I finally got to see this film after a long wait and I must say that whilst it was not as frightening as Ringu, I was still freaked out by it’s creepy atmosphere and scary imagery.
Most people are sure to know by now that the film centres on a house where something bad happened once. That event left a mark on the house, which curses anyone who encounters the house or it’s residents.
From the get go Ju-on is very dark. It’s broken narrative makes it move quickly ensuring that we are chilled to the bone at a fast and frightening pace.
I am pleased to report that Takashi Shimizu has successfully done his bit to make sure that everyday comforts and luxuries are now terrifying, because if you come home and find that you are being chased by an angry spirit you can’t even hide under the covers anymore.
The ghosts are very wisely shown in glimpses at first, but we are then subjected to full on scary scenes that are backed up by some very creepy sound design and atmospheric lighting.
Had I seen this film before Ring it would have been a revelation but the fact that it appears years later lessens it’s impact somewhat.
The only downside to the film is that it uses modern technology to frighten us,which is sadly now a convention of the genre all in itself, and therefore comes across as cliche.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Not as terrifying as Ring but a bloody good film that haunts you afterwards, The Grudge is way better than The Eye and whilst the remake so far appears to be shot by shot, I can only hope that they don’t ruin what has the potential to be the big horror hit this Autumn.
