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The Grudge

Play trailer Poster for The Grudge PG-13 Released Oct 22, 2004 1h 30m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
40% 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.
The Grudge

What to Know

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 Grisly ghost story lacks plot; not for tweens. Rated: 2/5 Dec 28, 2010 Full Review Empire Magazine Rated: 3/5 Apr 1, 2006 Full Review Jamie Russell BBC.com It's mechanical moviemaking, but when it works you're likely to quiver, cower and leap with fright. Rated: 3/5 Jan 26, 2005 Full Review Akos Peterbencze The Screen 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. Aug 16, 2024 Full Review Brian Bisesi Horror Movie Club Podcast 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. Rated: 3/5 Dec 14, 2023 Full Review Matthew Rozsa matthewrozsa.com One of those movies that seemed destined to be iconic as soon as it was released. From its unique storytelling method to the utter creepiness of Toshio, it's unforgettable. Rated: 3/4 Jan 4, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Shaun R Rightly or wrongly,The Grudge and The Ring stand out as the better films of this genre in that era. Probably cos I can’t think of many more. Quite bland and predictable. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/20/25 Full Review Audience Member This movie was boring, it wasn’t scary, all jumpscares were predictable and i almost fell asleep watching it, i was told this one was one of the scariest horror movies of all time but it wasn’t scary at all, like oh and the story was confusing too, but the backstory of the grudge ghost and her child was sad Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 04/14/25 Full Review Jules N Le principal problème est le fait que Kayako n'est pas traitée comme un personnage à part entière mais juste comme un fantôme vengeur qui devient un prétexte pour tuer des personnages Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/11/25 Full Review E6 E Some good scares, but the story is just too illogical and confusing for me to be bothered to try to understand. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 04/08/25 Full Review Scott M Lots of fun and highly polished, but not nearly as scary as the original film or tv movie. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly makes this version less effective, but something seems to have been lost in translation. It's definitely worth a watch, but if you really want to be scared, watch the Japanese versions instead. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/28/25 Full Review Korra N While not as terrifying as the original Japanese film, this American reboot still packs enough of a punch with some truly disturbing imagery, taut direction, solid acting & outstanding production design. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/24/25 Full Review 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." 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)