Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)

When I was younger I saw the American version of the Grudge first and I found it terrifying and was worried when others said the original was a letdown. That being said, I was NOT disappointed at all with the Japanese original. Of course, the story is not the most original with haunted houses and vengeful spirits, but I found this film to be pretty good. On this site Ju-On: The Grudge is listed as a remake, but it's more like a continuation of the first two films - just with some new cast members (so don't worry if you have not seen Ju-On: The Curse 1&2). The original family that began the curse are all played by the original actors (except for the little boy Toshio, I think) however the film chronicles the affects of the curse on new multiple people. Just like with the other films, there are short mini-stories within the movie and just like the other films the sequence of the stories are out of order. It may sound confusing, but I thought it worked really well; there are demonstrations of time overlaps between stories, and the connections between people and places are made BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION. If you are a fan of strict, cohesive stories that focus on a limited amount of characters - like the American counterpart - this may not be as enjoyable. The cast all do a very nice job in their roles, though no one was an extraordinary superstar per se. No one was awkward, and those that were meant to be scary utilized their actions, expressions and even camera angles really well. The dialogue was as expected for a horror film, comfortable at times and suspenseful at others. I found the music and sound effects were much better than the first two films created earlier; the use of sound was much more thought out as well. Music for scenes was utilized to build suspense much more, varying from subtle to obvious; groans, creaks, and cries were placed in the right moments - no overuse whatsoever. As for rewatching? I prefer this version over the American version and I would watch it again. I found myself (in hindsight) disappointed with the American version actually, it seems far too similar. Overall, I think this was a very good film that everyone, especially horror movie fans, should watch at least once. This film was released in theaters and seemed to have a bigger budget, something that didn't happen with the earlier versions. That all made it better. I also was a very big fan of the blend of blatant jumpscares and more complex, longer buildups that could only be caught in the corner of your eye.

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I watched this film because of it's american counterpart. I wanted to see the original since it's such a classic.
I did not enjoy this film at all, it's not that I don't like horror films I do or else I wouldn't have volunteered to watch it.
But this film is all over the place and very confusing. One moment your in the past, then the present, then the past again, the future and back to the present only to be brought to a future different then before.
The story is good but with all of the confusing time jumps I didn't have a chance to enjoy the film.
That being said it is a classic film so you should give it a chance, maybe you'll like it more then I did.
Happy Watching :)

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[Written/Watched 24 Sep, 2019 for Letterboxd. Expanded 1/21/2021]

One of the strengths of "Ju-on: The Grudge" is how it establishes the narratives around the people who enter the Mount Doom equivalent of a house that seems to swallow families without mercy. It's set up like a collection of short stories that connect with each other instead of a singular narrative from a single character's point of view.

I don't think it can be understated just how doomed the people in this story are. The grand majority of them entering the house, drenched head-to-toe in undying anger, become unsuspecting victims of domestic violence that went unnoticed by anyone outside the house.

Anyone connected to the victims are as good as dead. The ghost and its other victims stalk them, crossing the boundaries of homes they were never welcomed into.

Hitomi, for instance, didn't see anything, she didn't even know what happened to her brother's wife. Yet, the vengeful spirit basically came after her with extreme prejudice anyway.

Ghosts who lash out and merely perpetuate their suffering. The "it is what it is" nature of the story is the strength of the film's unsettling nature.

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