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1[[AC:Note: This page is for the American films only. For the Japanese series of films, see ''Film/{{Juon}}''.]]
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3[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grudge_cover.jpg]]
4[[caption-width-right:350:''[[TagLine It never forgives. It never forgets.]]'']]
5
6
7->''When someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage... a [[red:curse]] is born.''
8
9->''The curse gathers in that place of [[red:death]].''
10
11->''Those who encounter it will be consumed by its [[red:fury]].''
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13''The Grudge'' is an American horror film series consisting of four films, based on the ''Film/{{Juon}}'' series. Its first installment was the 2004 American remake of the Japanese film ''Film/{{Juon}}: The Grudge'', with added elements from ''Film/{{Juon}}: The Curse'' and ''Ju-on: The Grudge 2''. The film was released in North America on October 22, 2004 by Columbia Pictures, and is directed by Creator/TakashiShimizu (director of the original series) while Creator/SamRaimi produced and Stephen Susco scripted. In the same tradition as the original series, the plot of the film is told through a [[AnachronicOrder non-linear sequence of events]] and includes several intersecting subplots. The film has spawned two sequels: ''The Grudge 2'' (which was released on October 13, 2006) and ''The Grudge 3'' (released direct-to-DVD on May 12, 2009, after having the original release date pushed back), this time directed by Toby Wilkins with Shimizu as executive producer. A {{sidequel}} set during the first two films, ''Film/TheGrudge2020'', was released on January 3rd, 2020, with Raimi again producing.
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15There is also a collection of short films, entitled ''Tales of the Grudge'', which were used to promote the second film. These shorts are included on the Director's Cut edition of ''The Grudge 2'' DVD.
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17An animated graphic novel short, ''The Grudge 1.5'', was also created as an {{Interquel}} between the first two films, exploring [[IntrepidReporter Eason's]] first contact with the curse.
18----
19!!Provides Examples Of:
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21* AbusiveParents: Mrs. Davis is emotionally abusive towards Aubrey, [[ParentalFavoritism clearly favouring Karen over her]]. Also, Kayako's mother [[spoiler:"fed" evil spirits to her daughter when she was a child. The former's death at the latter's hands could be seen as Kayako's revenge for what her mother did to her.]]
22* AlphaBitch: Vanessa is a pretty, popular girl who also happens to be a smug, spiteful bully towards Allison, and even treats her supposed best friend Miyuki like dirt.
23* ApartmentComplexOfHorrors: In The Grudge 2 (one of the segments) and The Grudge 3, the curse is carried over from a Japanese house to a Chicago apartment complex, and begins to affect its residents.
24* AnachronicOrder: As in the Japanese originals, the first two films consist of segments shown out of chronological order. The third movie follows a standard linear narrative instead.
25* AndIMustScream: The fate of every single person who is taken by the curse - they become puppets of the curse, never finding peace, and forced to claim more victims. It becomes a lot worse when the curse is unleashed on the planet and becomes TheVirus, which causes serious ParanoiaFuel of InferredHolocaust since history is doomed to repeat itself and soon all human beings will become an undead vengeful ''onryo'' army hunting down and killing everyone on the planet until all humans are six feet under and trapped in a terrifying and horrible FateWorseThanDeath.
26* AssholeVictim: Played with, in that most of the curse's victims are generally decent, unassuming people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, some victims, such as [[PaterFamilicide Takeo]] (who has the dubious honour of being the curse's very first victim) and [[AlphaBitch Vanessa]], qualify for this trope.
27* AxCrazy: Takeo, after discovering his wife's diary. He remains just as violent after death.
28* BedmateReveal: Played for horror when Kayako materialises in Susan's bed.
29* BeautyIsBad: Vanessa is gorgeous but is also a cruel and manipulative bully who unwittingly causes the deaths of dozens of people with her actions.
30* BloodFromTheMouth: Kayako after having her neck snapped. The same later applies to [[spoiler:Aubrey]] after her death.
31* BloodMagic: Kayako's sister, Naoko, claims the curse can be lifted via an exorcism ritual that ends with a willing witness consuming Kayako's blood. [[spoiler:It doesn't work as she hoped.]]
32* BloodSplatteredInnocents: Not only does poor Aubrey actually witness [[spoiler:Karen's death]], but she gets partially splattered with her blood as well. Ouch.
33* BloodierAndGorier: Many of the deaths in ''The Grudge 3'' are bloodier than the deaths in the previous installments (not counting [[spoiler:Yoko]] from the first film, for [[JawBreaker obvious]] [[FacialHorror reasons]]).
34* BodyHorror: Similar to the original Japanese movie series, a particular type of BodyHorror is used for the death of [[spoiler:Yoko]] - her jaw gets torn off. A similar example of BodyHorror is seen in the deleted epilogue of the sequel (in which [[spoiler:Karen and Aubrey's mother]] dies in a very similar way to [[spoiler:Yoko]]).
35** The death of [[spoiler:Gretchen]] in the third movie. The poor woman [[spoiler:has her jaw torn off and eyes gouged out, with ''black paint'' pouring from the wounds.]]
36** The brief sight of Kayako's fingers emerging from the back of Karen's head in the first movie.
