Before ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,’ Gore Verbinski Changed Horror Forever With This Near-Perfect Movie

When people talk about modern horror’s evolution, the conversation often starts much later than it should. Prestige horror, elevated horror, slow-burn horror, call it whatever label the industry prefers. But the real turning point arrived in 2002, long before the genre found new branding. That moment was The Ring, a film that did not just scare audiences, but fundamentally changed what mainstream horror was allowed to look like, sound like, and prioritize. Directed by Gore Verbinski, The Ring was released at a time when American horror was dominated by excess. The late 1990s and early 2000s were full of glossy slashers, post-Scream irony, and a growing appetite for shock over substance. What The Ring offered instead was restraint, and dread that lingered long after the credits rolled. It was a studio horror film that trusted atmosphere more than spectacle, and that decision quietly rewired the genre.