The Grudge describes a curse that is born when someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage or extreme sorrow. The curse is an entitycreated where the person died. Those who encounter this supernatural force die, and the curse is reborn repeatedly, passed from victim to victim in an endless, growing chain of horror. The following events are explained in their actual order; the original film is presented in a nonlinear narrative.
The Saeki family lived happily in suburban Tokyo, but housewife Kayako Saeki fell in love with her college professor, Peter Kirk, obsessively writing about him in her diary. Her husband Takeo discovered the diary. Believing Kayako was having an affair, he became mentally disturbed and brutally murdered his wife. He then drowned his young son Toshio - who witnessed his mother's murder - in the bathtub, along with the pet cat, Mar. Takeo hid the bodies in the house before Kayako's ghost murdered him. Peter came to the Saeki house to speak to Kayako after receiving a letter from her, only to find her corpse. Shocked, he fled, killing himself the next day. The Saeki family rose again as ghosts due to the curse, notably Kayako, who appears as an onryō ghost.
The present timeline starts a few years later, with the Williams family moving in from America. While husband Matt is thrilled with the house, his wife Jennifer and dementia-ridden mother Emma feel uncomfortable. Matt and Jennifer are killed by Toshio. Yoko, a care worker, arrives at the house to find Emma alone, and encounters Kayako, who attacks her. Concerned about Yoko's disappearance, her employer Alex sends another care worker, Karen Davis, to take over the care for Emma. At the house, Karen is shocked when she finds Toshio and Mar, and contacts Alex for help.
Alex finds Emma dead and Karen in a state of shock after her encounter with Kayako, and summons the police, including Detective Nakagawa. Nakagawa and his partner Igarashi find the bodies of Matt and Jennifer in the attic along with a human's lower jaw. Matt's sister Susan disappears after being attacked by Kayako, and Alex is killed as he was leaving work by Yoko's ghost, seen missing her lower jaw. Karen begins to be haunted by Kayako, informing her boyfriend Doug of the situation. She researches the house, eventually confronting Nakagawa, who explains three of his colleagues investigating the Saeki deaths all were consumed by the curse. That night, Nakagawa tries to burn down the house, but is killed by Takeo.
Karen races to the house upon learning Doug has gone there to look for her, experiencing a vision in which she sees Peter visiting the house and finding Kayako's corpse. Karen finds Doug paralyzed by fear, and attempts to flee with him, only to witness Kayako crawl on Doug, who dies of fright. Karen spots the petrol and manages to ignite it just as Kayako is about to kill her. Karen is whisked to a hospital, but learns the house survived the fire. Visiting Doug's body, Karen realizes she is still haunted by Kayako.
the grudge (2004)
The Grudge describes a curse that is born when someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage or extreme sorrow. The curse is an entitycreated where the person died. Those who encounter this supernatural force die, and the curse is reborn repeatedly, passed from victim to victim in an endless, growing chain of horror. The following events are explained in their actual order; the original film is presented in a nonlinear narrative.
The Saeki family lived happily in suburban Tokyo, but housewife Kayako Saeki fell in love with her college professor, Peter Kirk, obsessively writing about him in her diary. Her husband Takeo discovered the diary. Believing Kayako was having an affair, he became mentally disturbed and brutally murdered his wife. He then drowned his young son Toshio - who witnessed his mother's murder - in the bathtub, along with the pet cat, Mar. Takeo hid the bodies in the house before Kayako's ghost murdered him. Peter came to the Saeki house to speak to Kayako after receiving a letter from her, only to find her corpse. Shocked, he fled, killing himself the next day. The Saeki family rose again as ghosts due to the curse, notably Kayako, who appears as an onryō ghost.
The present timeline starts a few years later, with the Williams family moving in from America. While husband Matt is thrilled with the house, his wife Jennifer and dementia-ridden mother Emma feel uncomfortable. Matt and Jennifer are killed by Toshio. Yoko, a care worker, arrives at the house to find Emma alone, and encounters Kayako, who attacks her. Concerned about Yoko's disappearance, her employer Alex sends another care worker, Karen Davis, to take over the care for Emma. At the house, Karen is shocked when she finds Toshio and Mar, and contacts Alex for help.
Alex finds Emma dead and Karen in a state of shock after her encounter with Kayako, and summons the police, including Detective Nakagawa. Nakagawa and his partner Igarashi find the bodies of Matt and Jennifer in the attic along with a human's lower jaw. Matt's sister Susan disappears after being attacked by Kayako, and Alex is killed as he was leaving work by Yoko's ghost, seen missing her lower jaw. Karen begins to be haunted by Kayako, informing her boyfriend Doug of the situation. She researches the house, eventually confronting Nakagawa, who explains three of his colleagues investigating the Saeki deaths all were consumed by the curse. That night, Nakagawa tries to burn down the house, but is killed by Takeo.
Karen races to the house upon learning Doug has gone there to look for her, experiencing a vision in which she sees Peter visiting the house and finding Kayako's corpse. Karen finds Doug paralyzed by fear, and attempts to flee with him, only to witness Kayako crawl on Doug, who dies of fright. Karen spots the petrol and manages to ignite it just as Kayako is about to kill her. Karen is whisked to a hospital, but learns the house survived the fire. Visiting Doug's body, Karen realizes she is still haunted by Kayako.