37** At the beginning of the the third film, [[spoiler:Jake]] ends up a twisted, bloody mess after Kayako snaps almost every bone in his body.
38* BreakTheCutie: Several characters, but most notably Allison.
39* BreakTheHaughty: Vanessa starts out as a smug bully, but the curse gradually changes that...
40* BringMyBrownPants: Vanessa wets herself after being menaced by Kayako in her school changing room (and who can blame her, really?).
41* BrokenBird: Peter Kirk's wife, Maria, by the time Karen seeks her out. Losing her husband in an apparent suicide was evidently not kind to her.
42** Karen in the second movie.
43** Brenda, a minor character in the third movie being haunted by the curse, is pretty traumatized from the moment she appears onscreen.
44* ButtMonkey: Susan in the first film. The hauntings that lead [[spoiler:to her death]] all happen one after another, ''in just one night''.
45** Also, Allison and Jake in the sequels.
46* TheBully: Vanessa. Not even her fellow bully Miyuki is safe from her cruelty.
47* CallingTheOldManOut: Towards the end of ''The Grudge 2'', Aubrey ''finally'' tells her mother how she really feels. [[spoiler:Sadly, it's the last time they ever speak.]]
48* CassandraTruth: Dr. Sullivan doesn't believe Jake's claims that his family was killed by a curse - until Jake himself dies under unexplainable ([[CruelAndUnusualDeath and downright horrible]]) circumstances.
49* CatScare: Considering that Toshio's pet cat is also part of the curse.
50* ChaseScene: Kayako pursuing Karen through the hospital in ''The Grudge 2''; the former also pursuing Dr. Sullivan in ''The Grudge 3''.
51* ChekhovsGun: Kayako's diary, the Saeki family photo, and the photo of Peter found in Kayako's diary.
52* ChestBurster: Used in the deleted epilogue of the second movie. [[spoiler:Kayako ejects herself ''violently'' from Mrs. Davis' mouth.]]
53* CompositeCharacter: Detective Nakagawa shares the name and profession of Detective Nakagawa from the original ''Film/{{Juon}}'' film series, but his personality and actions are closer to that of retired detective Toyama, also from ''Film/{{Juon}}''. Like Toyama, he lost his colleagues to the curse, and also tries to burn the house down.
54** Yoko seems to be a combination of three ''Film/{{Juon}}'' characters: Yuki and Kanna from ''Ju-on: The Curse'', and Rika from ''Ju-on: The Grudge''. Like Yuki, she is dragged into the house's attic by Kayako; like Kanna, [[spoiler:her jaw is torn off]]; like Rika ([[WhatCouldHaveBeen with whom she was originally going to share a name]]), she is a social worker.
55* ContinuityNod: From ''The Grudge 2'' to its prequel: "This is where the girl from the international college killed her boyfriend two years ago." There are also a few nods to the previous films in ''The Grudge 3''.
56* ConvenientPhotograph: Played with. Kayako has a picture of Peter Kirk and his girlfriend in her belongings but the important part is torn away and not revealed until later: that she's in the background (because she was stalking him).
57* CreatorCameo: Kayako's death rattle is in fact the voice of director Takashi Shimizu.
58* CreepyChild: Toshio is the very definition of this trope. Kayako seen as a child in flashbacks is also somewhat creepy, although pretty adorable at the same time.
59* CruelAndUnusualDeath: The death of [[spoiler:Mrs. Davis]], as seen in a deleted epilogue from the second film, definitely qualifies - after a [[TearJerker tearjerking scene]] in which she mourns [[spoiler:Karen and Aubrey]], she not-so-coincidentally comes across [[spoiler:Kayako's diary]]...before having a much more severe coughing fit than usual, which results in her [[spoiler:''coughing up Kayako in the form of a giant hairball-come-eyeball, which rips her jaw off''.]] The fact that you can actually see [[spoiler:her face start to ''rip'']] makes it a lot squickier.
60** The death of Gretchen in the third movie could also qualify. Yes, it's an offscreen death, but the state of her corpse when it is discovered by Max is just plain horrific - it seems that she's had her [[spoiler:[[EyeScream eyes gouged out]] and her jaw ripped off ([[SignatureMove Kayako really likes doing that to people]], doesn't she?)]].
61** The death of Jake. Having [[spoiler:nearly every bone in your body twisted and snapped]] has ''got'' to suck.
62** Kayako's death, too. Her own husband snaps her neck and leaves her to die (and it is also a possibility that, like in the original films, he slashed her with a utility knife, given the amount of blood on her when her body is discovered). [[spoiler:By extension, Aubrey's and Naoko's deaths also apply.]]
63** [[spoiler:Max]]'s death. [[spoiler:Naoko ''bites his throat out''.]] Considering how the latter died, it can be assumed that this is her prime method of killing.
64* CuriosityKilledTheCast: Anyone curiously entering the house will end up dead thanks to the curse. [[FromBadToWorse Until the curse spreads]], [[ParanoiaFuel which means that anyone unlucky enough to unknowingly interact with a cursed location or individual is in for a bad time.]]
65* DisproportionateRetribution: The curse targeting innocent unrelated people, also turning said victims into puppets of the curse to let history repeat itself.
