It never forgives. It never forgets.|Oct. 22, 2004|United States | Japan|92 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Horror;Mystery;Thriller
Description: The Grudge (2004) is a horror film that follows the story of a curse born from extreme rage or sorrow during a person’s death. This curse lingers in the location where the death occurred, spreading from one victim to another in an unending cycle of terror. The narrative is presented in a nonlinear structure, though the events are explained in chronological order.
In 2001, Kayako Saeki, a housewife in suburban Tokyo, becomes obsessed with college professor Peter Kirk, documenting her feelings in a diary. Her husband, Takeo, discovers the diary and, enraged by jealousy, brutally murders Kayako, their young son Toshio, and their pet cat. After hiding the bodies in their home, Takeo is later killed by Kayako’s vengeful ghost.
Peter, unaware of the horrors, visits the house after receiving a letter from Kayako and encounters the corpses of Kayako and Takeo, as well as Toshio’s ghost. Overwhelmed by the trauma, Peter takes his own life the following day. The Saeki family’s spirits rise as vengeful ghosts, with Kayako manifesting as an onryō, a malevolent apparition.
In 2004, the Williams family from America moves into the cursed Saeki house. While Matt is enthusiastic about their new home, his wife Jennifer and his dementia-afflicted mother Emma feel uneasy. The family soon falls victim to the curse, with Matt and Jennifer being consumed by the supernatural terror.
A caretaker named Yoko arrives to assist Emma but tragically encounters Kayako’s ghost, which drags her into the attic. When Yoko goes missing, her employer sends another caregiver, Karen Davis, to check on Emma. Karen discovers Toshio locked in a wardrobe and witnesses Kayako’s spirit descending from the ceiling to claim Emma’s life.
Alex, Karen’s employer, arrives at the house to find Emma dead and Karen in a state of shock, unable to escape the horrors of the curse. The film explores the relentless nature of the curse and its devastating impact on those who cross its path.
Cast director: Takashi Shimizu
Cast actor: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, William Mapother, Clea DuVall, KaDee Strickland, Grace Zabriskie, Bill Pullman, Rosa Blasi, Ted Raimi, Ryo Ishibashi
Original name: The Grudge