The Grudge

The Grudge is a horror movie that is necessary to feel instead of think about. Alone in the dark with high-quality headphones, it is an experience that you will not soon forget. In terms of plot, it's not nearly as sophisticated as The Ring (zero points for the characters and the revealing of the curse’s origins is second rate), but it overflows with superbly effective suspense, to the point that you can’t catch your breath between individual sequences. Half of the film’s appeal lies in its sound, the other half in the cinematography and editing. With most films in this genre, that wouldn’t be enough for me, but this time I’m satisfied. Brilliant audiovisual nonsense. (18/02/2005)

I mean, for being the most successful horror film of last year (110 million at the box office in the US alone – ugh!) and the second most successful horror remake of all time (after Verbinski's The Ring), it's pretty weak. The whole plot and its resolution is uninteresting and boring, full of screenwriting sloppiness and the final quarter of an hour is one big pain in the ass. The tension is created only by a series of more or less successful scares (the opening one is excellent), especially in the first act, but their overuse turns them into a stereotype. I wasn't allowed to connect with the characters, I wasn't worried about them, I didn't care what happened to them in the next minute. Only the solid sound effects are worth praising, the sound of the pallid girl is really very unpleasant and ominous. (15/01/2005)