66* DarknessEqualsDeath: Although a lot of the deaths happen in bright daylight, some occur in the attic of the house, and in assorted dark rooms. In addition to that, the curse also seems able to cause electric lights to suddenly stop working.
67* DeadAllAlong: The ending of ''The Grudge 2'' reveals that [[spoiler:Aubrey died mere days after Karen]], and was therefore dead during [[spoiler:Allison and Jake's storylines.]]
68* DeathByIrony: Vanessa rolls up her school uniform skirt to an extremely high length and encourages Allison to do the same so that she can show off her legs more and become popular. Later, [[spoiler:Toshio incapacitates Vanessa by grabbing her highly exposed legs.]]
69* DeathOfAChild: Toshio, and [[spoiler:Jake]]. Also when [[spoiler:Kayako possesses Rose]] at the end of ''The Grudge 3''.
70* DemonicPossession: How Kayako, Toshio, Takeo, and the cat seem to affect the apartment residents in Chicago.
71** There is a deleted scene from the first movie in which Matthew is possessed by Takeo. This is a recreation of a scene from the first Japanese theatrical movie.
72** In the third movie, [[spoiler:Rose becomes possessed by Kayako after consuming her blood]].
73* {{Determinator}}: Karen and Naoko really do give it their all to try and best the curse. [[spoiler:Sadly, their attempts only make things worse.]]
74* DisconnectedByDeath: [[spoiler:Vanessa]] in the second movie.
75* DownerEnding: Every movie (with the [[BittersweetEnding possible]] [[AmbiguousEnding exception]] of ''The Grudge 3''). It's impossible to survive the curse; it's only a matter of time before it claims your life.
76* DrivenToSuicide: Peter, after [[spoiler:discovering just what happened in the Saeki house]]. It is later heavily implied that [[MoreThanMindControl he was under the curse's influence]] when he killed himself.
77** Subverted with Takeo. Although it was reported that he hanged himself, the Director's Cut of the first film reveals that his death was Kayako's doing.
78* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Subverted with Kayako and Toshio - both have jet black hair. Add that to most other dark-haired characters who are seen after becoming curse victims (such as [[spoiler:Aubrey, Miyuki and Naoko]]).
79* ElevatorSnare: A supernatural example in the first film. Susan [[ElevatorEscape flees Kayako into an elevator]] and appears to be safe. That is until Toshio is seen on the passing floor, and the next, and the next, and so on and so forth... getting closer with each passing floor.
80* EvilPhone: The sinister phone calls Vanessa receives in ''The Grudge 2''. Susan also receives similar phone calls in the first film.
81* EyeScream: In the third movie, Kayako kills [[spoiler:Gretchen]] (offscreen) by, amongst other things, [[spoiler:gouging out her eyes]].
82* FaceRevealingTurn: When Alex encounters [[spoiler:Yoko]]'s ghost, who slowly turns around to reveal [[spoiler:her bleeding, jawless face]].
83* FacialHorror: [[spoiler:Yoko ends up with her lower jaw torn off, as does Gretchen.]]
84* FanDisservice / {{Fanservice}}: The shower scenes in the first and second movies and the bath scene in the third movie contain a combination of both tropes. Max's ShirtlessScene in the third movie also counts, given that [[DemonicPossession Takeo is possessing him]] at the time.
85** Vanessa is incredibly beautiful and a major source of fan service as she likes to roll her uniform skirt very high to show off her legs and flaunts her beauty in the locker room to her friends in her underwear. However, [[spoiler:she pees herself in her underwear in the locker room soon after, has her facial beauty gradually deprived by the curse (in a deleted scene), is trapped in the phone booth when Toshio was able to grab her exposed legs that she loved to flaunt because her skirt was rolled so high, and becomes an ugly, horrifying onryo that wears the same school uniform and short skirt that Vanessa flaunted her beauty in before she had lost her beauty and was still gorgeous.]]
86*** Lacy shows how pretty she looks in her cheerleader uniform, which is immediately followed by the milk scene...
87* FemmeFatalons: To an extent. [[spoiler:Miyuki has extremely long, blue-painted fingernails, and this carries over into her ghost form.]]
88* FinalGirl: Karen in the first film and [[spoiler:Lisa]] in the third.
89** The second film subverts this [[spoiler: with Aubrey being DeadAllAlong prior to both Allison and Jake's story lines (with the former's still taking place in 2004 [[TimeSkip while the other two take place in 2006]]) and with Kayako killing off Allison in the last minute of the film, making Jake the SoleSurvivor]].
90* ForeignRemake
91* {{Foreshadowing}}: In the second movie, when Aubrey pays a visit to Kayako's mother, we see the latter, through her eyes, [[spoiler:suddenly witnessing Kayako's spirit taking the place of Aubrey, who comes and kills her]]. This could possibly be foreshadowing the ending.
92** Also, in the third movie, Gretchen's portrait of Rose is slashed and splattered with red paint, resembling blood, by Kayako. This could be foreshadowing [[spoiler:Kayako's eventual possession of Rose]]. In addition, the eyes of Rose in the painting have been damaged - [[spoiler:foreshadowing the fact that Gretchen will soon lose her eyes to Kayako.]]
