The Grudge

Whilst I was surprised to see Sky Captain in the season, I am more suprised to see this as it's buddy. This could not be more unlike Sky Captain, for starters it has people in it. Secondally it is a horror film, and I couldn't think of a thirdly.....

The Grudge is almost a Japanese horror film, it is a horror film and is set in Japan but is in English. Now before you cry "oh no another Ring type remake" and reach for the vodka, bare with it. The ring remake was bad, this is not. The Grudge retains all the quirkiness of the original Japanese version, it retains all the bizarreness, it retains a large majority of the horror.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (pause for reflection on her, (it is already worth seeing!)) plays Karen, a student social worker who goes to Japan with her boyfriend (grrr). She gets work as a house help for an elderly woman whose family who have just bought this house where there was a murder (silly people). Freaky stuff starts to happen, hands coming out the backs of people's head while they are in the shower, people dying in the grip of a powerful rage, bodies turning up, someone holding a grudge (really?!). I don't want to say much more cause it will ruin it for anyone who goes to see it. This is a good remake of a Japanese horror flick, no it is not as good as the original Ring (but what is?)

I love Sarah Michelle Gellar and she is very good in the lead role, there is no Buffy or Sooby Doo in this one. There is thoroughly good tension throughout and enough confusion to keep you wondering what the hell is going on. There are some "cheap scare" moments (where you know someone/something is going to jump out, but those are intertwined enough with some bog standard scare the cr*p out of you moments to keep it a honest horror flick. Definitly one to see.