Basically, what you have in Ju-On is a collection of effectively scary sights and sounds - sound effects play a huge part in rolling that chill down your spine – and that's about it.
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Shimizu generates a sense of palpable dread in each segment, expertly manipulating tried-and-true scare tactics supplemented by a truly inspired use of spooky sound effects.
60
The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Director Takashi Shimizu chooses cruel psychological suspense over gore and succeeds in spinning a minimal plot into a panorama of malice.
Because there is a new hero to identify with every 10 minutes, the viewer isn't drawn into a sustained suspense, but is merely subjected to a series of more or less foreseeable shocks.
The film's repetitious, episodic structure seems to unnecessarily alleviate the building tension, making it a far less frightening film than it might have been.
30
L.A. WeeklyRon Stringer
L.A. WeeklyRon Stringer
Occasionally scary, never coherent.
25
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Its shapelessness and the cultural differences in acting style will keep this version filed under "cult oddity."