The Grudge 2

''The Grudge 2'' is a 2006 American supernatural horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu and written by Stephen Susco. The film is a sequel to ''The Grudge'' (2004) and the second installment in the American ''The Grudge'' film series, based on the ''Ju-On'' franchise created by Shimizu. It is the sixth and last ''Ju-On'' or ''The Grudge'' film directed by Shimizu. The film stars Arielle Kebbel, Amber Tamblyn, Jennifer Beals, Edison Chen, Sarah Roemer, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, the latter reprising her role from the first film.

Like its predecessor, the film features a plot that is told through a nonlinear sequence of events and includes several intersecting subplots. It follows Karen's younger sister Aubrey coming to Japan after finding out about Doug's death, a schoolgirl named Allison being haunted by the ghosts of the Saeki family after entering the house with two of her classmates, and a young boy named Jake whose apartment building is haunted by the ghosts.

''The Grudge 2'' was released in the United States on October 13, 2006, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $70.7 million worldwide. A sequel, ''The Grudge 3,'' was released direct-to-video in May 2009, and a sidequel, '' The Grudge: The Untold Chapter'', was theatrically released in December 2019.

Plot

The Grudge is described as a curse that is born when someone dies in the grip of extreme rage or sorrow. The curse is an entity created when the person dies. Those who encounter this supernatural force die, and the curse is reborn repeatedly, passing from victim to victim in an endless, growing chain of horror. The following events are explained in their actual order; however, the film is presented in a nonlinear narrative.

In 2004, American social worker Karen Davis tried to burn down the Saeki house to stop the curse but failed, finding herself hospitalized and haunted by Kayako. Karen's younger sister, Aubrey, goes to Tokyo to retrieve her. In Japan, Aubrey struggles to communicate with the hospital staff, but a journalist named Eason aids her. Aubrey briefly speaks with Karen, who panics and has to be restrained. Karen is later killed by Kayako in front of Aubrey and Eason. Eason explains the curse to Aubrey, revealing that he rescued Karen from the house fire and has been investigating the Saeki murders and surrounding events.

The two go to the house to retrieve Kayako's diary, but Toshio drags Aubrey inside to curse her. Eason takes the diary to an associate, who explains that Kayako's mother, Nakagawa Kawamata, was an ''itako'' who exorcised evil spirits from visitors and fed them to her daughter. Eason and Aubrey make plans to visit Kawamata. As Eason develops photographs he took of the Saeki house, Kayako emerges from a photo and murders him. After discovering his body, Aubrey travels alone to Kawamata's remote rural home. Kawamata skeptically warns her that the curse is irreversible, before being killed by her daughter. Aubrey ventures to the house, following an image of Karen inside. She encounters Takeo's ghost, who reenacts the night he discovers his wife's disloyalty and snaps Aubrey's neck.

In 2006, school girls Allison Fleming, Vanessa Cassidy, and Miyuki Nazawa break into the house on a dare. Allison is locked in the closet and encounters a ghost resembling Kayako (revealed to be Aubrey at the end of the film), but the girls escape. After Miyuki and Vanessa are consumed by the curse, Allison speaks with school counsellor Ms. Dale about the curse, but Dale denies its existence, revealing that she went to the house and is actually a ghost herself. Allison is haunted by the ghosts of her friends, and she eventually flees back to Chicago, where she stays with her parents.

The Kimbles move into an apartment block in Chicago. A young boy named Jake is disturbed by a strange presence in the building, brought about by a hooded stranger who covers windows with newspapers. Jake's father Bill and stepmother Trish are influenced by the curse: Bill, possessed by Takeo's spirit, suspects his wife of having an affair, and she bludgeons him with a frying pan. Jake and his sister, Lacey, return from school, but Jake finds that his family is all dead. He runs into the hooded person, revealed to be Allison, who explains that the curse followed her. Kayako appears inside Allison's hood, finally taking her, and then emerges to assault Jake.

Cast

Production

Principal photography took place at Toho Studios in Tokyo, Japan and production wrapped up on April 25, 2006. During an interview on Dread Central with Amber Tamblyn, it was reported that sets were created in Chicago for Tamblyn to re-shoot several scenes.

