Ringu (1998)

Hideo Nakata's 'Ringu' (1998) is the single most influential horror film of the past three decades, having launched the global J-horror craze. The film's core image—Sadako crawling out of a television—has been imitated countless times but never equaled in impact. At a production cost of just $1.2 million, it became a cultural phenomenon, earning over $10 million at the Japanese box office and spawning multiple sequels and remakes. It outperforms #10 The Witch (2015) in cultural reach, directly inspiring American remakes and a wave of Asian horror imports that dominated the genre for years. The film's masterful use of slow-building dread, built around a cursed videotape, set a benchmark for psychological horror that remains unmatched in efficiency and terror.