The GrudgeMovie Reviews

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 49 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
15 Iffy for 15+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 70
    Washington Post | Stephen Hunter

    It's enough to send you home with jiggly knees and a tummy ache. Read full review

  • 70
    The Hollywood Reporter |

    Slightly less frightening than the original, but it's still a scary psycho-horror that effectively replicates its bleak and crisp shocks. Read full review

  • 60
    Washington Post | Michael O'Sullivan

    It's effectively frightening. It's just not the kind of frightening that stays with you very long, unless of course someone decides to make the same movie . . . yet again. Read full review

  • 58
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    A horror film that consists of virtually nothing but don't-go-in-the-attic suspense scenes strung together with a reasonable degree of brooding mood and a minimum of logic. Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle |

    Shimizu can't quite pull everything together, trying to get off easy with a bargain-bin twist ending that most of the audience will see coming by the time the pile of corpses reaches double digits. Read full review

  • 50
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    At least the horror premise here has a hook - a house can spread its curse like a plague to adversely affect all who enter. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Manohla Dargis

    Less scary than creepy, The Grudge may have lost some oomph in the translation from Japanese to English, and the desire for a PG-13 rating probably muted the violence and perhaps the scares. Read full review

  • 40
    Los Angeles Times | Kevin Thomas

    More than anything, The Grudge suggests that it's time for Shimizu to move on. Read full review

  • 30
    Variety | Scott Foundas

    Viewers of this Sam Raimi-produced, sub-"Amityville" scarefest are likely to hold the real grudge. Read full review

  • 25
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Sarah Michelle Gellar, the nominal star, has been in her share of horror movies, and all by herself could have written and directed a better one than this. Read full review


Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 15+ Grisly ghost story lacks plot; not for tweens.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this is a very scary movie with a great deal of tension, many jump-out-at-you surprises, graphic violence, and frequent grisly and disgusting images, including graphic wounds, suicide, dead bodies and pieces of dead bodies. Characters also drink and smoke and use strong language.
  • Families can talk about the enduring appeal of ghost stories and their own views on whether strong emotions can continue to "occupy" a place. They might also want to find out more about efforts to investigate real-life reports of ghosts and curses.
What to watch for
  • violence false5 Violence: Frequent intense peril and violence, suicide, characters killed, many grisly and disgusting images.
  • sex false3 Sex: Non-explicit sexual situation.
  • language false3 Language: Brief strong language.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters smoke.

The Grudge Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

So-so 425 fan reviews

Critics say

So-so See all critic reviews

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