10 Essential Japanese Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die

1. Ju on (The Grudge) (2002)

Directed by Takashi Shimizu, Ju on is quite possibly the most malevolent haunted house story in the world ever. With a complicated plot concerning numerous people who are affected by the 'rage' emanating from the house, from what I can discern from the plot - and please correct me if I am wrong - the house has been home to a man who killed his wife and young son in a very bad temper. This temper has lingered in ghost form and affects everyone who comes into contact with the house or people associated with it. A number of people cop it from very scary ghosts. There is a young boy called Toshio with creepy coal black eyes who pops up randomly all over the place engendering maternal feelings from people but really he's a little mischief maker. There is a sinister woman with long black hair and an evil gaze called Kayako - the woman murdered in a frenzy by her husband. She appears to her victims making a death rattle noise and her stare causes people to faint. She can do her death rattle thing on mobile phones and on televisions and drag people to their deaths. Takeo, the source of the curse, doesn't really come into his own until the end of the film, but when he does, he is one angry dude! Ju on is scary because it totally plays it straight and goes for all out chills. Anyone associated with the house dies horrible and Toshio and Kayako have to be some of the scariest ghosts ever committed to celluloid. Whenever you hear the death rattle, you go into complete panic mode at the thought of Kayako appearing. Toshio is a little creep but Kayako equals much more unpleasantness. The film doesn't need a lot of locations or a lot of bloody gore to be effective but is endlessly chilling. Repeated viewings do not lessen the fright factor and this makes it possibly the best Japanese horror film ever.