THE GRUDGE
US, 2020, 94 minutes, Colour.
Andrea Riseborough, Demian Bechir, John Cho, Betty Gilpin, Lin Shaye, Frankie Faison, William Sadler, Jackie Weaver, Tara Westwood, Zoe Fish, David Lawrence Brown.
Directed by Nicholas Pesce.
It is surprising to discover how many versions of The Grudge that have been over the last 20 years. The first film was made in Japan, at the end of the 1990s, a period when there was a great popularity of mysterious stories, ghost stories, mysteries beyond the natural. This is also the period of The Ring which led to a series both in Japan and in the United States.
When The Grudge was remade in the US, it led to a number of sequels. This particular version harks back to the original story, mysterious events in a house in Japan, and then brings a mystery to the US.
It is made clear at the beginning of the film that there is rage and anger involved in the experience of the grudge, that the anger enters into the house and to people within the house. It can be described as a curse. So, this film opens with an American woman leaving a Japanese house, a great sense of unease, movement in garbage bags outside the house… She then returns home to a loving husband and daughter. The setting is 2004.
The plot then moves to 2006 with a recently widowed detective, Muldoon, played by Andrea Riseborough, moving to a Pennsylvania town with her young son who was about to go to school. Her first job in the town is to accompany one of the detectives, Goodman, Demian Bichir, to the scene of a crash in the forest, a skeleton concealed off a service road that was closed during the winter. Detective Muldoon is puzzled by the situation and finds connections with the house described in various police reports which she studies. Goodman warns her against becoming involved.
The story then veers back into 2005 and even back into 2004, two seemingly different stories but involving the same house, the house where the woman returning from Japan reunited with her family.
One story involves an elderly couple, the Mathesons, Lin Shaye and Frankie Faison, she with terminal cancer, he concerned about her health, bringing in an expert in assisting the dying, Lorna Moody, played by Jackie Weaver. It seems that Mrs Matheson has an imaginary friend, the little girl of the original family. Obviously, ghosts in the house, Mrs Matheson’s mind deteriorating, danger to Mr Matheson – and fear to Lorna Moody who rushes, highly agitated, from the house in fear and crashes in the forest.
Another story involves a real estate agent, Peter Spencer, John Cho and his pregnant wife, Betty Gilpin. They are concerned about the health of their unborn child, experience tension, but ultimately, before the ghostly disaster falls on them, to cherish the child. Peter is in the house of the original couple, sees the daughter – which leads to mysterious deaths.
The cast in these stories is quite strong and so they bring some impact, building up the sinister atmosphere. This is compounded by the strange behaviour of a detective previously involved in the case, Detective Wilson, William Sadler, who was so ineffective that he wants to kill himself and finishes in a mental institution, visited by detective Muldoon. Detective Goodman, has a strong religious sense, and avoids visiting the house in question.
So, where else can the screenplay go but to a final confrontation between detective Muldoon and the mysterious presence in in the house and her determination to destroy it and to protect her child.
As with all this kind of ghost story telling, while it seems to move to a satisfying and happy ending, there is always alarm before the final credits that all is not well.
It is worth putting out of mind and the experiences of the previous versions of The Grudge, and accept this one on its own terms.
1. A remake of the original Japanese film? The Japanese series? The American series? The relationship of this version to the original?
2. The title? The explanation of rage, anger, inhabiting a place and people? The curse?
3. The Japanese opening, Fiona Landers, leaving the house, the movement in the garbage bags, a sense of dread? Return home? Reunited with husband and daughter?
4. The 2004 settings, the movement to Detective Muldoon in 2006, the return to the previous years for the developments in the house?
5. The Pennsylvania town, the homes, the streets, the police precincts? The mental institution? The musical score?
6. Detective Muldoon, her husband dying of cancer, Burke, then moving, his going to school, her going to work? The use of the fear and count to five – and revealing the false Burke later in the story?
7. The introduction to Goodman, their going to the scene of the crash, the crashed car? The mystery? Leading to the house, number 44? Muldoon and her examining the documents, the mystery, Goodman warning her to stay away, his never going to the house? Muldoon and her meeting Mrs Matheson, her wanting to be fed, sinister, the skeleton of Mr Matheson in the chair? The effect on Muldoon?
8. The different time settings? The Landers family? The eventual picturing of what it happened, the death of the husband, the drowning of the daughter, the mother with the knife, killing herself? Her having brought the grudge to the United States? The curse for the family? The curse for anyone in the house, who visited, connected? The reappearance of the members of the family?
9. The Matheson story? Mrs Matheson and her illness, the long marriage, her husband’s care? The house? Mrs Matheson and the presence of Melinda? Her friend? The visit of Lorna Moody, her work and skills, assisting the dying? Her reaction to Mrs Matheson, the imaginary friend? Being called in under false pretences? The anxiety of Mr Matheson? Lorna deciding to stay, to help, doing the shopping, the eerie presence in the supermarket, the flies on the meat? The buildup to Mrs Matheson, her stabbing her husband, saying that he wanted to kill her? Lorna, getting into the car, her fears, crash and her death?
10. The Spencer’s story? Real estate agents? Going to the doctor, the prognosis for the unborn child? The dilemma as to what would happen? Peter, going to the house, wanting to sign the deeds? His return, encountering Melinda, her nosebleed, vomiting blood? His staying with her? The phone calls to his wife? His wife at home, her love for the baby after not wanting it? The peace between the two on the phone? Peter going upstairs, the bath, his death? The visuals of the gruesome death of his wife?
11. Detective Muldoon, investigating the Spencer case? Learning more about the Landers family? Visiting Mrs Matheson? The ambulance, going to the institution, her ascending the stairs, throwing herself down?
12. The discussions with Goodman, his religious emblems in his car, his mother’s house, watching the Jesus film on television, his warnings to Muldoon?
13. Muldoon, the house, the strange man watching, her phone call to Goodman, his taking him away, the explanation? Detective Wilson, his work on the case? His fears, in the car, the attempt to kill himself, disfiguring his face? Muldoon, her going to see him in the institution?
14. The threat to her son, reassurance, the decision to go to the house, his staying in the car, her seeing him in the house and Is Not knowing how to deal with the fear and count to five? Her decision to destroy the house, the petrol, setting it alight?
15. Everything seeming normal, Burke going to school, his mother with him, the real Burke in the background? And the ghostly attack on Muldoon?
16. The plausibility of such a grudge and curse? Of ghostly attacks?