93** Early in the first film, Karen finds [[ChekhovsGun Kayako's journal]] and curiously looks through it, coming upon a torn photo of Peter Kirk slotted inside. It seems somewhat unassuming at first, but that same photo is seen later on - revealing that [[spoiler:Kayako was in the background of the photo the whole time]].
94* FreakOut: Takeo has one of [[PaterFamilicide deadly proportions]] after discovering Kayako's huge crush on Peter.
95* FreezeFrameBonus: Two occur during Susan's vignette: When Susan is in the taxi, look at one of the adverts on the back of the front passenger seat. [[RuleOfSymbolism There's a staring eye printed on one of them.]] Later, when Susan discovers she has a very unwelcome bedmate, look at the wall. For about a second, you can see Susan's shadow and... the shadow of Kayako, even though she isn't above the bedcovers.
96** An in-universe example occurs in the second movie, when Eason is watching an old taped interview with Nakagawa as part of his investigation. On the recording, he notices a very brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-it shape in the corner of the door behind Nakagawa, as well as a strange noise. Cue Eason rewinding the recording and playing it in slow-motion...
97** Another one from the second film: as Karen runs through the hospital she freezes in terror as a group of employees just stare at her. While many viewers write this off as a BigLippedAlligatorMoment, if you look close and freeze in as the camera moves over their faces you can see the blurry figure of Kayako staring at her in the crowd.
98* FromBadToWorse In the end of the first film, Karen tries to burn down the house using the kerosene Detective Nakagawa left there. Not only does she fail to burn the house down completely, the sequel proves that all this did was make the curse ''worse''. Now not only is anyone who steps foot in the house is haunted and killed, but those killed by her become {{Vengeful Ghost}}s just like her and they haunt wherever they died, the curse spreading to FridgeHorror levels.
99* FromNobodyToNightmare: The Saeki family, really. From the information presented in the first two films, they were fairly normal: Takeo was an illustrator, Kayako was a housewife (but studying at a college) and Toshio was a cheery school boy. [[spoiler: Kayako's past of "eating" spirits thanks to her spiritual mother aside]], they just were a typical Japanese family who unfortunately due to [[spoiler: rage and pain]] made them into a never ending Curse.
100* FryingPanOfDoom: Unfortunately for the ''horror'' film, its use in ''The Grudge 2'' is just ''hilarious''. The fact this is a recreation of a scene from the not-very-well-received ''Ju-on: The Curse 2'' doesn't help.
101* GhostlyGape: Toshio, whose mouth is deeply black within. Kayako also has a tendency to pull this off, as do many other victims of the curse after their deaths.
102* GhostlyGoals: The second type, though not by choice.
103* {{Gorn}}: Generally avoided, although [[spoiler:Yoko's]] death counts.
104* GoryDiscretionShot: Kayako's prime method of killing in the third movie.
105* GreenEyedMonster: Takeo, whose jealousy over his wife's crush [[DisproportionateRetribution drives him to murder]].
106* GrossUpCloseUp: Present a few times in the Director's Cut. Examples include a more close-up shot on the corpses of [[spoiler:Matthew and Jennifer]], a close up of Peter's face (as well as the pool of blood) after he kills himself, and a more lingering shot of [[spoiler:Yoko's disembodied jaw]].
107* HarmfulToMinors: Happens in all three films:
108** Toshio witnesses Kayako's murder at the hands of Takeo and possibly witnesses his beloved cat's murder shortly before being killed himself.
109** After dealing with the terror and the knowledge that something is deeply, horribly wrong in the apartment block, Jake discovers his father's corpse and witnesses his possessed stepmother being drowned to death.
110** Rose witnesses her beloved big brother Max becoming steadily more and more vicious as his possession gets worse, and later [[spoiler:has Kayako inhabiting her body.]]
111* HellIsThatNoise: Kayako's death rattle. Also, the sound of a cat's meow has ''never'' sounded as creepy as it does in this series.
112** The horrible rasping noise made by Yoko's ghost [[spoiler:due to her missing lower jaw]].
113** The ghastly moaning of [[spoiler:the principal]] in ''The Grudge 2''.
114** ''The Grudge 3'' brings us the sound of [[spoiler:Naoko]]'s horrible, gurgle-y breathing, post-death.
115* HeroicBSOD: Allison suffers this after being exposed to the curse and subsequently being stalked by the ghosts of [[spoiler:Vanessa and Miyuki]].
116** Max has one after [[spoiler:Takeo stops possessing him.]]
117* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Rose drinking the blood]] during the climax of the third film could be seen as this, although it isn't likely she knew exactly what the consequences would be. [[SenselessSacrifice However it doesn't seem like it helped much in the long run]], and it wasn't in time to [[spoiler:save Naoko (and her death starts a new curse)]] - although it did manage to [[spoiler:save Lisa... at least for the time being.]].
118* HopeSpot: A couple of utterly merciless examples occur in ''The Grudge 3''. First, [[spoiler: it appears that Naoko's ritual (which already has a slim chance of success as it is) may work - until she is killed by Max, which starts a completely ''new'' curse.]] Second, [[spoiler: Rose goes ahead with the ritual, thus saving Lisa from becoming a victim of Kayako's wrath. However, it isn't quite over yet. Yes, the ritual ''did'' manage to seal Kayako's spirit away... the catch is, she was sealed inside Rose's body. Not only that, but it is heavily implied that being sealed away will ''not'' stop her.]]
