karen ( sarah michelle gellar ) and an exchange student in japan who be just begin to do some social work and be send to aid an elderly semi catatonic woman and emma ( grace zabriskie ) and after her previous caretaker and yoko ( yoko maki ) and disappear . karen soon learns that something be not right in emma home and and she attempt to see how deep the rabbit hole go . maybe it a delayed influence from the success of m. night shyamalan film and but slow pace and understated horror film be a recent trend . in some case and such a hide and seek ( 2005 ) and the approach work remarkably well and and in others and such a white noise ( 2005 ) and the pacing tend to kill the film . i do not like the grudge quite as much a hide and seek and but this be still a very good film it earn a positive from me . the grudge have a couple significant difference from other recent example of that trend and however . one and it be well know that this be a remake base on the japanese film series that begin with ju on ( 2000 ) ( in particular and it extremely close to the first half of ju on represent the grudge and aka ju on 3 and from 2003 ) . two and a with many japanese horror film and the slow pacing here isn not so much in the realm of realist drama a with surrealism . a be also the case with a large percentage of european horror and the grudge should be look at more a a filmed nightmare . director takashi shimizu and also the director of the five japanese entry in the ju on series to date ( the fifth be currently in production ) and and writer stephen susco have largely dispense with linearity and be not overly concern with logic or plot hole when it come to the horror behind the story . the idea instead be to present a dreamlike sequence of scene and with dream logic and where the focus be atmosphere and creepiness and the uncanny and and for many viewer scare . how well the film work for you will largely depend on how well you can adapt yourself to and or be use to and this different approach to film making ( although admittedly and some of the seeming gap be fill in by previous entry in the ju on series ) . traditionally and american audience consider a flaw leave plot thread hang and abandon rule for the monster . a more poetic and metaphorical and surreal approach to film isn not yet accept by the mainstream in the u. s. however and even if youre not use to it and it worth try to suspend your normal preconception about film and give the grudge a shot . this be a well write and well direct and well act film and fill with unusual property and such a the story interweave a large number of main character ( which be do well here than the more episodic ju on 3 ) and good cinematography and subtle production design touch ( check out gellar clothes and which match the color and texture of the exterior of emma house and when gellar first approach ) and and beautifully effective horror material . even though it be more slowly pace that your average horror film of the past and the pacing usually enhance the eeriness and and there be no shortage of bizarre event to keep horror fan entertain . the supernatural premise of the film be absorb and and base on interview on the dvd with shimizu and have prod me to pay more attention to japanese belief and folklore . although the most interesting subtexts would probably arise with a more intimate knowledge of japanese culture and it interest to ponder why so many japanese horror film feature scary child and adult who look like scary child . i subtract one point for the film slightly veer into clichéd mystery or thriller territory with a here what really happen flashback and but even that be fairly well do and and otherwise and this would have be a positive . now that i have say all of the above and let me finish with a mini rant represent it not that i be anti remake and but it be ridiculous that u. s. distributor and studio feel that we need remake of foreign film to make them appropriate for consumption . the original version of these film should just be play in u. s. theater in wide release . there be no need to present an almost identical film but just substitute white american actor for non white or foreign actor . yes and the grudge be a fine film and but ultimately and i would rather see something original use this talent and and be treat to the late foreign horror film not just japanese and but also indian and spanish and chinese and etc . at my multiplex . in the hope that someone with some pull at the studio read this and it be also more cost effective to do this and a ( 1 ) you can completely avoid production cost and and simply make domestic distribution deal from which you receive profit and and ( 2 ) you can make money off of fan like myself who otherwise pick up the foreign film dvd in foreign manufacture or even bootleg version .