Rings (2005 film)

Rings is a 2005 American supernatural horror short film. Jonathan Liebesman directed it and co-wrote the script with Ehren Kruger. The story acts as both a follow-up to the 2002 film *The Ring* and a lead-in to the opening scene of *The Ring Two* (2005); Kruger wrote both of those features. DreamWorks Home Entertainment first released the short on March 8, 2005, as a bonus disc packaged with a DVD reissue of the original *The Ring*.

After the events of the first film, Samara Morgan’s videotape continues to spread because each viewer makes a copy and passes it on. A subculture has formed around the tape: people test how close to the seven‑day deadline they can get. When they become too frightened to continue, they show the tape to the next person in line. These groups are called “rings.”

The story follows Jake Pierce, the newest member of one such ring. The group has already recruited Tim, who will watch the tape if Jake gives in. Jake is initially fascinated by his experiences, but things turn dark when he begins seeing visions of Samara. He has a dream—similar to one Rachel Keller had—in which Samara grabs his arm and leaves a bruise. He breaks on the sixth day, but Tim refuses to watch. Unbeknownst to Jake, another ring member, Vanessa, forced Tim to refuse because she wants to see what happens on day seven.

By the next day, Jake is so desperate that he tries to play the tape at an electronics store, but he is caught and thrown out. He thinks of Emily, a girl from school, and invites her over. He then has a vision of Samara reaching through the screen of his video camera. One hour before the deadline, Emily—encouraged by Vanessa—agrees to come, leading directly into the opening sequence of *The Ring Two*.

The cast includes Ryan Merriman as Jake Pierce, Emily VanCamp as Emily, Kelly Stables as Samara Morgan, Alexandra Breckenridge as Vanessa, Josh Wise as Timothy “Tim” Rivers, Justin Allen as Eddie, and Andrew D’Amico as a store employee.

The short was released in the United States on March 8, 2005, by DreamWorks Home Entertainment. It first appeared as a bonus disc in a DVD re‑release of *The Ring* and was later included with the DVD release of *The Ring Two*.

The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences who bought the special edition of the first film, released shortly before *The Ring Two*. Felix Vasquez Jr.