The Grudge (2004)

Beware readers,

In Japanese Culture, it is said that a when a person dies in the grip of a great rage, a curse gathers in that place of death. Anyone encountering the curse will be consumed by the fury of the curse. It is called the grudge of the tormented. Anyways, today's movie is based on a curse, far too strong to get rid of and too deadly to leave anyone alone. The Grudge is one of my favorite horror movies. There are plenty of scenes that can scare you out of your goodnight's sleep. Kayako is the woman who kills all the people encountering the curse. The croaking noise of Kayako indicates her arrival, her arrival to pull your life out and drag your soul into the world of death. Her croaking noise, black straight hair everywhere and her dislocated drag on the floor towards the victim are  probably the most signature parts of the Grudge franchise.

Here goes a tiny summary. Okay, so there is this American exchange student, Karin, studying in a Japanese International College in Tokyo. To finish her volunteer services, she works in a care center. Her boss assigns her the task of taking care of an elderly woman Emma. So Karin goes to Emma's home. She assists the strangely silent Emma. Suddenly, she sees a ghost woman with dark black hair everywhere and white eyes. Karin lapses in a trauma. After returning to reality after a day or two, she goes on a quest to figure out the mystery behind the house. And trust me, she finds out all of the bitter and grotesque events that happened in that very house. The awful events that happened in the home resulted in a curse that gathered there. This resulted in the deaths of anyone and everyone who entered that home. The arrival of the creepy Japanese wounded kid Toshio with his black cat and the Japanese croaking woman Kayako in multiple scenes were probably the best parts of the movie.

This movie is quite entertaining and provides too many scares. The three scariest scenes of the movie and the best scenes to look forward to are:
1. The scene where a hand comes out of the back of Karin's head when she is washing her hair.
2. Yoko's face with the broken lower jaw. This scene will probably be a bit traumatizing for some.
3. The flashback towards the end of the movie where the past of Kayako, her husband and her son           Toshio in the cursed home is seen by Karin.


I will be back unexpectedly with another recommendation.
Monica

P.S. I am pretty excited about the upcoming Japanese movie Sadako vs. Kayako or in English, The Grudge vs. The Ring. Both are equally dear to me, and I can't wait to find out whether Samara or Kayako will win in the movie.