Ju-On: The Grudge

An unassuming house on the outskirts of Tokyo becomes the source of a curse that haunts all those who come into contact with it. Across six interwoven chapters, Takashi Shimizu crafts a non-linear chronicle of horror in which time, perspectives and fates are inextricably intertwined. The first feature film in the series continues the tradition of the Japanese ‘onryō’ – a vengeful spirit – and condenses the curse, born of violent death and deep resentment, into an omnipresent, unstoppable presence. (lb)

‘Shimizu, who pays tribute in the credits to his mentors at the Tokyo Film School – Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Hiroshi Takahashi, the director of Cure and the screenwriter of Ring – establishes an atmosphere of latent menace right from the start. From seemingly naturalistic scenes, he allows the uncanny to flicker at the edges of the frame before it once again eludes the viewer’s gaze; a unsettling soundtrack further heightens the sense of unease. Finally, he abruptly brings the horror into the centre of the frame, thereby defying the classic horror convention that the invisible is more terrifying than the visible. (…) The film evokes that palpable tension that characterises many first encounters with horror cinema – that peculiar blend of fascination and terror that arises when one exposes oneself to something for which one does not yet feel quite ready.” (Rob Daniel, fareastfilms.com, 2 April 2015)