Ring 2 1999
Directed by
Hideo Nakata
Made by
KADOKAWA Shoten
Ring 2 Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Ring 2 (1999). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Sadako Yamamura’s body is pulled from the old well, and the authorities enlist her uncle Takashi Yamamura to confirm the corpse’s identity. Detective Omuta delivers the sobering news: forensics suggest Sadako survived in that well for thirty years, a revelation that compounds the guilt Takashi Yamamura has carried since Sadako’s mother, Shizuko Yamamura, took her own life amid a cascade of past actions. The remains are eventually entrusted to the uncle, who chooses to lay them to rest at sea in a bid to absolve himself of the heavy burden he bears.
In the wake of tragedy, Reiko Asakawa’s world unravels as she learns of the sudden deaths of her ex-husband, Ryuji Takayama, and her father, Kôichi Asakawa. The police close in on Reiko and her young son, Yoichi Asakawa, as investigators assemble a timeline that begins with a burned videotape found in Reiko’s apartment. Mai Takano, a former colleague of Reiko, teams up with Okazaki to chase leads that might explain the eerie connection between the deaths and the tainted media.
Their search leads them to the urban legend of the cursed videotape, drawing them into a chain of encounters that include Kanae Sawaguchi, a high school student who witnesses the tape’s power and reluctantly hands a copy to Okazaki. Kanae begs him to watch it before the week is up, a plea that sets off a dangerous countdown. Meanwhile, Masami Kurahashi, once a friend of Reiko’s niece Tomoko, has become mute and frightened of televisions, a consequence of witnessing the film’s ripple effects. Her physician, Dr. Kawajiri, a paranormal researcher, attempts to purge the psychic energy that clings to Masami through experimental means, hoping to sever the haunted tether between the living and the dead.
Mai, drawn deeper into the mystery, confronts Masami and experiences Sadako’s presence on a television screen that terrifies the hospital’s inhabitants. Masami’s fear appears to funnel psychic energy toward Mai, hinting that Yoichi’s own latent abilities may be intensifying. As Mai and Yoichi reconcile with the increasingly dangerous reality, they realize Kawajiri’s work has consequences: when Kawajiri applies a method to exorcise the energy, the cursed imagery leaks onto a blank tape, resurrecting Sadako’s haunting visuals in the process. In a tense turn, Mai destroys the recording, yet the danger remains. Omuta’s interrogation intensifies, and Mai is coerced into revealing Reiko and Yoichi’s whereabouts, forcing her to witness Kanae’s terrified corpse in a harrowing moment of guilt.
With danger closing in, Mai telepathically urges Yoichi to flee the police station. The pair escape as Yoichi unleashes his burgeoning powers in a defensive psychic assault on the officers. Back on their trail, Okazaki attempts to erase an interview with Kanae, but Kanae’s ghost materializes, leaving an unmistakable and chilling trace of revenge.
Mai and Yoichi retreat to Oshima Island, seeking shelter at the Yamamura Inn. A nightmare thrusts Shizuko’s specter and a young Sadako into the night, and Mai seeks Kawajiri’s help once more. She volunteers to act as a conduit, directing Sadako’s hatred into a swimming pool, where water is believed to neutralize the malevolent energy. The ritual turns catastrophic when Sadako’s coffin rises from the pool, and Takashi Yamamura dives in, intent on being claimed by Sadako himself, while Kawajiri follows with improvised electrical gear, both men losing their lives along with their assistant.
The spellbinding peril continues as Mai and Yoichi fall into the pool and surface inside the well. Ryuji Takayama ghosts lunge to absorb Yoichi’s fear and conjure a rope that might guide Mai to safety—provided she can resist looking down. The well reveals Sadako’s cryptic query, “Why is it only you were saved?”, as the two manage to crawl ashore and emerge, gradually freed from their fear. In the aftermath, Okazaki ends up institutionalized, while a nurse glimpses something unsettling in a developing photo: behind Okazaki, Kanae’s laughing spirit lingers, utterly bent on revenge.
Ring 2 Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Ring 2 (1999) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Sadako's body retrieved and burial at sea
Police retrieve Sadako Yamamura's body from the well and have her identified by Takashi. Detective Omuta informs them that Sadako survived in the well for 30 years. Takashi buries the remains at sea in an attempt to atone for his past and for his wife's suicide.
Deaths of Ryuji and Koichi spark a police investigation
Ryuji Takayama dies suddenly, followed by Koichi, Reiko's father. The police begin searching for Reiko and her son Yoichi as part of the case. The deaths motivate the investigation into the urban legend surrounding the cursed tape.
