For those that came in late: in 1998 Toho Studios simultaneously released adaptations of Koji Suzuki’s novel Ring and its sequel Spiral. The former was a huge success, while the latter was seen as a terrible disappointment. Not wanting to spoil their chance at further commercial success, Toho immediately commissioned screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi and director Hideo Nakata to develop a new sequel. Ring 2 not only ignores Spiral entirely – it actively contradicts it, presenting a direct follow-up to the original film unrelated to Suzuki’s novels. It was released to Japanese cinemas just under a year later.

Following the death of Ryuji Takayama (Hiroyuki Sanada) and the disappearance of journalist Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima), Takayama’s former assistant Mai Takano (Miki Nakatani) teams up with Asakwa’s colleague Okazaki (Yurei Yanagi) to further investigate the allegedly cursed videotape.

Both sequels open in a morgue, but the similarities end there. Where Spiral charted its own dramatic course and tone, Ring 2 is a deliberate exercise in giving an audience what they want or, at least, what its studio thinks that they want. It is for all intents and purposes another 90 minutes of Ring, expanding the concept slightly but ultimately providing variations on a theme. While Sanada and Matsushima both make return appearances, the thrust of the narrative is placed in the hands of Miki Nakatani as Mai. Nakatani delivers a strong performance; as she should, this being her third film in the role within two years.

It is a less effective story the second time around, albeit with a slightly more stylish delivery by Nakata. Of the two sequels it is the slicker of the pair, but unavoidably less interesting. There are definite highlights. An early scene involving a mental hospital is marvellously creepy, as is an attempt to photograph of reconstruction of Sadako’s face. A sequence of scenes involving the journalist Okazaki and a teenage girl he interviews about the legendary videotape are also impressive. She hands him a copy, swearing she has not watched it. When she later admits that she has indeed seen the contents, she begs him to watch it himself so that she can avoid the curse. Okazaki’s subsequent actions are some of the film’s most interesting, and ominous.

By sticking closely to the elements of the first Ring, Ring 2 struggles to do anything particularly interesting with the ghost Sadako. Indeed some of her scenes, particularly during the climax, seem quite underwhelming. The story also begins to lean heavily on a sort of loose ‘mad scientist’ arc, which feels stereotypical and rather weak.

With measured expectations to match the average quality of horror movie sequels, Ring 2 does provide an additional dose of supernatural menace. That menace feels inevitably watered down and anodyne. I suspect its makers knew this when Ring 2 was released. It was not followed by a sequel but rather a prequel – Ring 0: Birthday in 2000 – and another Japanese adaptation of the series was not released until 2012. When compared to Spiral, it is difficult to pick which sequel is superior. Both have their faults. Ring 2 is probably more entertaining, but less interesting.