I had been looking forward to seeing "Ju-on: The Grudge" (2003) for quite a while, after having heard it favorably compared to 1998's "Ringu," one of the best horror films I'd seen in years. As it turns out, "Ju-on" is not quite in "Ringu"'s league, but it still remains a fairly creepy, if ultimately frustrating, film. The picture deals with a house possessed by the spirits of a murdered mother and little boy, and presents us with a series of characters who have some pretty freaky and usually lethal experiences in said haunted abode. Admittedly, the mother, Kayako Saeki, and her son, Toshio, stake their claim to immortality in the classic-ghosts pantheon; every glimpse of Toshio is chilling, and every hint of Kayako's scuttling form fairly terrifying. Still, neither one is as scary as "Ringu"'s Sadako Yamamura, and the film eventually leaves the viewer feeling that all the pieces haven't been fitted together quite properly. Or, more likely, that some of the film's pieces are totally missing. For example, the film's director, Takashi Shimizu, reveals in an interview "extra" that the strange, staccato gurgling noise we hear throughout the movie is the result of Kayako's throat having been crushed when she was murdered by her husband. However, there is no way that the viewer could possibly know this by any hints supplied by the film itself. A nonlinear story line utilizing some bizarre time warping doesn't help clarity much either (the Izumi episode is particularly puzzling). Thus, while the film is well directed, features some fresh attractive players and boasts some nice touches (I love the way Toshio dawdles his fingers), it sure did leave me scratching my head. But as one of the film's characters, Rika, would probably tell you, better to scratch your own head than have someone else do it while you're in the shower!
Review of Ju-on: The Curse
