The Grudge - (2019)
The Grudge
The Grudge STORY
A detective investigating a murder encounters a haunting mystery.
The Grudge REVIEW
Although this reboot of the 2004 US remake of ‘Ju-On: The Grudge’ builds on the mythology of the Japanese horror franchise, it introduces new characters and new ghosts. The story begins with Detective Muldoon (Andrea Riseborough), who is called in to investigate a murder. The detective is a single mother, raising her son by herself. She begins to encounter increasingly odd circumstances, and Muldoon soon realizes she must defend her son and herself from inexplicable supernatural forces.
Screenwriter and director Nicolas Pesce seems to have some exciting elements to play with. He establishes multiple, overlapping storylines that make for an intriguing setup, as different families are affected by the grudge. But his ambitious ideas can’t take off due to a stunted screenplay. Eventually, we barely spend any time getting to know these families, so their fates don't quite matter. This proves to be the film's undoing. Even though the cast is certainly game, with some talented people putting in ample efforts to make their respective characters resonate with the audience. Of note are John Cho and Betty Gilpin as Peter and Nancy Spencer, a young couple into the real-estate business, looking to start a family. On the other end of the spectrum, Frankie Faison and Lin Shaye as William and Faith Matheson respectively, are struggling with age-related disorders. But character development is a lost cause with such a muddled plot.
The film’s prime focus is on delivering constant spooks. Irrespective of whether you fall prey to the numerous jump scares or not; you can't help feeling there could be more than mere audio-visual shocks. However, all opportunities to instil any psychological fear are repeatedly squandered. What’s left is a mishmash of potential ideas that are unexplored because of the need to pander to horror fans. Despite a haunting tonality that’s faithfully maintained throughout, ‘The Grudge’ is likely to leave most viewers unsatisfied.
The Grudge TRAILER
The Grudge CAST
- Main article: List of The Grudge characters
- Sarah Michelle Gellar as Karen Davis, an exchange student
- Jason Behr as Doug McCarthy, Karen's boyfriend, who attends the University of Tokyo
- KaDee Strickland as Susan Williams, Matt's younger sister
- William Mapother as Matt Williams, who relocates to Tokyo for a promotion
- Clea DuVall as Jennifer Williams, Matt's wife
- Grace Zabriskie as Emma Williams, Matt and Susan's mother, who has severe lethargy with mild dementia.
- Bill Pullman as Peter Kirk, a teacher working in Tokyo
- Rosa Blasi as Maria Kirk, Peter's wife
- Ted Raimi as Alex Jones, the director of the care center where Yoko and Karen are stationed
- Ryo Ishibashi as Det. Nakagawa, a detective
- Yōko Maki as Yoko, a Japanese care worker assigned to care for Emma Williams
- Takako Fuji as Kayako Saeki, a married woman who is attracted to Peter Kirk
- Yuya Ozeki as Toshio Saeki, Kayako, and Takeo Saeki's 10-year-old son.
- Takashi Matsuyama as Takeo Saeki, Kayako's husband
The Grudge RELEASE DATE
The Grudge was theatrically released in the United States on October 22, 2004, by Columbia Pictures.
The Grudge BOX OFFICE
The Grudge opened at 3,348 theaters in North America. The film generated $39.1 million in ticket sales in its first weekend (October 22–24, 2004). Ticket sales declined 43% on the second weekend, earning $21.8 million, thereby becoming the first horror film to top the Halloween box office since House on Haunted Hill.
The film made US$110,359,362 in North America alone and a total of $187,281,115 worldwide, far exceeding the expectations of box-office analysts and Sony Pictures executives. Sony also stated production costs of less than $10 million, making it one of the most profitable movies of the year.
The film is recognized as the second-highest-grossing horror remake of the past 40 years behind The Ring, but in front of horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and One Missed Call, the former two had successful series and were expected to be far more successful, whereas the latter is also an Asian horror remake and did far less in terms of box office. It is also second in Japanese remakes but seventh in the highest openings for an October and fall release, being beaten by family movies.
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