Director: Takashi Shimizu
Writer: Takashi Shimizu (Screenplay)
Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa, Kanji Tsuda, Kayoko Shibata
Plot: A mysterious and vengeful spirit marks and pursues anybody who dares enter the house in which it resides.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Pure Scares, Confusing Story
Story: Ju-On: The Grudge starts when Rita Nishina (Okina) a social worker gets a new job in a house she instantly thinks something is wrong inside the house. When she discovers a little boy in a cupboard she gets to Sachie the lady she is caring for who doesn’t give her any answers. The boy Toshio continues to haunt Rita leading to her seeing what has caused the house to be empty.
We flashback to meet Kazumi (Matsuda) and husband Katsuya (Tsuda) who were looking after Sachie when this haunting happened as this Grudge is taking over the house. We watch how both Rita and Hitomi (Ito) get haunted by this vengeful spirit and both search for the answers to why it is after them.
Ju-on: The Grudge gives us some of the best scares in horror film history but when it comes to story I did find myself feeling very confused with who and which storyline I was meant to be follow and with no timelines it doesn’t really help either. The basics is just about enough to be able to work out but you don’t want to spend time thinking about this one because it is all about the horror unfolding which is truly terrifying.
Actor Review
Megumi Okina: Rika is the young social worker set to this new house as a carer but what she ends up discovering leaves her frozen in fear. Once she is found she has to work with the police to figure out what happened in this house and who this mysterious child is. Megumi is good in the leading role as she gets filled with terror throughout.
Misaki Ito: Hitomi is the younger sister of the people who lived in the house that lives away from the rest of the family, she gets followed by the ghost to her own apartment however much she tries to run. Misaki is good and is involved in one of the scariest scene.
Misa Uehara: Izumi is the daughter of Yuji who after her father starts investigating becomes the next target for the ghost like figure. Misa is also involved in one of the scary moments without being too involved in the film.
Yoji Tanaka: Yuji Toyama who was the cop who investigated what happened to the original family in the house, he never managed to solve the case forcing him to leave the force. Yoji is good in this role but also not involved in the early part of the film.
Support Cast: Ju-on: The Grudge has a supporting cast that all get involved in the haunting of the characters in their own way.
Director Review: Takashi Shimizu – Takashi gives us some real scares throughout but gets the story lost.
Horror: Ju-on: The Grudge gives us some of the best horror moments in any film.
Settings: Ju-on: The Grudge keeps all the settings feel like they are in everyday location to add to the horror.
Special Effects: Ju-on: The Grudge has great effects that are used to create the horror.
Suggestion: Ju-on: The Grudge is one for all the horror fans out there to watch. (Horror Fans Watch)
Best Part: Scares.
Worst Part: Storyline.
Oh My God Moment: Bed Ghost.
Scariest Scene: Coming down the stairs.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Yes
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $3.5 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes
Tagline: When a grudge from the dead passes to the living – Who is safe?
Overall: Scares throughout that will leave you looking for a pillow to hide behind.
Rating
