Hey folks, Valkor here. Last month I reviewed for TOV's 15 Films
of Horror,
The Grudge: Girl in Black. Thinking it was stand alone, I
was actually surprised to see there was another part to that called
The Grudge: Old Lady in White aka "Ju-on: Shiroi rôjo". While
it didn't make it in the top 15, we do have the review for you
now and trust me, you'll enjoy both.
Old Lady in White follows the typical Ju-On series where a group of people are killed off, due to a cursethroughout, all linked to one person. This round we start with Akane Kashiwagi (Akina Minami), who as a child witnessed something frightening that had happened to her best friend, who was later killed in her home. Also her father was killed, whilst on the job. And As a teen, she is haunted by the ghost of her best friend. But why?
The remaining cast includes:
Fumiya (Hiroki Suzuki) – Cake deliverer to the Isobe home. There he witnesses the ghostly aftermath of what happened to the Isobe family, ending with a confrontation with the old lady in white.
Kashiwagi (Ichirota Miyakawa) – This is more about Akane, as a child and her dad, as he takes her to school on Christmas Eve. Akane mentions something slimy was on the back seat, to which the father replied it must have been from the strange passenger the day before. After cleaning the back seat, he gets a call from dispatch that the police is looking for him, wanting to ask questions about the mysterious passenger. Suddenly there is a bag on his back seat, which wasn't there before. And you'll never guess what's inside.
Chiho (Mihiro) – Fumiya's girlfriend, who on Christmas day, is killed by Fumiya after he is haunted by the events that took place in the Isobe home.
Isobe – The name of the family that has just moved into their new home; though they seem to think something is wrong with the house since it was selling for so cheap, they decide to keep it. However the oldest son, Atsuji see haunting images that will soon spell trouble for the family.
Mirai (Chinami Iwamoto) – Akane's best friend who was also being molested by her brother, Atsuji. Mirai tells Akane what he was doing, and soon Akane is thrown from the home by Atsuji so that he may take advantage of his sister once more. But before anything could happen, the grandmother interjects.
Yasukawa (Takuji Suzuki) – A police officer who listens to a mysterious tape, that can't be gotten rid of. Also, anyone who listens to the tape ends up dead.
Atsuji (Tsuyoshi Muro) – Here's where the story gets cleaned up as we find out how it's all linked together - the bag, the tape, the murders, everything!
Throughout the film, the characters are haunted by the old lady in white, plus the little meowing kid makes an appearance, albeit very brief. So what do we get in the end?
The Good:
We get another good Grudge story, is what we get. This particular film brings back that look from the first, with better special effects, though none too heavy in that department. However the old lady in white will scare the socks off of you. I'm amazed that such a series even after all this time, can still be considered scary, however it still works and works well. The story moves at a good pace, just like Girl in Black, and the acting is also on the same level. So you get more of the same, which isn't a bad thing.
The Bad:
What's up with not having the blue, meowing kid? Is there another grudge film in the works where we get the kid, the lady, and the girl? I want answers!
The Ugly:
When Granny takes Atsuji's hand and rubs it against her breast. IT BURNS!!!! (Actually that didn't happen in the movie, but that's exactly what I would have said, had it happen to me).
If you're a fan of the Grudge series, then definitely check out The Grudge: Old Lady in White; it will chill you right to the bone. And even if you're not a fan but looking for a good scare, then definitely give this film a try. And out of TOV 5 stars, I give The Grudge Old Lady in White 4 stars, and it's been Valkor tested and TOV Approved.
