Ju-on: The Grudge

Isn't particularly scary. No, it's much harder on you than mere fright: It's . . . creepy.

Isn't particularly scary. No, it's much harder on you than mere fright: It's . . . creepy.

Gets on your nerves.

Gets on your nerves.

Divided into chapters, the film jumps around in time, which means that we get to observe Shimizu's utter failure to develop his characters from endless narrative angles.

Divided into chapters, the film jumps around in time, which means that we get to observe Shimizu's utter failure to develop his characters from endless narrative angles.

A haunted-house one-trick pony.

The film's repetitious, episodic structure seems to unnecessarily alleviate the building tension, making it a far less frightening film than it might have been.

Ju-on never snaps into focus like a "Go" or a "Pulp Fiction," and what at first registers as sloppy plotting starts to seem positively diabolical.

The film's repetitious, episodic structure seems to unnecessarily alleviate the building tension, making it a far less frightening film than it might have been.