously strange climax, which is just as much in the genre of "rubber reality" films as sci-fi, and keeps with the admirable nihilism evidenced earlier on.

Except for one small episode, and a few flashbacks or expository "fill-ins" to get new viewers up to speed, Sadako (Ringu's villain) is barely present in this film in her "normal" instantiation (she also happens to be portrayed by a different actress--Hinako Saeki, rather than Ringu's Rie Inou or Ringu 0's Yukie Nakama). The nature of the curse has changed. The subtext of the film makes Rasen/Spiral easily interpretable as an allegorical doom-harbinger for eugenics. Past evils have produced a quick, contagious and deadly mutated virus, only conquerable by genetic manipulation, which could just result in a new species supplanting Homo sapiens. The scientists--all doctors in this case--are both the saviors and the villains. Appropriately, Iida has physician supporting characters mysteriously vacillating from helpers/heroes to the infected/untrustworthy.

Unfortunately, some of this heady nightmare and ghost-fueled reality twisting is dampened by extended forays into "serious drama-land", and even a touch of an obligatory romance, ala Ringu 0. But it's never too long before the next supernatural occurrence, and to keep you entertained on the way, Rasen/Spiral has some of the better cinematography of the series.

I'm not someone who finds any films scary (even as a kid I never did) so I can't compare Rasen/Spiral to the rest of the series in that respect, but as a quality artwork touching on serious, important themes, this film deserves to not be missed, especially if you're at all a fan of the Ring series.

I will say that I am certainly a fan of all the Ring films. Even at their most obscure, they give the horror genre a shot in the arm that is has needed for a LONG time. Also, the general concept behind these films (a post-Rosemary's Baby/Omen horror story) is pretty darned brilliant.

But, this. Wow. I'm just so torn. On the one hand, Rasen has some very good scenes that are missing from the other Ring films. Most notably, it doesn't shy away from human emotion. The fascinating juxtaposition of the suicidal Dr. Ando and a videotape which can kill its viewers almost passively makes for a very interesting story. Throw into the mix the sexual element (i.e., sex/death/intimacy and the relationships among them) and you have a very complex film. Rasen further shines as the story of a man who begins with the most honorable of intentions, only to find out, to his utter horror, that he has betrayed everything he thought he stood for.

BUT, on the other hand, there's the last 30 minutes or so of this film, which just left me scratching my head. Why do we need all this bizarre junk science thrown at us. What is Sadako up to? Is Ryuji a good guy or a bad guy? For that matter, why does everybody act like HE has all the answers? WILL SOMEBODY JUST STOP JABBERING FOR A MOMENT AND EXPLAIN THIS WHOLE LOOPY, HALF-BAKED PLOT FOR WORLD DOMINATION?!?!? PLEASE??!??!?

I can't reconcile any of this in my head. I know there's a way to make this movie great, and I think it involves re-writing the last half. Hey, Hollywood! Remake this one and see if it can be a little more palatable.

This film follows the Japanese version of the Ring known as Ringu. Where it follows I am not sure. The back of my box which is a collection of the Japanese Rings places it second, however the alternate title here suggests it was the fourth film. All I know is that this film is a sequel to Ringu, but a disappointing one. There are things that follow the first film, then things that are completely wrong and this one makes the mistake of trying to logically explain things and give reasons for what is happening. Kind of like the Phantasm series, the first one you wondered what the heck was going on and in the later installments they tried to explain everything and it just was not as intriguing anymore.

The story starts out with a man autopsying a former colleague who was the father in the first film. This leads to the best scene in the movie as this autopsy is rather bloody. Too bad that the highlight of the film is like less than ten minutes in. This doctor lost a son and soon stumbles upon the cursed video tape. He begins seeing things, and it is not long until he has played the video. However, things completely go off track as they start introducing a sort of virus in this one seemingly dismissing the little girl all together. And it is not even a little girl this time!

Yes, this film tries to scientifically explain things this time and it just does not work. Not for me anyway. It also changes the little girl into a woman. Maybe this was not the second installment and things were explained in the previous flicks, I only went by the order given me on the box, but I still hate the cause for all the deaths and stuff they give here.

So, what we get is a sequel that changes things around, but still has the core from the original. It may be enjoyable for some, I enjoyed it up to a point, but I certainly thought the ending was very dull. I do hope the movie titled Ringu 2 is better than this one was.

I watched this movie and i thought this movie was ok. But how ok ? I liked atmosphere, dialog and etc, but i did not like like as sequel. This is ghost story, is must be scary but it didn't.

