Originally based on a Japanese urban myth, this remake of Hideo Nakata’s stupendously creepy 1998 spine-chiller centres on a videotape of eerie discortant images, said to cause all who see it to die in seven days.

When a young relative dies in accordance with this legend, workaholic journalist and neglectful mother Rachel puts her investigative skills to work. Of course, that entails an actual viewing of the tape, leaving Rachel staring at the ultimate deadline.

The Ring is undeniably superior fare as Hollywood remakes go, even if it never scales the heights of the Japanese original. Verbinski’s taut direction sees him back on form after his recent misfiring star-vehicle, The Mexican, and while much of the film – particularly the central video images – plagiarises Nakata’s original, it’s difficult to criticise the well-crafted and chilling results.

Equally impressive is Watts’ intelligent turn as a horror heroine with enough brain-cells to remember how to use light-switches. In addition, she gets capable support from youngster and Haley Joel Osment-alike David Dorfman.

A genuinely freaky horror-flick, then, and one that should finally lay to rest the by-now-utterly tedious nudge-nudge antics of the Scream franchise and the like.