Who could have thought that watching a video could be so deadly? “The Ring” takes a disturbing, supernatural approach by allowing an inanimate object control of the lives of humans.

A video was made with the power to kill its viewers in a seven-day time span. Naomi Watts (“Mulholland Drive”) plays a young journalist named Rachael who comes upon the tape while investigating her teenage cousin’s death. Her diligent pursuit turns to a race against time once she and her son screen the video, and must unlock the mystery before it’s too late.

The arrangement of the movie is quite confusing and leaves many questions to be answered, mainly about why the tape led to the numerous deaths it caused. The explanation behind the cause, and the connection between the tape and its victims is not clearly represented in the film, not to mention why the seven-day time frame was important.

The movie has multiple storylines, more than the audience can keep track of. Back and forth, the focus switches amongst the characters throughout the film, and you lose track of who to pay attention to. This makes it tough to keep up with the uninteresting plot. But even though the focus was off, the acting made up for it. Up-and-coming Watts leads a cast of relative unknowns through the mucky script as best as she can. It’s simply another popcorn flick that’ll surely draw in the dollars with a nary a big name in sight.

The drab setting and flat color of the movie sets a dull atmosphere, giving the film a realistic feel and leaving the audience no choice but to jump or close their eyes at a seconds notice. This dry and very cold feeling is consistent and continues to the climax.

But if you enjoy watching disturbing, supernatural movies, this is a film that you should watch anyway. “The Ring” contains enough witchcraft to have you on the edge of your seat, and the ending is not what you would quite expect. It will make you think twice about watching videotapes with no labels on them.