The Japanese 'Ringu' series is one odd one. This movie is a sequel to "Ringu", while there is also another movie that is actually named "Ringu 2". Is this even an official sequel? Both movies feature as well some of the same characters and actors as from the first "Ringu" movie Both movies are sequels, while this movie is being based on the novel by Kôji Suzuki and stays close to its source material, the other sequel "Ringu 2" is more of a movie sequel to "Ringu". You either accept this movie or "Ringu 2" as its sequel, since both are a direct sequel to "Ringu" but they themselves have nothing to do with each other. Are you still following it? To make things more complicated, these movies got followed by "Ringu 0: Bâsudei", which in return is a prequel to "Ringu". And then lets not even get started about all those 'Ringu/Ring' movie versions and television series from different countries.

While "Rasen" is perhaps the better written movie, "Ringu 2" is still the better made one, in terms of directing and build-up of it all. It's also more exciting to watch horror wise. "Rasen" is the sort of movie that relies more on its 'clever' writing rather than trying to be tense or scary.

What perhaps disappointed me most about this movie was how unengaged it was to watch. I wouldn't call "Rasen" a boring movie but it also isn't exactly an exciting one either. For a horror movie it just simply gets never scary or tense. It's a more slow moving movie, that focuses more on its uninteresting characters and other uninteresting aspects. It's a story that just never takes off.

Really not the best the 'Ringu' series or Japanese horror has to offer.

5/10

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This movie has an excellent start... It continues where Ringu ended. The investigation of how Dr. Takayama died begin at the medical institute by his former students. However, somewhere along the road, you realize that Sadako won't show up and scare the living crap out of you...Instead there's a scene where she's naked and horny and kiss the neck of the guy who has just seen the videotape. The explanation to this unexpected event comes later, but still, there is no really scary scenes in this movie, and Sadako looks more frightened than frightening.

However, the story isn't necessarily bad...It's just the way it's being presented. Hideo Nakata was needed for this movie...or at least Ringu needed to have been released earlier than Rasen, then maybe... this movie had looked different.

4/10

While this movie purports to be the sequel to Ringu, it seems to be part of a totally different universe. Ringu was all about a paranormal curse on a videotape, yet Rasen is about viruses and science. Many viewers probably felt the same reaction as when George Lucas decided to explain the Force with mitochlorians.

The acting and cinematography is impressive in this film, as with the other Ringu movies. For the first hour you will wonder where things are headed, and may even believe it is part of Ringu, but the last half hour reveals this is in fact a story about cloning, viruses, and world domination. In Western films, we like to define a universe in the first movie, and all sequels adopt to the rules laid down by the first film. The Japanese, on the other hand, like to rewrite the mythology with each succeeding sequel (I've seen this often in Japanese video games). Rasen is good, but it deserves to be presented in its own movie with new characters, rather than trying to fit the ideas into the Ringu storyline.

I guess even though this was made with the original ring movie, this has nothing to do with it. And you even have one prominent character (actor) from the original movie in here, right at the beginning of the movie too. So while this takes a different approach to the ring saga/take, it still was part of the box set that Arrow films released.

So this is closer to the original source apparently and therefor might seem strange to some. Especially those who are more familiar with the well and the haunting itself as it happened. If you can detach yourself from that, you may have some fun with it. Acting is very solid and the movie is decent to say the least

Everyone knows that Hideo Nakata's masterpiece Ring was followed by a sequel (Ring 2) and a prequel (Ring 0) which completely recall and wrap-up the story of Sadako Yamamura, the telekinetic girl who gained revenge via a cursed videotape for being buried alive in a well. Less common knowledge is that fact that this movie, Rasen, was filmed at the same time as Ring and was originally intended to be the one and only sequel - wrapping up the story of Sadako in a completely different way.

Both movies were released simultaneously in Japan but while Ring went on to be a major international hit and hailed as one of the scariest movies of all time, Rasen flopped and was quickly forgotten. Fans of Nakata's Ring wanted more - and that's how Ring 2 and Ring 0 were conceived. Rasen is now the forgotten chapter of the Ring legacy and is best watched now as an alternative to Ring 2.

The plot follows a doctor as he investigates the death of close friend Ryuji (the professor who was killed by Sadako at the end of Ring). This doctor soon finds Ryuji's wife Reiko's diary and learns of the mysterious Sadako video - and after watching it for himself, comes to the realisation that he has one week to solve its remaining secrets or risk succumbing to the curse himself.

Rasen is an excellent sequel to Ringu - for the first hour. What happens in the final act is the most incomprehensible, ridiculous thirty-five minutes of cinema I've ever seen. and I'm saying that as someone who desperately wanted to like this 'hidden' installment of my favourite horror series! Without giving anything away, the final act turns on its head anything we'd thought Sadako was trying to do through her cursed tape and makes the events of Ring seem somewhat pointless. It rambles on about philosophy and ethics and is really a damp squid of a horror movie.