119* HorrorHatesARulebreaker: A fairly harsh example; the moment anyone enters the haunted apartment, the ghosts begin stalking them relentlessly, killing them and making them new tortured spirits to claim yet more victims. [[spoiler: Even leaving can't save you]]. The franchise eventually takes this to its logical conclusion [[spoiler: making the curse become TheVirus after it escapes the apartment.]]
120** Defied when the curse physically pulls Aubrey into house in order to curse her. That's against the rules, Kayako and Co.
121* {{Housewife}}: Kayako (before she was killed and became a really, really angry ghost, that is).
122* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler:Naoko desperately tries to use this on Max.]] It doesn't work.
123* ImpendingDoomPOV: Used in a deleted/alternate scene from the first movie, which was a shot-for-shot recreation of a scene from the very first ''Ju-on''.
124* InferredHolocaust: Since the curse now spreads like TheVirus, there's the ParanoiaFuel of never knowing whether you are interacting with a normal human being or puppet of the curse and likely falling victim to the curse at the hands of an infected individual or group of people. Who's to say Kayako's vengeful spirit will not become an ApocalypseMaiden and condemn all human beings to a terrifying AndIMustScream FateWorseThanDeath?
125* InTheHood: Allison, after the curse [[FreakOut breaks her]].
126* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Mrs. Davis has a very nasty cough and breathing problems, although it is never mentioned what sort of illness she is suffering from. However, she doesn't die in the finished movie. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen The deleted epilogue does show her death]] ([[spoiler: in which her cough ''does'' actually kill her... well, sort of]]), but it's anyone's guess as to whether this will end up being canonical.
127* IntrepidReporter: Eason.
128* {{Irony}}: In the third film, Naoko travels all the way to Chicago from Tokyo in order to stop the curse, [[spoiler:only to become part of an entirely new curse herself]].
129* JerkWithAHeartofGold: Not evil per se, but as much of an AlphaBitch Vanessa was, she seemed genuinely concerned for Miyuki when she found out she was missing and may have shown some remorse deep down for her dangerous and careless actions, which may have implied she was just your typical insecure teenager who wanted people to think she was cool and fit in with everyone else at school.
130* JawBreaker: [[spoiler:Yoko]] suffers this. In the third movie, [[spoiler:Gretchen]]'s corpse is found ''sans'' lower jaw ([[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill and]] {{eye|Scream}}s). The [[DeletedScene deleted epilogue]] to the second movie has [[spoiler:Mrs. Davis]] suffering this, too - [[{{Gorn}} on-screen]].
131* JumpScare: Many and varied.
132* KickTheDog: Vanessa does much of the kicking, and the dog is usually Allison.
133* KillItWithFire: Nakagawa attempts to stop the curse by burning down the house, but is killed by [[spoiler:Takeo]] before he can accomplish this. Karen attempts to finish the job, but it backfires horribly.
134* KillTheCutie: That is, kill ''all'' the cuties.
135* LegFocus: Vanessa rolls up her school uniform skirt extremely high to show off her gorgeous legs and encourages Allison to do the same to be popular.
136* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuDtoGRzYE4 The main theme]], which is heard in all three films during the opening and ending credits, and also pops up during the rest of the musical scores a few times. Then there's also the OneWomanWail that occurs throughout the second film's score.
137* LogoJoke: At the beginning of ''The Grudge 2'', the Creator/ColumbiaPictures logo starts as usual, but the torch flickers, briefly causing the Torch Lady to turn into Kayako and the word "COLUMBIA" to turn into "GRUDGE 2."
138* LoveHotels: Miyuki and her boyfriend go to one in ''The Grudge 2''.
139* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: The authorities believe that Takeo killed himself; the Director's Cut of the first film reveals that his death was, in fact, Kayako's doing.
140* {{Manipulative B|astard}}itch: Vanessa is extremely manipulative towards the [[ShrinkingViolet shy]] Allison.
141* MarionetteMotion: Kayako almost exclusively moves like this, as does [[spoiler:Naoko]] after her death.
142* MarketBasedTitle: The Japanese releases all have ''Ju-on'' in the title, as with the original series of films:
143** ''The Grudge'' = ''The Ju-on''
144** ''The Grudge 2'' = ''Ju-on: Pandemic''
145** ''The Grudge 3'' = ''Ju-on Za Gurajji 3''
146* MatchlightDangerRevelation: [[GenreBlindness Obviously Yoko didn't realize that turning on a lighter in the middle of a dark attic = bad idea.]]
147* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: The [[ElevatorSnare elevator scene]] in the first film. Susan flees into an elevator and rides it to her apartment, but Toshio can be seen on each floor she passes, getting closer and closer...
148** While visiting Karen and Doug's apartment, Kayako manifests behind Aubrey and stares at her. She disappears when Aubrey turns around.
149* MindScrew: Not quite to the extent of the original film series, but there are still several moments like this.
150* MindScrewdriver: [[spoiler:Kayako's rattling call is explained in the remake as a result of her being strangled to death.]]