Burned videotape found in Reiko's apartment
Mai Takano and Okazaki discover a burned videotape in Reiko's apartment, linking the deaths to the cursed tape. Mai senses that Reiko's father may have died in a manner similar to Ryuji. The tape becomes the thread that connects the victims.
Kanae Sawaguchi provides a copy of the tape
Okazaki meets Kanae Sawaguchi, who provides him with a copy of the cursed tape and reveals she watched it herself. She warns that time is limited before the curse claims another victim. Okazaki hides the tape in his desk as he contemplates the warning.
Masami Kurahashi's condition and Kawajiri's experiments
Masami Kurahashi becomes mute and terrified of televisions after witnessing Tomoko's death. Dr. Oisho Kawajiri, Masami's doctor and a paranormal researcher, tries to exorcise the psychic energy through experimental means. The hospital becomes a focal point for attempts to manage the haunting.
Sadako appears on television during Masami's sessions
Masami's psychic presence triggers Sadako to materialize on the television, terrifying the patients. Mai steps in as a potential conduit and recognizes Yoichi's psychic struggles. The hospital atmosphere intensifies the connection between the living and the cursed spirit.
Yoichi and Reiko are found in a shopping mall
Mai locates Yoichi and Reiko in a shopping mall; Yoichi has grown increasingly mute and his psychic abilities have intensified. Reiko asks Kawajiri for help to manage Yoichi's powers. The group heads back toward medical care to pursue a solution.
Okazaki reveals Kawajiri to the police
Returning to the hospital, Mai learns that Okazaki has inadvertently led the police to Kawajiri, who has informed them of Mai's contact with Reiko. The investigation expands its focus to Kawajiri's experiments and the sources of the psychic energy. The case narrows toward a paranormal cause rather than a conventional crime.
Exorcism experiment produces the cursed imagery
Kawajiri, Mai, Okazaki, and Omuta observe an experiment to exorcise the energy by projecting Masami's mental imagery onto a blank tape. Instead, the cursed videotape's imagery reappears, confirming the link between Masami and the curse. Mai destroys the dangerous recording to prevent further spread.
Mai is tortured into revealing Reiko and Yoichi's location
Omuta tortures Mai to reveal where Reiko and Yoichi are hiding, forcing her to view Kanae Sawaguchi's fear-contorted corpse. The emotional toll deepens Mai's guilt and heightens the sense of danger pursuing the victims. The pursuit closes in on them.
Yoichi and Reiko escape; Reiko dies
Mai telepathically urges Yoichi to flee the police station, and the boy escapes with Reiko. Reiko is struck and crushed beneath a truck during the escape, leaving Yoichi on the run with Mai. The haunting continues as fear gives way to violent consequences.
Kanae's ghost haunts Okazaki
Okazaki attempts to delete his Kanae interview, but Kanae's ghost materializes and haunts him, signaling that the curse reaches those who helped spread it. The supernatural threat expands beyond the living to torment the investigators. The cycle of fear intensifies.
Mai and Yoichi travel to Oshima Island
Mai and Yoichi relocate to Oshima Island and stay at the Yamamura Inn to seek safety away from the city. The remote setting offers a glimmer of respite as they search for a way to break the curse. The two prepare for a final confrontation with Sadako's fury.
Exorcism attempt on the island ends in tragedy
Dr. Kawajiri arrives to exorcise Yoichi by redirecting the energy into a pool with Mai as conduit, a plan intended to neutralize Sadako. The attempt goes awry as Sadako's coffin materializes in the pool, prompting a fatal plunge by Takashi and Kawajiri. The living and the dead collide in a fatal ritual.
The descent to the well and final emergence
Mai and Yoichi fall into the pool and find themselves inside the well, where Ryuji's ghost absorbs Yoichi's fear and guides Mai to safety. Sadako's ghost appears and questions why only Mai survived. They finally emerge from the well, seemingly free of fear.
Ring 2 Characters
Explore all characters from Ring 2 (1999). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Ryuji Takayama (Hiroyuki Sanada)
Former husband of Reiko, burdened by guilt over past events. He appears as a protective ghost who helps Mai and Yoichi, guiding them away from the police and toward safety even after his death.
Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima)
A determined journalist and mother who dives into the mystery of the cursed videotape to protect her son. Her pursuit of answers pulls her deeper into the supernatural web, culminating in a tragic death as she fights to shield Yoichi.
