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The Grudge

Play trailer Poster for The Grudge PG-13 2004 1h 30m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
41% Tomatometer 163 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Matthew Williams (William Mapother), his wife, Jennifer (Clea DuVall), and mother, Emma (Grace Zabriskie), are Americans making a new life in Tokyo. Together they move into a house that has been the site of supernatural occurrences in the past, and it isn't long before their new home begins terrorizing the Williams family as well. The house, as it turns out, is the site of a curse that lingers in a specific place and claims the lives of anyone that comes near.
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The Grudge

The Grudge

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Critics Consensus

There's some creepy imagery to be found, but not much in the way of logic or truly jarring scares.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/28/2010
2/5
Grisly ghost story lacks plot; not for tweens. Go to Full Review
Jamie Russell BBC.com 01/26/2005
3/5
It's mechanical moviemaking, but when it works you're likely to quiver, cower and leap with fright. Go to Full Review
Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 11/06/2004
3/4
Shimizu understands it is the unknown and the unseen that's scariest, resorting to gurgled growls and passing glimpses of greasy-haired demons to illicit shrieks and shouts from a terrified theatre. Go to Full Review
Max Allen Horror Movie Talk Dec 4
8/10
The ghost looks extremely creepy in most scenes, with a face that genuinely terrified me as a kid, even before I had seen the movie. Its mark on pop culture is undeniable. Go to Full Review
Akos Peterbencze The Screen 08/16/2024
The absence of a real narrative and legit characters actually allowed Shimizu to focus on his one and only primary goal: inducing and cultivating fear in the viewer. Go to Full Review
Brian Bisesi Horror Movie Club Podcast 12/14/2023
3/5
The film toggles between characters in the past and present which prevents the viewer from becoming wholly engaged in the film and its stakes, but the frequent and effective scares make this a worthwhile watch. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Nic B. @Bungeebrain 12h I liked it. I had to watch it twice to understand that Japanese horror stories aren't told in sequenctial order. It wasn't the best but it wasn't bad. See more Chris P @Xiao_Proxies 2d The Grudge is one of those early 2000s horror films that defined an entire era of supernatural fear. With its eerie sound design, disturbing visuals, and cold, unsettling atmosphere, it delivers several genuinely creepy moments. The curse at the center of the story feels mysterious and oppressive, and the film's visual style helps maintain a chilling tone. However, the storytelling is messy. The narrative jumps around between timelines and characters without ever offering enough clarity, making it hard to stay emotionally engaged. Once the initial tension fades, the movie relies too heavily on repetition, same hallway, same shadow, same scream. Despite its flaws, The Grudge remains iconic for its style and atmosphere. It's more of a historical landmark for horror fans than a film that still truly scares today. See more Keriel T. @kerielflacoboy 5d I love the horror in this movie with an interesting backstory See more Bret M. @BretM-3 Mar 12 The Grudge is a pretty good movie that I enjoyed but felt could be better. The positives of this movie would have to be the kill scenes. Anytime a character was taken or killed, I could feel the emotional impact that you're supposed to feel. The acting was also good and sold the impending fear and of being hunted by the demented kids. But that sound the girl made while creeping up on her victims was super annoying and really got on my nerves. The jumpscares are also a little weak and weren't as good as I expected. A small complaint I have is that the flashbacks and different scenes that take place outside of the present day could get confusing to people who aren't locked in or 100% paying attention. The climax was also a little weak. I didn't feel like the climax was a great payoff for the build up done by the rest of the movie. The twist scene at the end is good though! Overall, The Grudge is a pretty good horror movie with room for improvement. Worth watching for sure. See more Damian H @Damian181 Dec 14 I have watched a lot of horror, but this film is simply terrifying! See more love H. @horrorfan123 Nov 19 OMG this movie is so scary I usally don’t get scared but this movie had amazing Jumpscares and love the plot. See more Read all reviews
The Grudge

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Matthew Williams (William Mapother), his wife, Jennifer (Clea DuVall), and mother, Emma (Grace Zabriskie), are Americans making a new life in Tokyo. Together they move into a house that has been the site of supernatural occurrences in the past, and it isn't long before their new home begins terrorizing the Williams family as well. The house, as it turns out, is the site of a curse that lingers in a specific place and claims the lives of anyone that comes near.
Director
Takashi Shimizu
Producer
Doug Davison, Rob Tapert, Takashige Ichise
Screenwriter
Takashi Shimizu, Stephen Susco
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Ghost House Pictures, Lionsgate Television, Senator International
Rating
PG-13 (Mature Thematic Material|Disturbing Images|Some Sensuality|Terror|Violence)
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 22, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 18, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$110.2M
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Surround, DTS, Dolby SRD, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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