Ring (1998)

 Frolic in brine; goblins be thine."

This is a very late '90s film, full of truly great interior decor. It's also the greatest horror film ever made. The concept is genius: a videotape (this dates the film, in the best possible way) that kills you in seven days. Yet there's no gore, just exquisite suspense arising from truly superlative direction in the grammar of horror, a genre which relies on the directorial voice more than any other. Unlike any other genre, it hinges on the effectiveness of specific shots. This film achieves said effectiveness triumphantly.

It's a very human film, too. We follow one woman, a journalist, with her cute little son, as she investigates, and ends up seeing the video, enlisting her academic ex-boyfriend. The drama of each day passing towards death is enormously effective. The film rides the concept to the end: there isa nothing else, despite the hints at redindled romance. Although, er, he slaps her face in the well when things get hard. Well then.

But that moment (SPOILERS ABOUND!!!) when the seer's daughter comes out of the telly is incredible. I love the minimalism of the horror. We see only this shamblingly feminine figure, here hair covering her face, until we see... yeah, The make-up is minimal, and all the better for it. She is terrifying. She is iconic horror. She is nightmare fuel. Yet she is achieved without CGI, in a film without gore. That's real horror.

So is the conclusion.This is genius, extraordinary, and as of today the greatest horror film I have ever seen.