151* MirrorScare: Several, and played with in the second film, when Kayako ''emerges'' from one.
152* MissingMom: Jake and Lacey's mother.
153* MomentKiller: Near the beginning of ''The Grudge 3'', Lisa and Andy are about to have sex in an abandoned apartment... before discovering it was the same apartment that the Kimble family died in. They very quickly decide to leave.
154* MurderIntoMalevolence: As in the original, Kayako Seiki is an innocent woman with NoSocialSkills, who is killed alongside her child by her jealous husband and returns as an Onryo ghost. She kills her murderer first... then stays in her house and murders absolutely everybody who crosses her path or even telephones her house.
155* MyCarHatesMe: Happens in the third movie with Max's boss.
156* MyGodWhatHaveIDone / TheseHandsHaveKilled: After becoming possessed by [[spoiler:Takeo]] and subsequently killing [[spoiler:Naoko]], [[spoiler:Max]] reacts like this after the possession wears off.
157* MythologyGag: In the Director's Cut of ''The Grudge'', Susan comes across a small cat ornament when first viewing the house, possibly referencing the cat ornaments that seem to stare at Yuki in ''Ju-on: The Curse''.
158** The death of [[spoiler:Jake]] in ''The Grudge 3'' is a slightly more graphic version of the [[KilledOffscreen offscreen death]] of Hisayo from ''Ju-on: The Curse'': the latter's corpse is [[NothingIsScarier never shown to the audience]], but is mentioned to have been "twisted and torn", similar to how the former ends up a twisted mess after having almost every bone broken.
159* NeckSnap: How Kayako is killed. Also happens to [[spoiler:Aubrey]] in ''The Grudge 2'', and to [[spoiler:Dr. Sullivan]] in ''The Grudge 3''.
160** Also subverted in ''The Grudge 3'' in that the film makes you think that this is how [[spoiler:Naoko]] is going to die... until [[spoiler:she gets ''stabbed through the back of the throat''. Admittedly, this ''does'' manage to sever her spinal chord, but it doesn't fit the trope]].
161* NeverendingTerror: This is one of the scariest parts of the eponymous grudge curse. Once the curse has you, there is no getting away from it. Also, it will come for you ''anywhere''. It doesn't care how locked up you are or how many other people are nearby.
162* NeverFoundTheBody: Several of the curse victims' bodies are never found by the authorities, simply because they get pulled into ''nowhere''. Notable victims include [[spoiler:Susan]], [[spoiler:Miyuki]] and [[spoiler:Allison]].
163* NewHouseNewProblems: Woe betide anyone who moves into/enters the cursed house. Later, the curse isn't just limited to the house, [[ParanoiaFuel spreading to those who have nothing to do with the house whatsoever...]]
164** From the second movie onwards, woe betide anyone who enters/moves into/already lives in that Chicago apartment block...
165* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Karen setting fire to the house, thereby breaking the seal containing the curse within.
166** Similarly, Naoko's ritual to contain her sister's spirit. [[spoiler:She's killed by Max]], thus starting a ''new'' grudge curse, and [[spoiler:Rose now houses Kayako's spirit]] after drinking Kayako's blood.
167** In the second movie, Allison [[spoiler:catches a flight back to the US, hoping that the curse won't follow her. It does. She ends up spreading the curse to the ''apartment block'', resulting in the death of her family, Jake's family, and anyone else who enters the building,]] thus setting up the events of ''The Grudge 3''.
168* NightmareFace: [[spoiler:Yoko and Gretchen]], of the FacialHorror variety.
169** Many of the ghosts themselves, given their pale-white complexions, [[GhostlyGape ghostly gaping]], and wide, staring eyes.
170* NightmareSequence: In a DeletedScene from ''The Grudge 2'', Aubrey has a dream about having an actual loving relationship with her mother, which slowly deteriorates into a nightmare when Mrs. Davis coughs up a gland and forces Aubrey to ingest it, much like when Kayako's mother would force her to swallow evil spirits when she was a child.
171* NoNameGiven: Toshio's cat is never named. According to {{Fanon}}, his name is Mar, which happens to be the name of his counterpart in the Japanese film series.
172* NothingIsScarier: Used, but also averted. The first movie is ''relentless'' in showing you the ghosts.
173* OffscreenTeleportation: Kayako and Toshio utilise this, as do other curse victims after their deaths. Justified, since they're ghosts.
174* OhCrap: Aubrey gets a look of horrified realization on her face when [[spoiler:she encounters Takeo]].
175** Eason's face when [[spoiler:Kayako emerges from one of his photographs]].
176** Kayako's face when she discovers that Takeo read her diary.
177* OnceMoreWithClarity: Second movie: Following [[spoiler:Aubrey sharing the same fate as Kayako]], the earlier scene with Allison being menaced in the cupboard by Kayako plays out again, only this time [[spoiler:the woman emerging from the attic is not Kayako, but Aubrey.]]
178* OneWomanWail: A [[{{Leitmotif}} recurring theme]] throughout the second movie's score.
