The Ring Two

**The Ring Two** is a 2005 American supernatural horror film directed by Hideo Nakata and written by Ehren Kruger. It serves as the second chapter in the American *Ring* series, itself adapted from Koji Suzuki’s 1991 novel. Nakata, who directed the original Japanese *Ring*, took over from Gore Verbinski (director of the first American film). Naomi Watts and David Dorfman return as Rachel Keller and her son Aidan, while Simon Baker, Elizabeth Perkins, and Sissy Spacek join the cast. The film also marks Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s feature film debut.

**Plot** Six months after the events of the first film and the short *Rings*, the cursed videotape of Samara Morgan is circulating in Astoria, Oregon. Teenager Jake Pierce, on his seventh day after watching the tape, tricks a schoolmate, Emily, into viewing it. While she supposedly watches, Jake steps into the kitchen. He gets a phone call from a friend, realizing the plan to fool Emily is still on. Suddenly, dark liquid seeps under the kitchen door; he runs to the living room to find Emily had kept her eyes shut. Samara then kills Jake.

Rachel Keller and her nine-year-old son Aidan have moved from Seattle to Astoria. Rachel works for *The Daily Astorian* under editor Max Rourke. After learning of Jake’s death, she examines his body, and Samara appears, saying she has been looking for Rachel. Rachel breaks into Jake’s house, retrieves the tape, and burns it. Aidan has a nightmare in which Samara drags him into a television. He soon develops hypothermia and bruises on his arms. At a county fair, Aidan wanders into a restroom and photographs his reflection, where Samara appears. Rachel takes him home, but wild deer attack them on the way. Rachel realizes Samara may be possessing Aidan.

Max takes them in. While Rachel tries to bathe Aidan, he develops aquaphobia. Samara causes the bathwater to drain, replacing Aidan with herself, and terrorizes Rachel into attempting to drown Samara. Max enters, seeing Rachel drowning Aidan instead, and forces her to take him to the hospital. Based on Aidan’s bruises, psychiatrist Emma Temple suspects child abuse; Rachel admits to past postpartum depression, and Temple sends her away. Seeking answers, Rachel returns to Moesko Island and finds evidence of Samara’s biological mother, Evelyn, who tried to drown her as an infant.