The Grudge (2004)
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A deadly curse born from a tragic death lingers in a house, claiming the lives of those who encounter it.
The story
The Grudge is a curse, born when someone dies in extreme rage or sorrow and lingers where the person dies. In 2004, the Williams family from America moves into the Saeki house for Matt's job. While Matt is thrilled with the house, his wife Jennifer and dementia-ridden mother Emma feel uncomfortable, with Emma sensing that something is wrong with the house. The curse quickly begins to consume Matt and Jennifer, while the haunting extends to Matt's sister, Susan, who is pursued by the curse as it follows her back into her apartment.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The Grudge is a curse born from a tragic death in 2001, where Kayako Saeki was murdered by her husband Takeo. Their son, Toshio, was also killed, and their spirits became restless ghosts. In 2004, the Williams family moves into the Saeki house. Matt and Jennifer are quickly consumed by the curse, while Matt's sister Susan is haunted in her own apartment. A care worker named Yoko finds Emma alone before being dragged into the attic by Kayako. Another care worker, Karen, discovers Toshio in a wardrobe and witnesses Kayako's spirit. After several people are killed, including a detective and a man named Alex, Karen discovers the truth about the curse. She eventually confronts the spirit in the house. After a fire is set to destroy the house, Karen survives but realizes that the curse still haunts her.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Japanese
- Directors
- Takashi Shimizu
- Writers
- Stephen Susco · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sarah Michelle Gellar · Karen Davis; Jason Behr · Matt; KaDee Strickland · Yoko; Clea DuVall · Jennifer; Bill Pullman · Alex; Takako Fuji · Kayako Saeki; Yuya Ozeki · Toshio Saeki; Takashi Matsuyama · Takeo Saeki
- Genres
- supernatural horror; horror thriller
- Themes
- the cycle of vengeance; the lingering effects of trauma; the danger of the unknown
- Tone and mood
- eerie; tense; supernatural
- Setting
- A haunted house in Japan and various urban locations in the present day.
- Premise and plot tags
- haunted house; vengeful spirit; curse; remake
- Source material / true-story basis
- Ju-On: The Grudge
- Franchise connections
- The Grudge
- Content notes
- horror
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was considered a successful and well-done J-horror remake that kickstarted a trend of Asian horror remakes in the 2000s.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: 100 · review count: 32
- Production trivia
- It was a major factor in the 2000s trend of Asian horror remakes.; The original director, Takashi Shimizu, returned to direct the remake.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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