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The Grudge

Play trailer Poster for The Grudge PG-13 2004 1h 30m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
41% Tomatometer 163 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Matthew Williams (William Mapother), his wife, Jennifer (Clea DuVall), and mother, Emma (Grace Zabriskie), are Americans making a new life in Tokyo. Together they move into a house that has been the site of supernatural occurrences in the past, and it isn't long before their new home begins terrorizing the Williams family as well. The house, as it turns out, is the site of a curse that lingers in a specific place and claims the lives of anyone that comes near.
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The Grudge

The Grudge

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Critics Consensus

There's some creepy imagery to be found, but not much in the way of logic or truly jarring scares.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/28/2010
2/5
Grisly ghost story lacks plot; not for tweens. Go to Full Review Jamie Russell BBC.com 01/26/2005
3/5
It's mechanical moviemaking, but when it works you're likely to quiver, cower and leap with fright. Go to Full Review Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 11/06/2004
3/4
Shimizu understands it is the unknown and the unseen that's scariest, resorting to gurgled growls and passing glimpses of greasy-haired demons to illicit shrieks and shouts from a terrified theatre. Go to Full Review Max Allen Horror Movie Talk Dec 4
8/10
The ghost looks extremely creepy in most scenes, with a face that genuinely terrified me as a kid, even before I had seen the movie. Its mark on pop culture is undeniable. Go to Full Review Akos Peterbencze The Screen 08/16/2024
The absence of a real narrative and legit characters actually allowed Shimizu to focus on his one and only primary goal: inducing and cultivating fear in the viewer. Go to Full Review Brian Bisesi Horror Movie Club Podcast 12/14/2023
3/5
The film toggles between characters in the past and present which prevents the viewer from becoming wholly engaged in the film and its stakes, but the frequent and effective scares make this a worthwhile watch. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bret M. @BretM-3 Mar 12 The Grudge is a pretty good movie that I enjoyed but felt could be better. The positives of this movie would have to be the kill scenes. Anytime a character was taken or killed, I could feel the emotional impact that you're supposed to feel. The acting was also good and sold the impending fear and of being hunted by the demented kids. But that sound the girl made while creeping up on her victims was super annoying and really got on my nerves. The jumpscares are also a little weak and weren't as good as I expected. A small complaint I have is that the flashbacks and different scenes that take place outside of the present day could get confusing to people who aren't locked in or 100% paying attention. The climax was also a little weak. I didn't feel like the climax was a great payoff for the build up done by the rest of the movie. The twist scene at the end is good though! Overall, The Grudge is a pretty good horror movie with room for improvement. Worth watching for sure. See more Damian H @Damian181 Dec 14 I have watched a lot of horror, but this film is simply terrifying! See more love H. @horrorfan123 Nov 19 OMG this movie is so scary I usally don’t get scared but this movie had amazing Jumpscares and love the plot. See more LEOR T @RT19997438 Nov 13 It's a real shame this movie falls so flat. nothing about this movie is scary. the only good thing I can say is that it gave such wonderful material for scary movie. See more Sarah C @RT58188431 Nov 13 Corny jump scares, but weird enough that I enjoyed myself. The Grudge is a cult classic for a reason. Though most of the scares are more amusing than frightening, the monster's design and a few of its scenes, mainly the ones featuring a slow build up with the sound of cracking bones and stuttering moaning as opposed to a jarring scream, are where this movie shines. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Oct 22 Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas de terror são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Read all reviews
The Grudge

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Cast & Crew

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Takashi Shimizu

Director

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Karen Davis

Jason Behr

Doug

William Mapother

Mathew Williams

Clea Duvall

Jennifer Williams

Kadee Strickland

Susan Williams

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The Grudge

KaDee Strickland as Susan in "The Grudge." A scene from the film "The Grudge." Sarah Michelle Gellar as Karen in "The Grudge." Takako Fuji as Kayako in "The Grudge." On the set of the film "The Grudge." On the set of the film "The Grudge." Sarah Michelle Gellar as Karen in "The Grudge." (L-R) Sarah Michelle Gellar as Karen and Grace Zabriskie as Emma in "The Grudge." William Mapother as Matthew in "The Grudge." (L-R) Sarah Michelle Gellar as Karen and Ted Raimi as Alex in "The Grudge." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Matthew Williams (William Mapother), his wife, Jennifer (Clea DuVall), and mother, Emma (Grace Zabriskie), are Americans making a new life in Tokyo. Together they move into a house that has been the site of supernatural occurrences in the past, and it isn't long before their new home begins terrorizing the Williams family as well. The house, as it turns out, is the site of a curse that lingers in a specific place and claims the lives of anyone that comes near.
Director
Takashi Shimizu
Producer
Doug Davison, Rob Tapert, Takashige Ichise
Screenwriter
Takashi Shimizu, Stephen Susco
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Ghost House Pictures, Lionsgate Television, Senator International
Rating
PG-13 (Mature Thematic Material|Disturbing Images|Some Sensuality|Terror|Violence)
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 22, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 18, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$110.2M
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Surround, DTS, Dolby SRD, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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