Takashi Shimizu said in an interview with Sci Fi Wire, "For ''The Grudge 2,'' I was going for this mystery that was never there in ''The Grudge'' and I think that's going to fulfill the audience. ... There's a secret about Kayako's childhood life, so that's part of the big mystery. And the other mystery is this grudge will never stop and it's going to ... spread. And how is it going to get spread? That's another mystery." He also clarified that "''The Grudge'' was a complete remake of ''Ju-on,'' meaning the storyline was very similar. Basically, it's the same. But ''Grudge 2'' is actually different from '' Ju-on: The Grudge 2'' and I don't think I would have accepted this job if it was going to be the same storyline. And because it was a different story, you know, my motivation was a bit higher and I actually enjoy doing this."

Release

''The Grudge 2'' premiered at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California on October 8, 2006. During the premiere, the theme park was open to the public and featured a ''Grudge 2'' maze as part of its 2006 Halloween Haunt.

Marketing

Sony employed various methods to promote ''The Grudge 2.'' On April 1, 2006, a teaser site was launched with details revealing the October 13 release date. On September 19, 2006, Yahoo! Movies was the first site to release three short films titled ''Tales from the Grudge'' with an introduction from one of the producers of ''The Grudge,'' Sam Raimi. The series of shorts expands on the story of the Saeki curse. The shorts were directed by Toby Wilkins (director of ''The Grudge 3'') and written by Ben Ketai.

Home media

''The Grudge 2'' was released on DVD and UMD video for the PlayStation Portable on February 6, 2007. A Blu-ray version of the film has yet to be released in the United States. The film debuted on Blu-ray for the first time in France on March 2, 2010 in a standalone release and trilogy set with the first and third film. Though containing the Director’s Cut it is Region Locked. The film was released in the Netherlands on March 14, 2013 in a standalone release and as a double feature with the first film. This version is Region Free and contains the Director’s Cut but none of the special features. The film debuted on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2020. This version only contains the theatrical cut and is Region Locked. It grossed $8.5 million in home sales. The film then debuted in a double feature (and later a standalone) release with the first film in Germany on November 19, 2021. This disc, though Region Free, only contains the theatrical cut.

Reception

Box office

''The Grudge 2'' opened in 3,211 theaters and was projected to generate $27 million across the October 13–15 weekend but generated $10,018,039 on its opening day and $20.8 million on its opening weekend. It placed number one at the box office, beating out ''The Departed''. The film grossed $39.1 million in the United States and Canada, with $31.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $70.7 million.

Critical response

''The Grudge 2'' was not screened in advance for critics.

The film was criticized by several critics for its confusing plot. Keith Phipps from ''The A.V. Club'' wrote, "While ''The Grudge 2'' deserves some credit for creating and sustaining a creepy atmosphere, it doesn't matter much when the plot doesn't go anywhere." Pete Vonder Haar from ''Film Threat'' found " e same problems that plagued the original are on display here. Most notably, the lack of any coherent plot." Paul Debrudge from ''Variety'' stated, "The story is incidental, as auds merely anticipate the scares." Tim Goernert from JoBlo.com "found it really hard to follow the story as well, as there were three of them happening at the same time."

Follow-ups

Sequel

A sequel, ''The Grudge 3'', directed by Nicolas Pesce and set immediately after the events of ''The Grudge 2'', was released on May 12, 2009, starring Aiko Horiuchi as Kayako Saeki and Shimba Tsuchiya as Toshio Saeki, and featuring Matthew Knight reprising his role as Jake Kimble in a cameo appearance.

Sidequel

A sidequel, '' The Grudge: The Untold Chapter'', directed by Nicolas Pesce and set during and after the events of the first three ''The Grudge'' films, was released on December 31, 2019, featuring the characters of Kayako and Toshio in cameo appearances.

See also

* List of ghost films

References

External links

* (archive)

Production notes
at Sci-Fi Japan
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grudge 2, The
2006 films
2000s psychological horror films
American supernatural horror films
Films directed by Takashi Shimizu
Columbia Pictures films
Sony Pictures Releasing films
Ghost House Pictures films
American haunted house films
2000s Japanese-language films
American sequel films
American nonlinear narrative films
Films about curses
Films produced by Sam Raimi
Films scored by Christopher Young
Films set in 2004
Films set in 2006
Films set in Chicago
Films set in California
Films set in Tokyo
Films shot in Tokyo
American ghost films
2000s supernatural horror films
American psychological horror films
Films with screenplays by Stephen Susco
Asian-American horror films
The Grudge (film series)
Japanese-language American films
Japan in non-Japanese culture
2000s English-language films
2000s American films
Films set in universities and colleges
Films about students