The Grudge

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The Grudge

PG-13,

2004,

1h 30m,

Horror/

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

Watchlist

41%

159 Reviews

Tomatometer

46%

250,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

159 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.

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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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 28, 2010

2/5

Grisly ghost story lacks plot; not for tweens.

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Jamie Russell

BBC.com

Jan 26, 2005

3/5

It's mechanical moviemaking, but when it works you're likely to quiver, cower and leap with fright.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Nov 6, 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.

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Max Allen

Horror Movie Talk

Dec 4, 2025

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.

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Akos Peterbencze

The Screen

Aug 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.

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Brian Bisesi

Horror Movie Club Podcast

Dec 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.

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Hagrid G

Feb 25, 2019

A enjoyable thriller and mystery, Takashi Shimizu made a Japanese and American cinema masterpiece.

Abraham M

Jan 17, 2019

Something to make you stay up at night just so you cant hear a croak.

Theodore S

Nov 4, 2018

Doesn't stand much on its own when too formulaic with derivative standards being relied on next to the illogic mindset, including attempts to produce creepiness only at a successful minimum for its own individual definition. (C+) (Full review TBD)

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Leia S

Jul 7, 2018

Awful and forgettable movie. This film deserves to have at least a 37% RT audience score. Rating: 3.9/10

Ron M

Mar 26, 2018

This movie scared the hell out of me when I was a teen. I re-watched it recently and wondered if it would have the same effect on me. Yep. Still terrifying. Its definitely an imperfect movie that could have been executed a lot better. Some of the acting was pretty poor, as well. However, it is just incredibly scary and time has not changed that for me.

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Harry S

Feb 4, 2018

Some genuine jump out you seat moments. And some laughable ones too.

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Takashi Shimizu

Director

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Karen Davis

Jason Behr

Doug

William Mapother

Matthew Williams

Clea Duvall

Jennifer Williams

Kadee Strickland

Susan Williams

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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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