"The Grudge" gives horror films a run for their money

The Grudge • KaDee Strickland, who played Sam Rogers in 2004's "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid," is one of the many haunted by angry ghosts in "The Grudge." Columbia Pictures

The Grudge • Takako Fuji and Yuya Ozeki, the actors who played the ghosts in the original Japanese film, are back once again to haunt the living. Columbia Pictures

 

By Gerry Wachovsky
Online Forty-Niner
Diversions Editor

For me, it is a rare thing when I see a horror movie that is actually scary. It's sad, but movies of this genre come a-dime-a-dozen, and most of the time they are not actually frightening in the least bit.

Aside from some startling moments, most horror films are forgotten quickly. Some, however, leave a lasting impression on the viewer. Takashi Shimizu's "The Grudge" is one of these movies.

The last movie I saw that I thought was genuinely scary was 2002's "The Ring," and it, along with "The Grudge," was a remake of an original Japanese film of the same name. The psychological horror in "The Ring" was very pervasive, and I did not forget about the movie very quickly. "The Grudge" follows in the footsteps of "The Ring," and proves that the art of Japanese horror cinema is something to keep an eye on.

The premise of the film is simple: it is basically a movie about a haunted house in Japan. Sarah Michelle Gellar, playing exchange student Karen, is sent to care for an old woman who lives in the house after her normal caretaker does not show up for work one day. Soon it becomes clear that there is a sinister force lurking in the house, the true nature of which is not only disturbing but bone-chilling.

The ghosts of the film, played by Takako Fuji and Yuya Ozeki, are the same Japanese actors that played the ghosts in the original film. Amazingly, this is their fifth time reprising the roles, as the original film had several sequels and reincarnations.

"The Grudge" is told out of order, filling in the gaps of the storyline in a unique and precise manner.

The audience only knows so much, and with each revelation comes new depth to the horrific truth in the film. In addition, most of the American cast had never been to Japan before, and because of this, a true sense of disorientation was easily achieved through their performances.

Japanese horror really does seem to be more authentic than American horror.

For one thing, the tired techniques of American horror films are not as prevalent and the style of shooting seems like a breath of fresh air. Gone are the cheap scares that dominate such films as "A Nightmare On Elm Street," "Friday The 13th," and "Scream." What is added in their place is a terror that many audiences first experienced with "The Ring."

That film was an American adaptation of a Japanese horror film and it brought with it new styles and ways of expressing terror that had not been seen in many Western films. "The Grudge" builds on that foreboding feeling that was felt while watching "The Ring" and it magnifies it tenfold.

The actors in the film give solid performances, for the most part. Sarah Michelle Gellar, touted as the star of the film, really is not in it as much as one might think. This is not a bad thing, however, as all of the actors seem to get equal time on-screen.

Jason Behr who may be recognized from his role in the WB's "Roswell," plays Gellar's boyfriend in "The Grudge," and his was probably the only disappointing performance. He didn't contribute much to the film, and I thought his acting was only average, but despite that, nothing was taken away from the film.

Bill Pullman, who played the President of the United States in 1994's "Independence Day" and has starred in numerous other blockbusters, puts out a wonderful performance in "The Grudge," as well as Clea DuVall, who was in 1998's "The Faculty" and the recent "21 Grams."

As mentioned earlier, it is rare to find a horror movie that actually leaves a lasting impression on one's mind, but "The Grudge" is definitely one of the few that will leave you thinking about it long after you see it. Leaving traditional horror movies behind, "The Grudge" creates an omnipresent sense of danger in the viewer's mind, and the ghosts are disturbingly reminiscent of the one in "The Ring." "The Grudge" is definitely a must-see for any fan of horror and suspense films and will leave the viewer thinking about it long after the credits roll.