179* OurGhostsAreDifferent
180* PaterFamilicide: Takeo [[DisproportionateRetribution murders his wife, son, and son's cat upon finding out about Kayako's crush on Peter]]. Kayako, as a ghost, repays this heinous act by [[PrehensileHair strangling him to death with her hair]]. Then, in ''The Grudge 3'' he claims another familial victim as a ghost - [[spoiler:his sister-in-law.]]
181* ParentWithNewParamour: The situation with Jake's father and his new wife Trish is a Type 2 example. It averts the WickedStepmother trope - Trish is a genuinely nice person and tries her best to get on with Jake, who feels uncomfortable with the fact that his father is with someone else. Jake's sister Lacey deals with the situation a lot better than he does.
182* ParentalFavoritism: Mrs. Davies greatly favours Karen over Aubrey, and is pretty unpleasant towards the latter.
183* PeekabooCorpse: Kayako's body falling from the attic in the first movie.
184* PrecisionFStrike: In the third movie.
185* PrehensileHair: In the director's cut of the first film, Kayako uses her hair to hang Takeo. In the second film, she [[spoiler: completely envelopes Vanessa's body with it, presumably suffocating her]].
186* ProudBeauty: Vanessa wears her school uniform provocatively to flaunt her beauty and revels in her status as the school beauty [[spoiler:until she loses it due to the curse.]]
187** Lacey shows off her good looks in her skimpy cheerleader outfit to Sally.
188%%* PsychologicalHorror
189* {{Recut}}: The Director's Cut, widely considered to be a lot better than the theatrical release due to the new scenes genuinely adding to the atmosphere and feel of the movie, including more explicit violence (most obviously the flashback showing the Saeki murders, although there are others) and deepening the characters' personalities. In addition to the extra scenes present, Susan's vignette is also switched around.
190* RoomFullOfCrazy: After the [[HeroicBSOD curse drives her crazy]], Allison becomes a recluse, rarely leaving her bedroom, the windows of which she covers with newspaper.
191** Also, when Peter discovers Kayako's corpse, the room features a pile of cut-up family photographs, with Kayako's face removed from all of them, and subsequently pinned to the door of the cupboard leading to the attic.
192* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: [[spoiler:By the end of the third movie, Kayako is sealed inside Rose.]]
193* ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing: [[spoiler:Allison's]] death in ''The Grudge 2''. Subverted when Kayako then occupies the left-behind clothing to menace [[spoiler:Jake]].
194* ShirtlessScene: Max has one in the third movie. Shame he happens to be [[DemonicPossession possessed]] [[BrainwashedAndCrazy and crazy]] at the time.
195* ShootTheShaggyDog: Every film, but particularly ''The Grudge 3''. [[spoiler:All of Naoko's efforts end up achieving absolutely nothing (save for imprisoning Kayako's spirit inside Rose, which isn't exactly a good thing) thanks to Takeo's intervention.]]
196* ShoutOut:
197** In the first movie, the scene where Susan runs from her workplace and hails a taxi to get home is an homage to ''Film/Suspiria1977''. Later, there is an homage to ''Film/TheEvilDead1981'' when Kayako's diary flips open seemingly by itself.
198** The scene in the darkroom in the second movie may be a homage to a visually-similar scene in ''Film/{{Shutter}}''. Also, earlier in the same movie, the scene where Kayako appears in the reflection of Eason's TV screen after he switches it off may be a reference to an almost identical scene from ''[[Film/TheRing Ring]]''.
199* ShowerOfAngst: Karen takes one in the first movie. [[MoodWhiplash It is suddenly]] [[BodyHorror cut short]], however.
200* SiblingYinYang: Karen and Aubrey; Kayako and Naoko to an extent.
201* SickeningCrunch: Heard when Kayako has her neck snapped, when her body tumbles out of the attic, and also occasionally [[HellIsThatNoise when she moves around]]. In the second movie, it's also heard when [[spoiler:Aubrey has her neck snapped]], and in the third movie when [[spoiler:Naoko has her knee broken]].
202* SingleTear: Karen [[TearsOfFear lets out one]] when she sees Kayako for the first time, as does Aubrey, when she realises [[spoiler: that she's stumbled into the exact same timeframe as the Saeki murders and has taken Kayako's place.]]
203* SpookyPainting: Used in the third movie when [[spoiler:Kayako's face suddenly appears in one of Gretchen's paintings]], and again a short while later, when [[spoiler:she emerges out of a different painting]].
204* SpookyPhotographs: [[spoiler:Eason]] is killed when Kayako emerges from a photograph he is in the process of developing. Later, after Aubrey discovers the corpse of [[spoiler:Eason]] and is subsequently menaced by Kayako, almost all of the photos in the darkroom change to show Kayako's face staring out of all of them.
205* StalkerWithACrush: [[spoiler: Kayako towards Peter.]]
206* StringyHairedGhostGirl: Kayako is one of the most famous examples in cinema. [[spoiler:Aubrey]] ends up as one by the end of the second movie, as well (mimicking the ending of the first Japanese theatrical release, in which [[spoiler:Rika]] suffers the same fate).
207** [[spoiler:Naoko]] after she is killed by a curse-possessed [[spoiler:Max]] in ''The Grudge 3''.
208** Kayako's victims: Yoko, Miyuki, and Vanessa, become onryo as well.
209* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: Karen survives the first movie, but is killed off part way through the second.
210** Ditto for Jake in the third movie.
211** Considering how both films ended, its honestly a surprise that they lived that long.
212* TearsOfFear: Karen when she first encounters Kayako, and Aubrey when [[spoiler:she suddenly realises just what the curse has in store for her]] near the climax of the second film.
213* TheBeautifulElite: Vanessa and Miyuki are the most popular and beautiful schoolgirls at the International School. [[spoiler:By the end of the movie, however, Vanessa has become less pretty than many of her classmates.]]
214* TheVirus: Anyone who falls victim to the curse and returns from the dead as thralls for the curse.
215* TimeSkip: In ''The Grudge 2'', [[spoiler:Aubrey's]] storyline takes place in 2004, and [[spoiler:Allison and Jake's]] storylines take place in 2006.
216* TimeTravel: To an extent. The nature of the curse can cause the past, present and future to merge temporarily.
217* TitleDrop: Not to the remakes themselves, but to the original Japanese films: in ''The Grudge 3'', Naoko describes the curse to Lisa as a "ju-on".
218* ToiletHorror: In ''The Grudge 2'', after the murderous ghost invades the family's apartment, the boy hides in the bathroom and found his mother in the bathtub who seemed suspicious tells him to enjoy a nice warm bath. She then gets dragged into the water disappearing by the ghost.
219* TooDumbToLive: Yes, Aubrey, go into that house even when Eason told you not to.
220** To be fair, while Aubrey approached the house, she didn't willingly enter. She was suddenly dragged in.
221** Sure, take your friends to a haunted house with police tape around the door and walk right in, what's the worst that can happen?
222* TwistEnding: At the end of the second film, it is revealed that [[spoiler:Aubrey is destined to suffer the same fate as Kayako, and the spectre witnessed emerging from the attic by Allison is revealed to be Aubrey, and not Kayako, as originally thought]]. [[MindScrew However, the fact that several parts of the movies are deliberately left open to interpretation may throw certain aspects of the ending into question.]]
223* TwistedAnkle: In the second movie, [[spoiler:Aubrey breaks her ankle while fleeing from Takeo, which results in her having to crawl down the stairs to try (and fail) to escape]]. This implies that the same thing (or at least something very similar) happened to Kayako. A similar occurrence happens in the third movie, when [[spoiler:Max breaks Naoko's knee]].
224* {{Undercrank}}: Used on Kayako at the climax of the first film (as well as a few other occasions), to creepy effect.
225* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Although [[MoralEventHorizon it was already a heinous act on its own]], when Takeo brutally murdered his family he ''probably'' wasn't expecting a horribly deadly curse would result from it.
226** Alex sending Karen to care for Emma Williams in place of the missing Yoko starts the chain of events that leads to Karen eventually attempting to burn the Saeki house down, [[FromBadToWorse which results in the curse being able to break free of the house and spread]].
227** Vanessa tricking Allison into entering the Saeki house eventually results in Allison fleeing back to Chicago, which then results in her entire apartment building becoming infected with the curse.
228* VaderBreath: After being killed by [[spoiler:Max]] and subsequently becoming a ghost, the noises that [[spoiler:Naoko]] makes consist of raspy, gurgling breathing, thanks to [[spoiler:being stabbed through the back of the throat]].
229* VomitIndiscretionShot: The milk scene.
230* WhamLine: [[spoiler:"It followed me here!"]]
231* WhamShot: During the ending of ''The Grudge 2'', Aubrey follows what appears to be Karen into one of the upstairs rooms in the Saeki house... [[spoiler:only to see Takeo, in the process of reading Kayako's journal]], and we realise that Aubrey is now in the [[TimeyWimeyBall exact same timeframe]] as [[spoiler:the Saeki murders, and that Aubrey is ''screwed''.]]
232** Towards the end of ''The Grudge 3'', Max hears a sinister thumping noise, getting closer and closer. He looks down the hallway, only to see [[spoiler:Naoko, now a vengeful spirit herself, coming for him]], and we realise that [[spoiler:there is now a ''new'' curse]] to contend with.
233** The final shot of ''The Grudge 3'', which reveals that [[spoiler:Kayako's spirit is now inhabiting Rose's body.]]
234* WhatTheHellHero: Jake to [[spoiler:Allison]] when he confronts her about the mysterious deaths in his apartment building, including [[spoiler:his whole family]]; [[spoiler:Allison]] is promptly killed by Kayako right in front of him.
235* WithFriendsLikeThese: Poor [[TheWoobie Allison]] is manipulated, mocked and cruelly pranked by both [[AlphaBitch Vanessa]] and Miyuki, who use her naivety to their advantage. Also, Vanessa even seems to treat Miyuki in a cruel manner, in spite of their supposed friendship.
236* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Kayako, Toshio, and, as of ''The Grudge 3'', [[spoiler:Naoko.]]
237* YankTheDogsChain: Naoko's ritual. It doesn't work the way it was planned.
238* YouKilledMyFather: Aubrey is grief-stricken over Karen's death, and she practically namechecks this trope when she returns to the house [[spoiler:for the final time (while she's still alive, anyway)]].

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