Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
"Ju-on" (original title)

A mysterious and vengeful spirit marks and pursues anybody who dares enter the house in which it resides.

Director:

Takashi Shimizu

Writers:

Takashi Shimizu, Bobby White (subtitles)

Stars:

Megumi Okina, Misaki Itô, Misa Uehara

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Megumi Okina	...	Rika Nishina
Misaki Itô	...	Hitomi Tokunaga
Misa Uehara	...	Izumi Tôyama
Yui Ichikawa	...	Chiharu
Kanji Tsuda	...	Katsuya Tokunaga
Kayoko Shibata	...	Mariko
Yukako Kukuri	...	Miyuki
Shuri Matsuda	...	Kazumi Tokunaga
Yôji Tanaka	...	Yûji Tôyama
Yoshiyuki Morishita	...	Keibiin
Hideo Sakaki	...	Fukushi Sentâ Jimuin
Takashi Matsuyama	...	Takeo Saeki
Yuya Ozeki	...	Toshio
Takako Fuji	...	Kayako
Chikara Ishikura	...	Hirohashi

Storyline

In Japan, when the volunteer social assistant Rika Nishina is assigned to visit a family, she is cursed and chased by two revengeful fiends: Kayako, a woman brutally murdered by her husband and her son Toshio. Each person that lives or visits the haunted house is murdered or disappears.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | haunted house | pain | ghost boy | anger | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

25 January 2003 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Grudge

Filming Locations:

Nerima, Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$17,032 (USA) (30 July 2004)

Gross:

$325,661 (USA) (3 December 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pioneer LDC, Nikkatsu, Oz Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Rika wakes up in bed to a room full of yowling black cats, several of the cats are obviously statues. Some of them are even clearly replicas of the same statue.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Hirohashi: Thanks for the effort.

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Kagi ga akanai"
Music by Hiroyuki Hamamoto
Lyrics by Kei Noguchi
Performed by Suitei Shôjo
Courtesy of Epic Records Japan

User Reviews

As a horror film it is pretty scary!

I have recently seen this film and as a scary movie it is very solid. The plot is sometimes confusing but the shocks are genuine and will have you hiding under your sofa several times. The horror element relies on shocks and make-up effects as opposed to loads of gore and CGI (however there is a smattering of this). Defenitely one of the best Asian horror films since 'The Eye' and would be difficult to keep its authenticity if remade in America. The music is atmospheric, reminiscent of the Resident Evil Games and adds to the tension running through the film. I am still unsure to why the boy, mother and father haunt/kill anyone entering the house.....wasn't really explained very well but leave your critical reasoning aside when watching it and enjoy the production for what it is a roller-coaster ride of jumps and scares.