Horror movies that can actually scare the living daylights out of you are few and far between. J-horrors on the other hand are consistently effective at creating scary atmospheres and creepy premises. So if you’re looking for movies like The Ring, read on!
Gore Verbinski’s The Ring is the American remake of the famous Japanese franchise that retains the intriguing premise of the source and builds upon the scary thrills. So without further wait, here some edge of your seat horrors like The Ring!
Top 10 Horror Mystery Movies Like The Ring
1. Ringu (1998)
A reporter investigates the mystery of videotapes after her cousin and friends strangely die exactly one week after watching the cursed tape.
Before The Ring, there was Ringu, the original. Directed by Hideo Nakata’s, Ringu perfectly crafts the thrillfest viewers have come to love that is filled with both atmospheric and creepy horror.
Even though both Ringu and The Ring movies follow the same story, there’s enough variety in terms of pacing and mystery elements for you to enjoy separately. Highly recommended!
2. The Ring Two (2005)
After confronting Samara and her killer tapes, Rachel tries to restart her life with her son. But the mystery of the videotapes follows them to a small city as similar patterns mark the arrival of Samara.
Hideo Nakata dons the director’s hat for Ring Two as Naomi Watts and David Dorfman return to stay alive against Samara’s curses. Just like the original, Ring Two follows the same suspenseful storyline that is filled with supernatural and jaw-dropping scenes.
While the sequel is quite different from the original, this is still essential viewings for those who love TheRing!
3. Oculus (2013)
A young man is released from a mental institution after witnessing the horrific death of his parents after several years. As a free man, he’s persuaded by his sister to search for a mirror they had in the past which brings back the horrible memories.
This Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites lineup blend psychological ambiguity with the gradual intensity of horror elements.
If people staring at a screen in The Ring has got you hooked, the mirror trope in Oculus will make you sit through the entire movie!
4. The Grudge (2004)
Next on my list is The Grudge, which tells the story of a nurse who visits a Japanese house in Tokyo where a great evil is spreading its curse throughout generations.
The Grudge is a faithful remake of Ju-on, so faithful that it doesn’t try to venture out of the original story. But it retains the strengths that made the original so successful.
Movies like The Ring and The Grudge are American remakes of the Japanese originals that both revel in the atmospheric horror and supernatural elements. A true must-watch for The Ring fans!
5. Sinister (2012)
A crime writer moves his family to a new house, with the hope of finding new information on an existing case. He soon finds a set of home movies that helps his research until they stop being just movies.
Directed by Scott Derrickson, Sinister is a slow burn which definitely pays thanks to a solid storyline and an amazing performance from Ethan Hawke.
Just like The Ring, Sinister employs the audiovisual medium to drive home the suspense, not to mention the homemade footage and the haunting music which adds to the suspense.
6. The Eye (2002)
A young blind girl gets a cornea transplant and now she sees everything, including ghosts. As she attempts to go deep into the mystery, things become scarier.
The Eye is the original Japanese movie with less than stellar American sequels. It does however exhibit some spooky and downright spine chilling moments, especially in the second half.
Just like The Ring, the intriguing aspect of not unseeing something has been used to the fullest in The Eye!
7. One Missed Call (2003)
In One Missed Call, the cast start to receive mysterious voicemails from their future selves telling them the exact date, time, and the way they will die.
The Takashi Miike’s directed One Missed Call definitely gives homage to the cult horrors like The Ring and The Grudge, while stilling holding its originality in terms of creepy mysteries and supernatural thrills.
If you’re looking for movies like The Ring where weird videos or calls make people run against time to save themselves, you will love One Missed Call!
8. Spiral (2000)
An old man’s obsession with snails and spiral patterns grow stranger starting from his suicide to the spiraling mysteries that plague the whole town.
Higuchinsky’s Spiral is another classic J-horror that is a scare-fest of creepy visuals, strange concepts, and frightening moments, all involving the trance-like pattern of the spiral.
Similar to The Ring, Spiral attacks your sensory perceptions and the frightening phenomenon amplifies the horror!
9. Shutter (2008)
A newlywed couple moves to Japan where they hit a woman with their car, but can’t find any trace of the victim. Soon, their photographs start to develop white spots involving the woman and the husband’s previous stay in Japan.
Masayuki Ochiai weaves a compelling horror story led by Joshua Jackson and Rachel Taylor that offers a slow burn which ultimately pays dividends in the end.
10. Pulse (2006)
One wireless technology experiment goes too far and unleashes something from the other world that makes people kill themselves.
Pulse tries to taste new waters in terms of cyber horror but gets entangled in its own ambitions. Execution and attention to detail aren’t its strongest suits and if not for the intriguing plot and a few scary moments, it could easily be a total failure and even Kristen Bell couldn’t have been able to save it.
Just like The Ring, Pulse features mysterious premises and builds on supernatural horror as it moves forward.