The story begins with two teenage girls, Katie Embry (played by Amber Tamblyn) and Becca Kotler (played by Rachael Bella), discussing an urban legend about a cursed videotape that supposedly kills anyone who watches it seven days later. Katie reveals that she watched the tape with her friends at a cabin in Shelter Mountain Inn, where they received a mysterious phone call after viewing it. A week later, Katie dies under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind a traumatized Becca.
Investigative journalist Rachel Keller (played by Naomi Watts) is Katie’s aunt and becomes intrigued by her niece’s death. She learns about the urban legend surrounding the cursed videotape and sets out to uncover the truth behind it. Rachel tracks down the videotape and watches it herself, unaware of the deadly consequences.
After watching the tape, Rachel receives a chilling phone call warning her that she has seven days left to live. Determined to unravel the mystery and save her life, Rachel enlists the help of her ex-boyfriend Noah Clay (played by Martin Henderson), a video analyst.
Rachel and Noah investigate the origins of the cursed videotape, tracing it back to a young girl named Samara Morgan (played by Daveigh Chase) who possessed supernatural powers. Samara was ostracized by her adoptive parents and ultimately pushed into a well, where she died seven days later. Her vengeful spirit is believed to be responsible for creating the cursed videotape.
As Rachel delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a series of disturbing clues and encounters paranormal phenomena. She learns that Samara’s spirit is haunting the videotape, seeking revenge on anyone who watches it.
With time running out, Rachel and Noah race against the clock to break the curse and save their lives. They discover that the only way to stop Samara’s curse is to uncover the truth behind her death and give her a proper burial.
In the climactic showdown, Rachel and Noah travel to Shelter Mountain Inn, where they uncover Samara’s remains and lay her to rest. They believe they have succeeded in breaking the curse, but their relief is short-lived when they realize that Samara’s spirit is still haunting them.
In the end, Rachel sacrifices herself to save her son, Aidan (played by David Dorfman), from Samara’s curse. She copies the cursed videotape and shows it to Noah, ensuring that he will be the next victim instead of Aidan.
“The Ring” is praised for its atmospheric tension, eerie cinematography, and suspenseful storytelling. It remains a classic of the horror genre and is credited with popularizing the trend of American remakes of Japanese horror films.