Some of the younger kids may find this one to be too scary or upsetting. The main theme of the movie revolves around the spirit of a woman named "Kayako" and she looks pretty creepy. Not grotesque or anything, but she just appears rather frightening. She also emitts a noise (similar to a coffee maker), that some kids may find unsettling. The movie isn't very violent, just creepy. There's one scene that young viewers will most likely find disturbing: in the movie, there is a scene where police find a severed jaw lying in a person's basement; we later see the person with their jaw missing, and their tongue hanging out. Other than that, there's not much severe violence. The movie is free of any nudity or questionable content (with the exception of the fact that one boy is nude through almost the entire film, but nothing untoward is shown). We also see a girl in the shower, but it is only from the shoulders up. Language actually isn't a major problem. I, for one, wouldn't recommend this movie. It's very boring. The acting is awful, the script is bad, and everything is very, very slow.
The Grudge
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Grisly ghost story lacks plot; not for tweens.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 15–16
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Grudge was written by Nell Minow
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
- 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.
More on The Grudge
What’s the Story?
An American exchange student (Sarah Michelle Gellar as Karen) in Japan is sent out as a substitute for the caregiver of a woman suffering from some dementia. The woman is an American, living with her son and daughter-in-law, and with a daughter living nearby. It turns out the house was once the site of great rage and anguish, giving rise to a curse that attacks anyone who enters.
Is It Any Good?
THE GRUDGE is one of those "Don't go into the house" movies, a remake of a popular Japanese horror film by Takashi Shimizu, the writer/director of the original. Shimizu makes good use of shifts in time to pull us into what little story there is. The usual ghost activities (messing up the house, stalking people) are updated a little bit. These ghosts can call a cell phone and get from the lobby to the 16th floor very quickly. There are some creepy images and gotcha scares but nothing can disguise the fact that this is just a "who gets it next and how does he get it" movie. Too much of it is familiar, though, from the mysteriously feral child to the backwards-crab-crawling guy looking horrified at some looming presence. You know if a bloody jaw with teeth shows up, eventually we're going to have to find out where, or should I say who, it came from.
Indeed, the biggest problem with the film is that, like many American remakes (Wicker Park is one recent example), feels it has to explain too much. We get a helpful little ghost re-enactment of the whole story. Horror movies are much more horrifying when they leave the explanation to that part of our imagination where our own deepest fears lie, so each of us can feel personally unsettled right where we live.
Movie Details
Run time: 96 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/22/2004, DVD release: 2/1/2005
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material, disturbing images/terror/violence, and some sensuality
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Very Boring, But Also Rather Creepy
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
This was a good movie. I jumped a lot. 9+
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
NOT GOOD FOR KIDS!!!!!!!
This is a movie I want to see however not so sure about it
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
OK for teens, but it may give the elderly a heart attack.
It was really scary and startling. If you get scared easily, don't see it.
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I rate this title off for age 13 and give it
stupid scary bad
i wasnt allowed to see it while my parents watched it so i was sent up stairs i came down to get more water and i saw one image of the movie screamed dropped my water glass and had nightmares for a week never i mean never let yourt kids see this
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
This movie made me laugh!
I laughed at this movie! it was kinda dumb haha but all movies can be sometimes. It wasn't too scary.
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
Perfect for teens, but not for kids.
Fine.
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I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
EXTREMELY scary, but see the Japanese version first.
I saw both this and Ju-on: The Grudge (the j-horror movie on which The Grudge was based on)-- same plot, same characters really-- and I have to tell you it was terrifying. Kayako is very, very creepy. She's one of those movie characters you can't even see a picture of them without getting freaked out. About it not having a plot, j-horror movies often tend to be kind of a bunch of random puzzle pieces that the viewer is supposed to put together in their mind rather than being very straightforward. That's probably what the directors of this remake were trying to capture. If you were to watch any American remake of a j-horror film, I would say this would be it, but see the Japanese version first because the original is always the best. :) Oh, and as you may have guessed, this movie is not for very young children. I mean, I'm a 14 year old horror fan and it scared ME. XD
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My highlights are:
Older kids
I liked it. it gives you a good spoke!
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
i dont see how people think this movie is scary cuz its not. i was expecting more. though there is some freaky, but not that freaky images. soooo ya. but this movie actually was good.
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
i dont see how people think this movie is scary cuz its not. i was expecting more. though there is some freaky, but not that freaky images. soooo ya. but this movie actually was good.
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I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
This is an iffy choise for teen and pree teens shouldnt see it.
Ive never actualy seen it but I did see the video game reveiw and it looked really scary.The Ghosts can be really violent and scary.
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I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
This is an iffy choise for teen and pree teens shouldnt see it.
Ive never actualy seen it but I did see the video game reveiw and it looked really scary.The Ghosts can be really violent and scary.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
The Grudge
Not bad, but could be better. Not really scary, but there is some pop-ups.
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
creep...needless to say
there's somehing about this movie that made my skin crawl. The way ghosts come down with long stringy hair, the abusive boyfriend and innocent child(before he turned evil) basiclly the mother now have a grudge against her husband- the world-and herself. See the japanese version; very confusing kinda
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I rate this title off for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Great but very scary
I got a bit creeped out but not too bad.I shouldn't of watched this movie. But, I think it was good, with the storyline and everything.
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
great movie with lot of suspence if you are bored with the same old same old horror you should ses this movie
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Super Extreme horrifying jump out of your seat scary!
Well, unlike most scary movies, The Grudge goes beyond normal fear. It is extremly super scary for little kids and maybe every age. Mostly everyone who watches it will most likely get scared. The Japanese has really frightening ghost story.
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I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
The grudge isn't very good, so unless you really want to waste your time watching it, you shouldn't. It is a scary PG-13 movie, so it can't be too bad. Vey scary, some popups, and a crappy movie. Enjoy!
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I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Good for tweens, but a stupid movie.
The grudge isn't very good, so unless you really want to waste your time watching it, you shouldn't. It is a scary PG-13 movie, so it can't be too bad. Vey scary, some popups, and a crappy movie. Enjoy!
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