Being a big fan of Ju:on, I really was psyched to see this movie and I thankfully managed to get tickets to a Halloween preview as it isn’t released here until the 5th of November.
Like the characters in the film, no one has been able to escape The Grudge thanks to the theatrical release of Ju:on and countless interviews with Sarah Michelle Gellar in just about every form of media available.
I’m pleased to say that The Grudge managed to be a terrifying experience that only improved upon the the original, as it combined elements from all the previous versions as well as adding new material for American and European audiences.
The film has managed to retain the structure and moments of terror that made the original so good, whilst managing to elaborate upon the human relationships and aspects of the story that were previously unclear.
The performances were all wonderful considering that the actors didn’t have that much screen time and the film was simple yet effective in terms of aesthetics.
The film did benefit from having Yuya Ozeki and Takako Fuji reprise their roles as Toshio and Kayako respectively and the inclusion of some subtle humour was also welcome.
Credit must go to Takashi Shimizu for making his fifth attempt at the material fresh, and for scaring the pants off of everyone that was present at the screening I attended. I can’t remember the last time an audience reacted with so much terror.
In the end, The Grudge is a well made film and an exceptionally well thought out remake of an already excellent film that provides many jumps thanks to some great sound design and an effective score from the excellent Christopher Young.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Fans of the series might have some reservations about seeing this but the material has been treated with respect so fret not the American influence has most certainly not ruined this!
