The Grudge (2004)

Jelda, what's that all about?

Andrew Stewart2 said:Great movie. I’ve been reading quite a bit about those Japanese horror flicks lately...

Well, us Asians definitely have a reputation for that!

Here is the poster for The Ring 2, a film based on a true story...

Andrew Stewart2 said:So, I just caught this on one of the major networks, and honestly, it’s the first horror movie in ages that actually managed to rattle my nerves, especially that ending, even though the tension stays high from start to finish. It was such a great film, and after reading so much about those Japanese horror classics, this was my first time diving into one and I’m genuinely impressed... I’m still feeling a little spooked, actually... 😲

What about Ring or The Ring 2, the ones where Americans remade them? Did you miss those, or did they just not creep you out quite as much?

Unfortunately, I slept through the first half of the movie. Even so, what I did catch was quite impressive. The American remake relied far too heavily on CGI and gore, whereas this version leaned more into practical camera effects and genuine acting, which I truly appreciate.

Walter Peterson2 said:What about Ring and The Ring 2 (the Americans made their own versions)? Did you miss them or did they just slip past you?

I actually watched Ring on some local channel a while back... yeah, one of those marathon runs. It was good, though honestly, I’d much rather sit through the original Japanese version if I had the choice.

It feels like most American movies just can't help themselves—too much forced humor, way too many sex jokes, and always throwing in these teen actresses just to be eye candy, you know? A bit much. The Japanese stuff feels... I don't know, more dignified? Kind of like how American movies used to feel back in the fifties. That's why Japanese cinema hits different lately, whereas Hollywood mostly misses the mark...

Anyway, looks like people were already talking about this movie... I totally missed it under that title in the list, so my bad for starting a whole new thread. Sorry!

Like a few others mentioned, the plot can be a total headache to follow. So many new characters and names that just stick in your head for five seconds... but still, I thought the movie was great.

And hey, those American teen actresses aren't exactly hard to look at either... probably just me, but there's something about those Japanese schoolgirls in those uniforms that really catches the eye...🙂

I caught the American version in theaters, and I have to say, it’s honestly one of the few horror movies that actually managed to creep me out (if that’s the right way to put it).
The plot is solid, and even Sarah Michelle Gellar didn't totally tank the movie—it was actually pretty decent.
To this day, I still get chills thinking about it.
As for the original Ju-On, there's just something about that vibe that hits different; it's genuinely terrifying. 🙂

Japanese horror is where the real scares live. Most American horror feels like garbage in comparison, though I'll give credit where it's due since this one is a rare exception. Besides, you can't really call The Grudge - Curse a purely American film anyway.
All in all, it gets a high score from me.

The movie hits you with a few creepy scenes; gave me goosebumps like I was a kid again.

In my estimation, the narrative possessed immense potential, an untapped reservoir of storytelling that was utterly squandered by American studio interference. It truly should have been executed with much greater finesse and depth than what we ultimately received.

Even though Grudge 2 has been pretty much trashed by critics here in the United States, I still have every intention of watching it. People love to complain about how repetitive it feels, but let’s be honest—wasn't the first remake just as much of a loop?

This Japanese horror flick is actually incredible. The American remake was total garbage, obviously. But the original? It has those specific scenes that just make your stomach turn... 😲

To be perfectly honest, I found the Japanese original to be quite underwhelming—it didn't scare me one bit! It felt disjointed, almost aimless, and just lacked any real impact. Now, having finally sat through this American version, I have to say, it’s significantly better in my eyes.

Well, here it is—two years after its US premiere, finally hitting DVD! (And technically, it hit theaters just a bit earlier). To celebrate the release, they played a trailer for "The Grudge 2" (coming to theaters on December 7th, 2006) right before the movie started, just in case you were planning on seeing that one too. (NOT!).

The American version is actually easier to sit through, and maybe even a little creepier than the original, but you still lose interest pretty quickly. It feels a lot shorter than the first one did.

It looks like Sarah Michelle Gellar really tried her best to break out of that Buffy mold and play someone different for once...

But honestly, the American cast feels a bit out of place in this kind of setup.

The whole thing is just mediocre and almost laughable.

Especially after watching Scary Movie 4 (that pee scene...), which basically changes your life forever...



It’s pretty funny how the parody of this movie actually hit theaters before the actual film it was making fun of...

I know the Japanese version used to play on TV all the time, but I honestly can't say I’ve actually sat through it—it just always looked way too cheesy for my taste. As for the American remake? Man, that was easily one of the worst movies I've ever laid eyes on. Just straight-up awful.
Generally speaking, though, those J-horror flicks and everything in that vein—you know, stuff like circle or The Grudge - Curse—just don't do it for me at all. Not the plot, not the directing, not even that creepy atmosphere they try to build... the whole execution is just completely and utterly terrible. A total disaster.

Dana Evans14 said:"If someone dies while they're gripped by intense rage...
it creates a curse.
That curse just lingers right there where they died..
And anyone who crosses paths with it? They get swallowed up by that anger.."

Really solid flick. If you're into horror, you should definitely check it out 🙂
It’s reminiscent of "The Ring" and actually came out in two different versions;
- the US version The Grudge
- the Japanese version Ju-On

Apparently, the director, Takashi Shimizu, was also behind "The Ring," though I couldn't find anything concrete to back that up online.

Oh, and btw, "The Ring 2" is coming out soon 🙂

Honestly one of my favorite horror movies. Still gives me nightmares 🙏 It's great! 👍
The first Japanese version was way better and scarier than the American remake, and the second 👍, plus the third, were alright—pretty well made too!👍