Thus, it really is quite clear how Rasen was buried and I'm eternally grateful to Hideo Nakata for making Ring 2 - and to Tartan Video for failing to release this in the UK! Completists may get a kick out of seeing an alternate take on the series' theme but for everyone else - this is not recommended. At all.

I liked Ring a lot, so I watched "Rasen" with much attention when it was broadcasted on TV. This movie is one of the two sequels proposed for Ring (with Ring 2). The directing and acting are basically as good as in "Ring", but it seemed to me that the plot tries to give explanation when there is no need for it, sometimes coming close to the nonsense. Another (big) disappointment is the development of the character of Sadako. The fact that we did not know much about her in "Ring", for instance not even her face was shown, added much to the fear she inspired. I think that "Ring 2", although quite deceiving too, was much closer to the original spirit of "Ring" than this "Rasen". Anyway it is still an enjoyable movie. For those who liked Ring, I would definitively recommend "Shikoku", which was released simultaneously with "Ring 2". To finish with, I don't know if any of the movies presented here have been released / will be released in a dubbed/subtitled version.

Spiral is direct sequel to Japanese cult horror movie Ring and both movies were released simultaneously which underlines the franchise's experimental, fresh and groundbreaking approach right from the start. While Ring has been met with critical acclaim at home and abroad, Spiral has been met with mixed to negative reviews and has almost been completely ignored abroad. As a matter of fact, an alternative sequel titled Ring 2 was hastily shot and released one year later. Spiral was criticized for its unusual scientific approach to the genre, the introduction of completely new characters and the fact that the lead character of the first film and her son die off the screen and have no significant role in this sequel.

The movie focuses on suicidal pathologist Ando Mitsuo who examines the body of his deceased colleague Takayama Ryuji. He has mysterious visions while examining the body and finds a cryptic note in his colleague's stomach. He starts investigating and soon learns about the cursed tape that his colleague watched a week before his demise. Soon enough, his colleague's ex-wife and son perish in a mysterious automobile accident. Obsessed with the case, Ando Mitsuo contacts the shady boss of the deceased investigative journalist. He also gets in touch with his colleague's former student and secret lover Takano Mai. The two solitary souls soon develop a sexual bond. They are determined to destroy all existing copies of the cursed tape. However, they soon realize that things might be more complicated than they had initially anticipated.

While Spiral wasn't met with critical acclaim, it's certainly an underestimated entry in the franchise that innovates instead of repeating patterns of its immediate predecessor. The film finds the right balance between new scientific approaches explaining the cursed tape and supernatural elements that conclude the movie on an otherworldly tone. The idea to develop the quiet student Takano Mai into the professor's secret lover and sidekick of the pathologist adds much depth to the story. The protagonist is also quite intriguing and turns out to be a haunted soul who attempts to commit suicide in the very first scene of the film which is quite shocking.

Spiral has the same gloomy atmosphere and sluggish pace as the predecessor but differs in all other departments. The scientific explanations are baffling, the suicidal protagonist is rather creepy and the supernatural conclusion seems like an antithesis to the grounded introduction. The movie experiments a lot and not all ideas might end up working out. However, Spiral deserves acclaim and attention as it pushes an already experimental horror franchise even further. The movie is filled with stunning details that justify watching it on multiple occasions. It's certainly the most creative, daring and intellectual entry in the franchise. Ignore the surprisingly negative comments and revist this forgotten gem of the Ring franchise to make up your own mind about this unusual entry.

The search for what was behind the death of a doctor by his friend is an odd continuation of the Ring story. I was never much of a Ring fan, finding the first film good, but over rated. I had heard that the rest of the films were something less than the first so I avoided them. I only stumbled into this because I thought it was a different film called Spiral.

This movie is full of atmosphere but almost from the start doesn't add up to much. Very little is clearly explained and things just seem to happen. It does have some interesting visuals, but ultimately its a rather bland film.

I gave it a 6 for the look and the acting but it probably should be a four for real enjoyment.

I can't really recommend it unless you're a Ring nut.

Often I can be somewhat of a movie snob, especially when it comes to the realm of horror, but this movie was godawful. No wonder the American sequel took creative liberties when making the Ring 2, it was either make a movie that involved ferocious deer, or emulate this Japanese bomb.

I can understand a psychological thriller, but this movie offered such a convoluted and ridiculous plot line that it was unbelievable and thus flaccid and weak. The only disturbing part was the fact that they spent money on a movie that suggested there was such a thing as an "optic infection"...you watch something and you get a virus from it? I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible...ever.

There wasn't even poorly animated CGI bits, to make the movie at least amusing. Just a lot of talking, no action, and no intelligence whatsoever.

The ending had somewhat of a twist, but not nearly enough to makeup for 2 hours of sheer boredom.