The Grudge (2004)

Some very creepy moments, 13 February 2005

The film's title refers to a Japanese myth involving the spirits of people who have died in "the grip of a powerful rage". Anyone who comes into contact with these spirits will die. The plot of The Grudge is very simple. An American exchange student, Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), living in Japan takes a job with a health care center. When one of the other workers doesn't show up, Karen is given her first solo assignment helping an older lady in her home. When Karen arrives, she immediately realizes that something is not quite right. What she doesn't realize is that this house is possessed by spirits who will kill anyone who sets foot inside.

Let me start by saying that I have not (as of 2/11/05) seen the original Japanese version. I plan to do so, hopefully, very soon. With that being said, I enjoyed The Grudge much more than I had expected. This is my first experience with Shimizu as a director, but I came away impressed. His has a nice ability to tell a story regardless of the language. The Grudge is one of the best examples of a non-linear story presentation that I can think of. As the movie progressed, it was a treat to watch Shimizu bring the pieces of the story together.

Another plus for The Grudge was Shimizu's decision (probably based on budgetary concerns as much as anything) to primarily use "real" effects and less CGI. The make-up on the Kayoka character, for example, created a far more unsettling image than the use of CGI could have. It was obvious that Kayoka was a real person, not just a computer image. The overuse or inappropriate use of CGI has ruined many modern horror movies.

There were, however, some areas where the movie could have been better. Gellar is one of the most unappealing leads in Hollywood. I've never understood what all the fuss is about. I always found her extremely annoying.

While the movie has many truly creepy (some were downright scary) scenes, the movie relies far too heavily on "jump moments". You know what I mean - a character opens a door and a cat jumps out (The Grudge actually features a cat jumping out of a closet). I've always thought that jump moments were a cheap way to illicit a response from the audience. A few jump moments can be good, but too many just becomes tiring.

Given that I wasn't expecting much, The Grudge was a lot of fun. I am looking forward to the sequel and to going back and discovering the original Japanese film - Ju-on: The Grudge.

7/10