Regardless its very high ranking on the list of 'Incomprehensibly Overrated Asian Horror Flicks', "Ju-On: The Grudge" isn't an entirely bad little film at all and it certainly contains more genuinely spooky moments than any other Japanese horror films released in the last 15 years. The problem, however, is that these spooky moments are merely snapshots and isolated images whereas the film as a wholesome is disappointingly trite and virtually plot less. The synopsis of "Ju-On" is actually no more than one phrase: "a family tragedy occurred in a house one day and the restless spirits of a murdered child and woman still dwell around", period! The film is divided into EIGHT little chapters, all of them revolving on how a certain person (a social worker, a police officer, a schoolgirl....) comes in touch with the house and its ghostly residents and then...well...DIES! That's all, really. After approximately the third chapter, you've pretty much seen it all and you can start getting annoyed with the total lack of chronology, story-background and logic. What exactly are the intentions of these ghosts? Why can't they find peace? All this is seemly of no importance as long as every chapter ends with a creepy scene of the ghosts scaring another person to death. But it has to be said, it is very creepy!! The little boy-ghost has the eerie habit of appearing everywhere (really EVERYWHERE) just staring at you, whereas the woman-ghost produces the most disgusting but effectively disturbing sounds ever! "Ju-On: The Grudge" may not make the slightest bit of sense, but at least it will frighten you a couple of times. It sure is better than all the "Ringu"-films, "Dark Water" and "Phone".
Review of Ju-on: The Grudge
