The Grudge 2

"What was once trapped will now be unleashed."

2006 1h 42m EN

😐

5.6

MID

★5.6TMDB · 1,168

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

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A young woman encounters a malevolent supernatural force while searching for her missing sister in Tokyo, a mean high school prank goes horribly wrong, and strange things begin happening in a Chicago apartment building.

“What was once trapped will now be unleashed.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Amber Tamblyn
Aubrey Davis
Edison Chen
Eason
Takako Fuji
Kayako Saeki
Ohga Tanaka
Toshio Saeki
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Karen Davis
Arielle Kebbel
Allison Fleming
Teresa Palmer
Vanessa Cassidy
Misako Uno
Miyuki Nazawa

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Takashi Shimizu
Writers: Stephen Susco
Languages: Japanese, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Grudge Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Takashi Shimizu, shot by Katsumi Yanagijima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christopher Young. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jeff Betancourt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Amber Tamblyn and Edison Chen and Takako Fuji carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What was once trapped will now be unleashed.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Takashi Shimizu directs. Katsumi Yanagijima behind the camera. Christopher Young scores. Jeff Betancourt cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Japanese, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 20 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, English.
3Part of the "The Grudge Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Takashi Shimizu, shot by Katsumi Yanagijima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Christopher Young. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jeff Betancourt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Amber Tamblyn and Edison Chen and Takako Fuji carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "What was once trapped will now be unleashed.".
9IMDB entry: tt0433386 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 11 themes, including "sequel", "remake", "little boy", "curse".

The technical file

Cinematography: Katsumi Yanagijima
Original score: Christopher Young
Editing: Jeff Betancourt
Production design: Iwao Saitô
Costume design: Miyuki Taniguchi
Makeup / hair: Rick Findlater
Stunt coordinator: Michele Waitman
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $20,000,000
Box office: $39,143,839
Return: 196% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Grudge 2 (2006)

Part of

The Grudge Collection

American horror film series released by Sony Pictures based on the Japanese Ju-on series created by Takashi Shimizu. The series focuses on those affected by a curse of a deceased woman's violent rage that destroys the lives of everyone who comes in contact with it. Known as The Grudge, this curse causes it's victims to become fatally afflicted by it which leads to a new curse being born and passed like a virus to all those who enter the Saeki residence or come in contact with the curse.

Also by

Takashi Shimizu

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Community reviews

What people are saying

The Movie Diorama2020-01-16
★ 3/10
The Grudge 2 resents its illogical plot for basic ineffective jump scares. Shimizu’s western remake of his J-horror creation was one littered with promise, albeit irrefutably rough around the edges. Mediocre acting, snooze-inducing storytelling and jump scares aplenty. Japanese ghost children, that either croak as if exhuming a sore throat or scream like a domestic cat, popping their heads out of attics, entangling women in wavering hair and just being a general nuisance. Well, Shimizu begrudgingly brings Kayako and Toshio back for more ghoulish antics, as the fire initiated by Sarah “Buffy or Daphne, your pick...” Michelle Gellar somehow unleashed the dark spirits into the world. Essentially no longer restricted to the abandoned Saeki household, although still only haunt those that enter the house? I don’t know, the logic is tossed out of the shōji at this point. Instead of remaking the original sequel for ‘Ju-On’, Shimizu and writer Susco opted for a more original take, answering the fundamental question that we all yearned to ask: “gurl, where did you get that eye liner?”. Turns out, dark spirits is the answer. What I supremely detest about this sequel is the direction the two aforementioned crew members decide to take the story. It’s no longer about greeting death with a deep and powerful rage, cursing the location the spirits resides in. A semi-folklorish strand of Japanese traditions. Instead, to appease the simple minds of western mainstream audiences, they settled for a mundane supernatural progression that essentially tarnishes the original’s plot in almost every possible angle available. Sure, Shimizu integrates some well-intentioned imagery that may or may not produce a chill or two. Namely the photograph sequence and bludgeoning someone with a frying pan during breakfast (what a waste of bacon!). Yet these are often accompanied by a predictable jump scare that relinquishes the horror. Kayako pouncing out of a photograph. Kayako wandering the hospital corridors bursting lightbulbs in her wake (not very cost-effective...). Kayako playing footsies in a Love hotel room. Kayako being Kayako. Once or twice was enough. Twenty times? Rapidly becoming unimaginative. The non-linear intersecting sub-plots, imitating its predecessor, provided no twists to the narrative and, if anything, forced the pacing to be inconsistent with its constant switching between character perspectives. A classic peer pressure scenario which is enough to make anyone’s eyes roll a hundred times. Magic mirror tricks, very unfashionable hoodies and an absolute waste of Buffy. The three elements that perfectly surmise the contents of this lacklustre sequel that boasts no genuine scares or tolerable execution. Again, stick to the original franchise.
Wuchak2026-06-07
★ 6/10
Effectively spooky with great cast, but dubious story structure Three schoolgirls visit a mysterious house in Japan. Whoever enters is cursed and will die by spooky specters. Amber Tamblyn plays the protagonist, the sister of the protagonist of the first film, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar (who has a small role here). Teresa Palmer and Sarah Roemer are also on hand as schoolgirls with Jennifer Beals playing the mother of the latter. This is a well-made horror flick that focuses on haunting atmosphere and ghostly scares rather than cartoony gore. There's a darkroom sequence that's particularly effective. The cast is superior to the first movie, with numerous female characters and quality actresses to play 'em. Unfortunately, the story structure is weak in that it fails to work up suspense, except for the last act where the filmmakers (try to) tie everything together. The first hour feels like several vignettes rather than a cohesive screenplay. I don't have a problem with non-linear story lines IF they're done right, like 1994's "Pulp Fiction" and 2007's "Before the Devil Knows Your Dead," but "The Grudge 2" isn't as effecctive. Despite my criticisms, I like this movie and think it's worthwhile if you're in the mood for a haunting picture in the mold of 2002's "The Ring." Some have even called it the scariest movie ever made. I get where they're coming from, but it didn't scare me because I don't find ghosts scary. However, it IS spooky and thick with haunting ambiance. That said, some scenes could go either way depending on the person. For instance, when a certain character falls off (or is thrown off) the roof of a tall building and lands almost at the feet of a couple other characters I busted out laughing. It runs 1h 42m (1h 48m for the Director's Cut) and was shot in Tokyo, mostly at Toho Studios. GRADE: B-/C+