Although it wasn't evident at the time, 1998 may well prove to have been something of a watershed for screen horror. For while Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson were busy playing knowing postmodernist games with the conventions of the slasher movie, subtler minds were elsewhere devising a less referential revisionism, writes Daivd Parkinson.

In America, it manifested itself in The Last Broadcast, The Sixth Sense and The Blair Witch Project, while in Japan, it came in the form of the 'Ring' series, based on the best-selling novel by Koji Suzuki. Hideo Nakata's duology and Norio Tsuruta's prequel not only smashed domestic box-office records, but also gained cult followings throughout South-East Asia.

Those more accustomed to the knockabout antics of Scream and Scary Movie may find this cerebral to the point of calcification. But anyone versed in such troubling Japanese chillers as Kwaidan, Onibaba and Kureneko will revel in the film's unforced blend of traditional supernatural totems and modern communications technology. Following the unexplained death of her niece, telejournalist Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) begins to investigate the urban myth of a cursed videotape, which causes the death, within a week, of everyone who watches it. But, no sooner has she viewed the distorted images than she receives the legend's telltale telephone call and, terrified, ropes in her ex-husband, tabloid reporter Ryuji Takayama (Hiroyuki Sanada), to help her beat the hex.

Structured like a diary to keep us aware of critically passing time, the plot resembles an old-fashioned detective story, propelled by chance clues and gradual realisations. Yet, with its emphasis on the paranormal, its loudest ring (if you will) is the X Files, especially as the divorced couple have an ambivalent relationship similar to Mulder and Scully's. Frequently slotting video footage into the mix to give it a visual texture commensurate with both the tone of the story and Kenji Kawai's eerie score, Nakata's strategy relies on the inexorable build-up of suspense right up to the moment when he springs the cassette's hideous secret. Here and there, it's possible to detect the influence of such diverse film-makers as David Cronenberg (Videodrome) and Hirozaku Koreeda (Maborosi), but the distinctive voice definitely belongs to Nakata, who is clearly a name to note.

It's not all good news, however. There's already been an indifferent South Korean remake and there are now reports of a Hollywood version in the pipeline. Now that is scary.