Review: 'Sadako' is a bland rehash of all the old 'Ringu' scares
Most supernatural horror movies keep their best scares for last — which is usually the ghost or monster in question. Before that, there's an assortment of scares that lead up to the unveiling of the terrifying creature. However, Sadako wields its titular ghost as a horror tool early and often, which is not a bad idea since anyone who's watching a movie titled Sadako is probably expecting to see the ghost from the classic Ringu appear. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only terror technique that the film has.
Sadako features the return of the vengeful, long-haired female spirit. In this film, she plagues a young doctor, her child patient, as well as her brother. It seems that the world has forgotten about the legend of Sadako, but an accident causes her to be released into the world at large. It's up to the young doctor to save the lives of those around her by discovering who Sadako really is, and what she wants.
1999's Ringu (also known as The Ring) was when we were first introduced to Sadako, and all the iconic elements that we have come to associate with her — her appearance, the well, climbing out a TV, and victims dying of terror. These four elements are usually present in some form or other in films in the Ringu franchise, even in crossover films like Sadako vs Kayako (where Sadako battles the ghosts from the Ju-On franchise). Sadako gives us all these elements, which does justify it as a Ringu movie... except that you're probably expecting to see all of these elements anyway, so there's no surprise or terror when you actually see them. They're not particularly well-executed, because, well, how else can you portray a ghost climbing out of a television (this time, it's a flat-screen TV) in a scary way, when the audience has been expecting it?
The over-reliance on all the iconic elements leads to a huge problem — Sadako has nothing else to offer but Sadako-related scares. It tries to scare you by throwing Sadako at you as many times as possible, with precious few other horror techniques used. Even jump scares are few and far between in this film. You get used to Sadako after a while, and anything you're used to usually loses its element of terror. Without anything else that might strike terror in you, Sadako's critical flaw is soon apparent.
Sadako isn't scary.
It feels familiar and repetitive. In fact, it even gets a little draggy and boring at times, since you're just waiting for the inevitable to occur. It's not even a plot that's unique to Sadako — it's the plot of every horror movie. Yes, it's fun to see Sadako getting up to her old antics, but they feel more like expected shenanigans now than fearsome actions. Sadako feels like an old friend, a friend that you're no longer terrified of.
A few other types of scares could have helped vary the pace. Ironically, seeing less of Sadako might have made us more frightened of her, since the greatest horrors are those conjured in the minds of people. More victims would also have cemented the reality of Sadako's threat in our minds. As it stands, the film is bland. It's not scary, but it's not particularly memorable either.
Sadako is exactly what it says on the cover — a movie about title character. Unfortunately, in trying to make it as recognisable as possible, it ceases to become scary and loses all its flavour. Sadako is a huge disappointment, which it shouldn't be, considering its legacy.
Should you watch this if it's free? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? No, unless you really like the Ringu franchise.
Score: 2.0/5
Secret ending? Yes, there's a post-credits scene.
Running time: 99 minutes
Sadako is a Japanese horror movie that's the latest in the Ringu film franchise.
It revolves around a young doctor who investigates the mysterious disappearance of her YouTuber brother. However, her investigations indicate that something sinister is afoot. As she discovers how all this is connected to her youngest patient, a girl who refuses to speak, she finds herself drawn into the clutches of a powerful and vicious evil ghost — Sadako herself.
Sadako is directed by Hideo Nakata and written by Noriaka Sugihara. It stars Elaiza Ikeda (Mayu Akika), Himeka Himejima (the girl), and Hiroya Shimizu (Kazuma Akikawa). It is rated PG13.
Marcus Goh is a television scriptwriter, having written for popular shows like “Lion Mums”, “Crimewatch”, “Code of Law”, “Incredible Tales”, and “Police & Thief”. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site. The views expressed are his own.
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