Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)

What to Expect

Ju-On: The Grudge starts off disturbing, there's a killed cat and a surprising kill scene within the first 30 seconds. There's no score, a thick atmosphere and gets super suspenseful within minutes. I can see why it was so popular back in J-Town. The original concept is also wild. When a person dies a horrible death, the rage from that person is passed along to others like a virus. You can actually see the moment someone is infected with The Grudge, they change immediately. It's actually a lot like the zombie "Rage" virus in 28 Days Later. Once a person gets it, they grudge out.

Anyone familiar with The Grudge knows all about the pale-faced grudge chick and the creepy cat kid. These are simply hosts for the grudge, having spawned the virus after being brutally murdered. The house they were murdered in is still their home, which curses anyone who walks in. And it's unfortunately a popular place, people walk in and out all day like it's a train station.

The interesting thing about Ju-On is that it's segmented into a series of chapters, each named after a different character. You get to see their experience with the grudge chick and the cat kid from start to finish. They're almost like a series of short stories that all share a common plot.

If you're fan of J-Horror or if you just like watching horror originals than you'll probably love Ju-On.