[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.