Another entry into the Japanese horror genre. The film focuses on a house where something truly awful has happened in the past. As different people enter the house the tormented spirits of the previous occupants wreak havoc. The films plot is simple and classic, it differs by offering a string of episodic adventures for each different person who enters. This approach makes sure that the scares keep on coming, fast and furious, but means it lacks a real narrative depth. It also means we are unable to really feel for any of the characters. 'Ju-on' is basically a straight forward horror. We are thrust into a mystery, as to what the hell is going on, and we get a continuous string of scares until the final revelatory scene. The scares are very effective, using a stripped down budget, with simple make-up proving very scary in deed. Freaky children, crawling women with long hair and cracking bones. This is all stuff we have seen before, but it is presented in such an effective fashion it is like a remastered edition of your favourite horrors. Sound plays a very important part of the film, with cats screaming, fingers scraping and throats gurgling. The audiences imagination participates in creating a few extra scares where needed. Some may find that the film is like a never ending story, and becomes repetitive. It may be so, but it is easy to digest in its bite size segments.
Review of Ju-On: The Grudge 2
