For the many people who don't know, Ju-On is a Japanese horror film from 2002. You probably know the movie as The Grudge because us Americans love to americanize everything Japan gives us (I'm looking at you Final Fantasy). While that movie ended up getting a few sequels, it is sorta mediocre. Ju-On, however, is a very original horror movie.
The film is about a curse that is placed on a house if someone is killed because of anger or major depression. The curse falls upon all who enter the house it is placed on, and is reborn with every new victim. However, this movie is more complex than that.
Similar to films such as Pulp Fiction, Ju-On does not follow a linear 3 act story. It instead follows the encounters of 5 different characters, as well as the spirit of the house, in 6 scrambled chapters. It starts in the present time, goes into 2 chapters from a few weeks ago, back to present time, to ten years in the future, and ends in the present time. It is a bit disorienting at first, but you get used to it fairly quickly, and it adds to the overall experience.
Being that this is a horror movie, it needs to be scary; and Ju-On is very scary. The thing that makes it so creepy is that you can see all the disturbing imagery and the characters reactions to the situation, but you never actually see anyone die. I thought myself above being creeped out by supernatural curses and whatnot, but this movie proved me wrong.
The only reason I think a horror fan would not like the movie is because of the fact that it is jumbled around and that you need to read English subtitles because the film is only available in the Japanese language. However, if you don't mind those facts and are looking for a full blown horror movie, check Ju-On out. It's on the netflix instant watch now so there's no reason not to. I think you'll be glad you did.
4.75/5