"The Spiral" or "Rasen" starts with us meeting the suicidal Mitsuo Andou (Japanese star Koichi Sato), depressed and sorry that he allowed his son to drown in the sea. However, he can't bring himself to slit his wrists. That morning he gets a call from his buddy Miyashita (Shingo Tsurumi) telling him that the guy on the chopping board that day is Ryuji Takayama (played by the great Hiroyuki Sanada), who was Andou's old rival in Med. School.
During the autopsy (which is about the only scary thing in the movie!) Andou has a flashback about how he and Ryuji used to always make number codes for words. When they find a clot in Ryuji's neck, guess what's there! Nope, one of the number codes! (So some how, Ryuji managed to swallow that before he died, even when he didn't know he'd happen!) After doing the autopsy, the inspector tells them that he's suspicious of Ryuji's ex-wife Reiko Asakawa, whom they seem to think murdered him. Trying to find out more answers, he talks to Ryuji's girlfriend, the boring and extremely dull Mai Takano (played bluntly by Miki Nakatani). Some how (despite the fact that in 'Ring' Ryuji never told anyone about videotape and never went near anyone but Reiko), Mai knows everything about the cursed videotape and says that's why Ryuji died.
That night, Andou take the numbered paper found in Ryuji's throat home and decides to work it out. The codes come up as 'D-N-A'. Andou thinks it's rubbish. (Insert boring and pointless moment with Mai here). Andou goes to the lab to show Miyashita why Ryuji really died. It turns out that he had a tumor in his heart. Just then, Andou and Miyashita are called on to do a quick autopsy... Reiko Asakawa and Yoichi Asakawa have been found.
As soon as Andou hears that Yoichi died too... He cries (the only mourner!). Suddenly, Yoshino (Reiko's head of dept.) turns up and points out that a video deck is in the car.
Andou finds that strange, and he starts to believe Mai was right! (Insert yet another pointless view of Mai walking down the street looking sorry for herself!) Cut to Mai getting a letter with maths info and a picture of a man and a young boy, holding hands...
What it means... We'll never, ever know... believe me.
2 out of 5 stars.
During the autopsy (which is about the only scary thing in the movie!) Andou has a flashback about how he and Ryuji used to always make number codes for words. When they find a clot in Ryuji's neck, guess what's there! Nope, one of the number codes! (So some how, Ryuji managed to swallow that before he died, even when he didn't know he'd happen!) After doing the autopsy, the inspector tells them that he's suspicious of Ryuji's ex-wife Reiko Asakawa, whom they seem to think murdered him. Trying to find out more answers, he talks to Ryuji's girlfriend, the boring and extremely dull Mai Takano (played bluntly by Miki Nakatani). Some how (despite the fact that in 'Ring' Ryuji never told anyone about videotape and never went near anyone but Reiko), Mai knows everything about the cursed videotape and says that's why Ryuji died.
That night, Andou take the numbered paper found in Ryuji's throat home and decides to work it out. The codes come up as 'D-N-A'. Andou thinks it's rubbish. (Insert boring and pointless moment with Mai here). Andou goes to the lab to show Miyashita why Ryuji really died. It turns out that he had a tumor in his heart. Just then, Andou and Miyashita are called on to do a quick autopsy... Reiko Asakawa and Yoichi Asakawa have been found.
As soon as Andou hears that Yoichi died too... He cries (the only mourner!). Suddenly, Yoshino (Reiko's head of dept.) turns up and points out that a video deck is in the car.
Andou finds that strange, and he starts to believe Mai was right! (Insert yet another pointless view of Mai walking down the street looking sorry for herself!) Cut to Mai getting a letter with maths info and a picture of a man and a young boy, holding hands...
What it means... We'll never, ever know... believe me.
2 out of 5 stars.