The Grudge (2004) (2 Stars)

I don't understand the appeal of this film or any of the other films in the Grudge or Ju-On series. I bought the 2002 Japanese film, "Juon: The Grudge" as one of my first DVDs. I didn't get it. There were a lot of scares, and the suspense was good, but the story didn't make sense. I only found out years later that it was the third part in a film series, and the first two parts had never been released with English subtitles. Maybe if I'd seen the first two parts I would have understood it better.

In 2004 "Ju-On: The Grudge" was remade in America, called simply "The Grudge". That's the film I'm reviewing now. It's not a typical Hollywood remake, because the director of the original version, Takashi Shimizu, was invited to direct it himself. I thought I might understand the American film better, but I was wrong. I remember watching the two films back to back. I could see that both films were being shown in non-chronological order, with interaction between the past and the present, but I couldn't understand why.

I know that a lot of people, both fans and critics, like "The Grudge" and its sequels. On more than one occasion I've felt tempted to give it another chance. Now I've given up. There are enough other films for me to watch.

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