The Grudge

Essentially a sequel to 2002’s Ju-On: The Grudge, The Grudge follows several characters, including Andrea Riseborough’s Muldoon and John Cho’s Peter, as they find themselves forced to battle a curse borne from the series’ central antagonists. It’s clear almost right away that filmmaker Nicolas Pesce isn’t looking to deliver a typically slick Hollywood horror picture, as The Grudge has been infused with an exceedingly (and often excessively) gritty feel that tends to prevent the viewer from wholeheartedly embracing the deliberate narrative – with the entire subplot involving Riseborough’s grizzled figure certainly far more tedious (and by the numbers) than one might’ve preferred. And although Pesce has admittedly peppered the proceedings with a few bright spots (eg Cho is as compelling and ingratiating as ever here), The Grudge suffers from a lackluster midsection that seems to consist mostly of eye-rolling jump scares and scenes of doomed characters investigating their dimly-lit environs – which, in turn, paves the way for an underwhelming climax that cements the film’s place as a disappointingly misguided entry within a perpetually erratic franchise.

** out of ****

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