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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 162 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 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 Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 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. Rated: 3/4 Nov 6, 2004 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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love H. OMG this movie is so scary I usally don’t get scared but this movie had amazing Jumpscares and love the plot. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/19/25 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 11/13/25 Full Review Sarah C 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. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/13/25 Full Review thiago s 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 Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/22/25 Full Review Melissa L I had seen the original Japanese movie. This was still scary, but the ending was too abrupt. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/09/25 Full Review Alejandra C The japanese version is the best version and out of respect i will give this a good rating but go watch the original version first Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/06/25 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." 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)