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Ju-on: The Grudge is the third movie in the Ju-on series by Japanese writer and director Takashi Shimizu. The first two movies in the Ju-on series include Ju-on (2000) (aka Ju-on: The Curse) (2000) and Ju-on 2 (2000) (aka Ju-on: The Curse 2) (2000), both of which were made for Japanese TV. This movie, Ju-on: The Grudge, was made for Japanese cinematic release and followed by Ju-on: O Grito 2 (2003) (aka Ju-on: The Grudge 2) (2003). Some novels, however, were later released giving much deeper background information of the characters. Ju-on, by written Kei Ohishi, was published by Dark Horse in the U.S.

The film is in Japanese. However, there are DVD versions allowing for an English dub and English subtitles.

It is explained at the beginning of the movie that the grudge (ju-on) is... the curse of one who dies in a powerful rage. It gathers and takes effect in the places where that person was alive. Those who encounter its energy die, and a new curse is born In other words, the curse is an "imprint" of physic energy that is left behind when a person dies traumatically. The imprint is not only about rage and hatred but about everything that occurred to the victim(s). The curse manifests itself as the ghosts of its victims and supernaturally re-enacts the events that left the imprint in the first place.

Yes, the storyline of Ju-on: The Grudge can be confusing because it is told through a non-linear sequence of events. When watching the film, be aware that there are four stories being told. The main plot in real time (2003) revolves around Rika Nishina (Megumi Okina). The Tokunaga subplot takes place the day before, and the subplot for Izumi Toyama (Misa Uehara) takes place four years later (2007). The events surrounding Kayako (Takako Fuji) and Toshio (Yuya Ozeki) Saeki took place five years earlier (1998) when they were brutally murdered by Takeo Saeki (Takashi Matsuyama), starting the sequence of events that led to the curse manifesting in the Saeki house. Follow the subplots this way, while realizing that they aren't told in a timely order, and the movie will make more sense.

In the order that they are presented in the film, here is the timeline:

Rika: The film opens with flashbacks of the murder of Kayako and Toshio as the credits roll. The story then begins with Rika visiting the Tokunaga family as a temporary substitute for another social welfare worker who has gone missing. This visit takes place in "real" time (2003).

Katsuya: The movie then flashes back one day to the Tokunagas—Katsuya (Kanji Tsuda), Kazumi (Shuri Matsuda), and Sachie (Chikako Isomura)—who have been living in the Saeki house for about a month. We also see what happened that evening to Katsuya's sister Hitomi (Misaki Itô). When Rika's boss visits the house and finds Rika huddled in a corner, we have returned to Rika's linear time.

Toyama: Yûji Toyama (Yôji Tanaka)'s story is also told in Rika's time. When Toyama visits the house, intending to burn it down, he has a vision of his daughter Izumi four years in the future.

Izumi: It is now four years in the future (2007), not long after 16-year-old Izumi ran away from the Saeki house and her three schoolmates went missing. An announcement on the television says that Rika's body has just been found in the house.

Kayako: It is still four years in the future, just after Izumi's visit to the house. Rika is being haunted by Toshio and Kayako. Events take her back to the house where she witnesses what happened to start the grudge and becomes part of it. Shortly thereafter, Izumi also joins the grudge.

Newspaper accounts say that Kayako Saeki was murdered by her husband Takeo, but it doesn't give any details. Kayako's body was found in the attic of the house. Takeo's body was later found lying in the street. Toshio's body was never found (it is implied in previous installments that he was taken by his mother herself).

That is her death rattle, a gurgling or rattling sound made by a dying person when they lose the ability to cough or swallow. In Kayako's case, it was brought on when her husband stabbed her neck. At this point, mucus builds up in the throat, and the breath must be passed through these secretions.