The Grudge 2

Adam Sandler films aside, could there be a lower form of cinematic life than a remake of a sequel? ‘The Grudge 2’ is just that, an English-language rehash of J-Horror quickie ‘Ju-on: The Grudge 2’ which itself borrows liberally from Hideo Nakata’s ‘Ring’ and ‘Dark Water’. There’s a staggering lack of logic here, even for a film about an elderly exorcist who disposes of evil spirits by feeding them to her young daughter who then skulks about dressed in white robes and scares people until they turn aquamarine. Basic horror conventions are bungled by the bleating shards of white noise which seem to emerge whenever a character walks down a hall, sees a door, sees a window, sees another character, or is alone in a room. The film almost seems to revel in its remake status as the dialogue feels stilted; it’s as if some of the American actors have had their voices dubbed on afterwards. Vapid, silly and about as scary as, well, an Adam Sandler film.