Anna Daniels
2004’s The Grudge was one of the more well-regarded films of the wave of J-horror remakes we saw in that decade, but if the Hollywood studios are thinking that now is the time to start rebooting all those remakes, the 2020 edition of the flick should make them think again. It had a promising pedigree, with Nicolas Pesce (Eyes of My Mother) writing and directing, and John Cho, Betty Gilpin, and horror legend Lin Shaye among its cast. What it didn’t have was an original plot, a consistent tone, or any real scares.
Paul Whitington of The Independent was one of the many critics to bemoan the seeming lack of effort put into the film. “This is shoddy stuff, full of J-horror cliches and supposed jump-scares you can see coming a mile off,” he wrote. “It’s not particularly frightening, but it sure is depressing.” Katherine McLaughlin of The List agreed, calling the movie out for its over-reliance on tired jump scares and “all-too familiar imagery.” She, along with nearly every other critic, acknowledged the awesomeness of the cast — but their squandered talent only gave reviewers more reason to trash the flick. Wrote Charlotte O’Sullivan of London Evening Standard, “At the beginning of [the movie], a bag of rubbish gyrates as if something human is caught inside. Trapped in a pile of garbage: I’m sure the cast of The Grudge know how that feels… You don’t have to be a twit to enjoy this movie, but it helps.”
Written by: Looper
