I'm sure teens and other folks who never saw the original Ju-On or The Grudge will no doubt find this remake mildly entertaining. However, fans of the classic films in this series will probably come out of the theater shuddering, if our first look is accurate at capturing the direction of this film.
Most of the folklore behind Ju-On and The Grudge is rooted in Japanese fables. Without that aspect, all we're getting here is just another Westernized ghost story. That's not a bad thing when the movie is based on an original concept or haunted history tale from our side of the waters.
However, when the myth behind the tale is so rooted in a certain ethnology, I think something is going to be lost in translation unless they find a way to do something interesting and tie this to Japanese culture. That's why the first one still worked, even with English actors. It was still based in Japan.
It will never let you go. Watch the new trailer for the R-rated, new vision of #TheGrudge - in theaters January 3.
After a young mother murders her family in her own house, a single mother and detective tries to investigate and solve the case. Later, she discovers the house is cursed by a vengeful ghost that dooms those who enter it with a violent death.