Zo's Reviews: The Grudge (2020)

So because I wrote about this in the past on here, I figured I'd go back to my original blog to talk about this newest entry into this universe. Also, I'm changing my scoring system from a out-of-ten score to an A,B,C score. So, without further ado...

The Grudge (2020) was directed by Nicolas Pesce and stars Andrea Riseborough as a mom and police detective who just moved to a small town in Pennsylvania, and is investigating a murder that has connections to a house, a house where other deaths have occurred and people have reported sinister happenings. Soon after beginning her investigation and stepping into the home, she starts being stalked by the very same malevolent force that has taken so many lives before.

Let's start out by saying that this is not a remake or reboot. This movie fits in between 2004 film, and the sequel which came out afterwards, that means it's more like a side-story or a soft sequel. It's also not a very good sequel. I'll flat out say that in the four films we have now in this Americanized franchise, this is probably on the same grade as the second film for me. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't like it, and here's why...

The story in this movie is so disjointed and runs all over the place at a breakneck pace, that there really isn't much time to build any suspense or terror. The movie is plagued with cheap jump scares from beginning to end, but the jump scares don't really fit or are used at poor moments. The acting is decent for the most part, but it felt bland and uninspired at some moments. The issues with this story without going into detail, felt so boring at some points that I really did want to pull out my phone and check my social media...it pulled me right out of the movie, and not even the delicious popcorn in front of me could keep me engaged. Also, this vision of the film completely changes the Kayako curse...and I cannot in good conscience tell you why, because if I did it would become a spoiler.

As for the good parts of this movie, supporting actors John Cho and Lin Shaye give it 110%. They are interesting, engaging, they legitimately have some of the most terrifying moments in this movie. That's where the problems with the plot come into play for me. Their stories were so much more interesting that I just wished the parts with the police officers investigating the murder would just be erased from existence. I'm not saying this to say anything bad about Andrea Riseborough, Demian Bichir or even William Sadler, they were all fine, but the story surrounding Lin Shaye's character, an elderly woman on the cusp of death dealing with the evil spirits in her home...and John Cho's character, a real estate agent who sold the bad house to the elderly couple...is just so much more interesting. They also have these crazy build ups of tension when dealing with these characters, that I kept wondering why in the Seven Hells they didn't use it throughout the film. Other than that, the cinematography is great, every scene is filmed in a way that gives you a clear view behind them, which makes you wonder 'oh shit, are we about to see something messed up!?' and only half the time we do. It's these moments that are gnarly as Hell, giving us something to really fear. There are also moments where a good jump scare would fit in, would really give us something to be afraid of, but they're completely wasted as a fake-out.

Would I recommend seeing this movie? Of course I would. Go see it with your friends. Just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean you won't. The cast is decent, the way it's filmed is really well done, and the plot involving the supporting cast really is awesome. There was a great story in this movie that was begging to be told, but I just didn't get that story. It felt like the director was being safe with this film and really didn't want to push the envelope. He didn't want to tell anything new, and instead we get this mix of the 2004 film and it's two sequels all-in-one movie, and that's why it failed for me.

Final Score: D