Rasen (1998)

33% of users liked it
(1,174 ratings)

This sequel to Ringu (1998) begins with Takayama's body being examined by his friend, pathologist Dr. Andou. After he finds a cryptic note in Takayama's stomach, Andou does some investigating and soon learns of a mysterious videotape, haunted by the spirit of a murdered woman. The rumors are that… More This sequel to Ringu (1998) begins with Takayama's body being examined by his friend, pathologist Dr. Andou. After he finds a cryptic note in Takayama's stomach, Andou does some investigating and soon learns of a mysterious videotape, haunted by the spirit of a murdered woman. The rumors are that anyone who watches the video will die exactly one week later. Despondent over the death of his own child, and believing that he is being guided by his friend's ghost, Andou decides to see the video for himself. After watching the tape, strange things begin happening around him, and he soon discovers that the tape's restless spirit has different plans in store for him.

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Jôji Iida
Genres: Art House & International, Horror

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Aug 23, 2005

Critic Reviews

Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter
Overall, the film feels stilted, academic, and more than a little dull as it plows through its exposition.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
the creepy mystery of Ringu is all but gone in this clinical sequel

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lee ?

This is the official sequel to "Ringu" as it was based on the actual novel, but it's nowhere near as good or as scary as "Ringu 2". It picks up right up after the end of the first one and takes the story into a different direction which was quite interesting,… More
This is the official sequel to "Ringu" as it was based on the actual novel, but it's nowhere near as good or as scary as "Ringu 2". It picks up right up after the end of the first one and takes the story into a different direction which was quite interesting, especially the ending. It just wasn't creepy enough though and "Sadako" isn't the terrifying force she once was in Hideo Nakata's films. It was nice to have an alternate sequel released but it doesn't deliver the thrills and chills that it should.
Luke B

A sort of original sequel to Ringu, it unfortunately did not impress too much. The film is certainly much more faithful to the book, but this in turn destroys the paranormal elements. Instead of a horror we have a medical science fiction thriller. Too much exposition and explanation… More
A sort of original sequel to Ringu, it unfortunately did not impress too much. The film is certainly much more faithful to the book, but this in turn destroys the paranormal elements. Instead of a horror we have a medical science fiction thriller. Too much exposition and explanation destroys the fear of the original. As it turned out Ringu 2 was no bed of roses either and this is a rather fascinating film even if it only excels in failure. Fans of the books or the ever increasing Ring saga should not miss this.
E.J. B

I didn't mind the scientific explanations for the cursed videotape, but what didn't work for me was how this movie tries to scare you with extreme gore. Ringu proved that what isn't shown is much scarier than what is. This is a step back for the Ring saga.
A.D. V

Poor follow up to Ringu. It drops the ball in the first 10 minutes with more inconsistencies and continuity problems than most slasher sequels. Plus it strays so far from the first film that it no longer resembles a Ringu film. Its a spiral alright, straight down.
Kylie B

This film tries to tie in the film version of Ring with the original plot of the novels, in particular Spiral (on which this film is largely based). However, due to the changes made in the Ring script this film has holes that probably only make sense to someone who has read the… More
This film tries to tie in the film version of Ring with the original plot of the novels, in particular Spiral (on which this film is largely based). However, due to the changes made in the Ring script this film has holes that probably only make sense to someone who has read the original book trilogy - like how Sadako was more adult when she died, when in Ring she was largely portrayed as being a child ghost. There are a few creepy moments but overall I can't help wondering if Hideo Nakata could've made a better adaptation of Spiral. I would really only reccomend it to Ring Trilogy fans who want to see it as part of the original Ring mythos, or because it was the original sequel, because I can't imagine anyone coming to it and being able to appreciate it without that extra bit of knowledge.
Christopher B

Now here is a weird one. Like a sequel in a parallel universe where characters from the original Ring do very odd things. This really isn't a horor. Or a thriller. Not quite a sci fi and definitely not a drama. I really don't know how to catagorize this. The filmmakers… More
Now here is a weird one. Like a sequel in a parallel universe where characters from the original Ring do very odd things. This really isn't a horor. Or a thriller. Not quite a sci fi and definitely not a drama. I really don't know how to catagorize this. The filmmakers do their darndest to take away any mystery from the original and take any horror away from Sadaka. It's really a strange sequel that I'm sure I'd like less if this was the official sequel. However, since Nakata was brought in to redo the sequel this is a really strange companion piece, much like the original Day of the Dead and it's remake or Stephen King's The Regulators and Desperation. Worthy of a watch just to see how the Ring series could have turned out.