Yoichi Asakawa (Rikiya Ōtaka)
Reiko’s son who develops telepathic abilities and carries fear as a newly-awakened power. He becomes a central figure in resisting Sadako’s influence and aiding Mai in their escape.
Mai Takano (Miki Nakatani)
Reiko’s colleague who pursues the truth behind the videotape and unexpectedly becomes a conduit for psychic energy. She authorizes crucial moves to shield Yoichi and confront the curse, enduring manipulation and danger.
Okazaki (Yūrei Yanagi)
A reporter who digs into Kanae’s confession and the tape, getting drawn into the tape’s haunting power. His involvement with Kanae’s fear-laden past makes him a target of Sadako’s vengeance.
Kanae Sawaguchi (Kyoko Fukada)
A high school student who passes a videotape to a key investigator. Her willingness to reveal the tape’s contents marks her as a catalyst, and her spectral fate haunts Okazaki at the film’s end.
Masami Kurahashi (Hitomi Sato)
A friend of Reiko’s niece Tomoko, now mute and terrified of televisions. Masami becomes a psychic conduit, unwittingly channeling Sadako’s energy during attempts to exorcise it.
Dr. Kawajiri (Fumiyo Kohinata)
Paranormal researcher who attempts to expel Sadako’s energy by psychically projecting her fear. He sacrifices himself in a failed attempt to stop the curse.
Sadako Yamamura
The vengeful spirit at the heart of the Ring cycle, whose presence manifests through televisions and visions. Her appearance tests the limits of fear as she confronts Mai, Yoichi, and the investigators.
Shizuko Yamamura
Sadako’s mother, whose tragic history and suicide foreshadow the horror that plagues the living. Her backstory anchors the cycle of guilt and haunting that drives the narrative.
Ring 2 Settings
Learn where and when Ring 2 (1999) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Location
Oshima Island, Yamamura Inn, hospital, well, shopping mall
Ring 2 unfolds across coastal Japan, centering on the remote Oshima Island and its seaside Yamamura Inn. The investigation moves from a sunlit shopping mall to a sterile hospital, with the ominous well at the island’s heart linking past traumas to present terror. The film’s geography—open water, cramped corridors, and an old family inn—deepens the sense that the living are entangled with Sadako’s curse.
Ring 2 Themes
Discover the main themes in Ring 2 (1999). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Cursed Legacy
The Ring 2 undertakes the idea that Sadako’s horror refuses to stay buried. The cursed videotape travels through people, dragging them into a web of fear that crosses generations. Ghostly apparitions, nightmares, and repeated deaths underscore how past sins haunt the present.
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Guilt and Atonement
Guilt drives several characters: Ryuji’s death, Reiko’s father’s death, and the attempts to bury Sadako’s remains. The narrative treats responsibility as a force that corrupts choices and motivates desperate acts. The characters seek a way to right the wrongs that have chained them to the curse.
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Water and Escape
Water serves as a counteracting force to the psychic energy, seen in the pool exorcism and the swimming sequence that ends with Sadako’s coffin appearing. The pool becomes a fragile battleground where fear can be washed away or amplified. Ultimately, Mai and Yoichi seek safety by moving toward the sea and away from the haunting.
Ring 2 Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Ring 2 (1999). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a modern Japanese city where the ordinary and the uncanny intersect, a whispered legend haunts the airwaves: a videotape that dooms anyone who watches it, exacting its wrath exactly seven days later. The curse radiates an unsettling quiet, turning everyday spaces—apartments, clinics, even the glow of a television screen—into potential sources of dread. The film’s tone is a slow‑burn blend of psychological terror and atmospheric horror, where the sense of inevitable danger coils tighter with each tick of the unseen clock.
Mai Takano, a diligent investigator with a personal connection to the tragedy, is drawn into the mystery while probing the gruesome death of her boyfriend. Her methodical nature clashes with the ethereal nature of the curse, forcing her to confront questions that blur the line between reality and the supernatural. As she follows fragmented clues, Mai must navigate a world where information itself can become lethal, and every revelation threatens to pull her deeper into an unseen nightmare.
At the heart of the unfolding threat is Yoichi, the young son of the late boyfriend, who begins to exhibit unsettling psychic abilities linked to the vengeful spirit. His emerging powers hint at a connection that could either amplify the curse’s reach or become a key to breaking it. The dynamic between Mai and Yoichi is charged with urgency and fragile hope, set against a backdrop of looming dread where each moment could be the last. The film sustains a mood of tense anticipation, inviting the audience to wonder how far the darkness will spread and whether the bond between protector and child can withstand the encroaching terror.
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