The Grudge

You’re going to hear a lot of horror fans complaining about The Grudge, a new horror film starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar. This remake of the Japanese original Ju-on: The Grudge is liable to make rabid fans of Japanese horror pull their hair out in frustration. However, newcomers to this story have a good chance of being severely creeped by this tale of angry ghosts cursing all who enter their tainted home. Producer Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, the Evil Dead series) made the wise decision to hire director Takashi Shimizu, who directed the Japanese Ju-on in its theatrical version, as well as its Japanese sequel and video incarnations. Shimizu has had many takes at this story, and the Americanization of Ju-on retains many of the same scares that made the original so chilling. There are moments in this movie that qualify as some of the scariest in years.