Ju-on: The Grudge
Lions Gate Films | Release Date: July 23, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
12
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
89
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Shimuzu sees darkened staircases and hears the rustle of dead autumn leaves and reacts as if from the devil’s own haiku. And his dread is catching. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
Creepy, purposefully frustrating, nonlinear horror exercise from Japan that quietly burrows right into your skull. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
For all of its weakness, Ju-On: The Grudge is creepy and unnerving, qualities in short supply in gore-filled American horror films. Read full review
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Isn't particularly scary. No, it's much harder on you than mere fright: It's . . . creepy. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Gets on your nerves. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
At least as perplexing as it is creepy, with a time-jumping narrative, a chain of barely connected characters and an enraged shape-shifting ghost. Read full review
60
Film ThreatEric Campos
Basically, what you have in Ju-On is a collection of effectively scary sights and sounds - sound effects play a huge part in rolling that chill down your spine – and that's about it. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Shimizu generates a sense of palpable dread in each segment, expertly manipulating tried-and-true scare tactics supplemented by a truly inspired use of spooky sound effects. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterRichard James Havis
Director Takashi Shimizu chooses cruel psychological suspense over gore and succeeds in spinning a minimal plot into a panorama of malice. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Both too obvious and needlessly complicated, Ju-On juggles several non-chronological chapters based on different characters, ensuring that none of the corpses-to-be make much of an impression. Read full review
60
EmpireKim Newman
Still creepy, ooky, mysterious and spooky, but trying to follow the storylines is like sorting spaghetti. Read full review
50
VarietyDerek Elley
A haunted-house one-trick pony. Read full review
50
New York PostV.A. Musetto
The story is told in fractured time. This might not be a problem if his visuals were more fear-inducing. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Divided into chapters, the film jumps around in time, which means that we get to observe Shimizu's utter failure to develop his characters from endless narrative angles. Read full review
40
Village VoiceDennis Lim
Ju-on never snaps into focus like a "Go" or a "Pulp Fiction," and what at first registers as sloppy plotting starts to seem positively diabolical. Read full review
40
The New York TimesDave Kehr
Because there is a new hero to identify with every 10 minutes, the viewer isn't drawn into a sustained suspense, but is merely subjected to a series of more or less foreseeable shocks. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
The film's repetitious, episodic structure seems to unnecessarily alleviate the building tension, making it a far less frightening film than it might have been. Read full review
40
Dallas ObserverGregory Weinkauf
This trifle is better approached as a suburban haunted-house attraction thrown by enthusiastically confused teenagers. It's a little bit eerie, completely disjointed and sporadically amusing--kind of like "Lost in Translation," but with wanton slaughter. Do not expect more. Read full review
30
L.A. WeeklyRon Stringer
Occasionally scary, never coherent. Read full review
30
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
It's creepy, all right. It's just that HOW it goes about creeping you out is sometimes just plain cheesy. Read full review
25
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Its shapelessness and the cultural differences in acting style will keep this version filed under "cult oddity." Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
Bluntly speaking, Ju-On is anything but frightening. Ridiculous. Unbelievable. Unintentionally funny. It might as well be a parody of a horror film. Read full review
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