January often serves as a dumping ground for movies, especially here in Portugal where Oscar hopefuls are released during these early weeks—though they’re still mixed with formulaic action and horror films. *The Grudge*, another reboot of a remake (because why not?), is the latest example of horror that leaves you wondering why it even exists. I never cared for the original series, so I wasn't expecting much from this reimagining of a franchise that always felt like a cheap way to string together jump scares without any real storytelling. Nicolas Pesce demonstrates some filmmaking talent with certain suspenseful scenes, but as with many films in this genre, the screenplay is the main problem. It’s hard to recall another movie that treats its audience with such condescension; it feels disrespectful. The producers seemed to assume the target demographic for a horror film was preschoolers. The film reaches a point where it seems almost smug about how it reveals information. There's this drawn-out build-up, characters poised to drop a major twist, and then...it’s something completely obvious from the opening minutes of the movie. This happens repeatedly throughout the entire runtime. It’s as if they were saying, "A big twist is coming! Are you ready? Here it comes… BAM! Did you not see that?!" Yes, we did. Everyone did. Even the theater supervisor who only appears briefly every thirty minutes could figure out what was happening. I wasn't sure whether to laugh at the blatantly obvious plot points or feel insulted by how little respect they had for the audience’s intelligence. Everything about *The Grudge* is painfully predictable. I try my best not to anticipate events or predict jump scares, but this movie is so generic that it was impossible not to know what was coming. Whether it's the plot or the jump scares, everything Pesce attempts is undermined by a pervasive sense of predictability, making for an incredibly dull horror film. It’s hard to imagine feeling bored while watching a movie constantly throwing jump scares and supposed “major” plot points at you every few minutes, but *The Grudge* somehow managed it. I honestly don't know why *The Grudge* continues to exist as a franchise. The first installment—itself a remake of the Japanese original—was surprisingly successful at the box office, despite receiving mostly negative reviews from audiences and critics. Subsequent theatrical releases were disappointments, so naturally, they decided to reboot the remake. Nicolas Pesce seems like a talented filmmaker who can easily create tension and atmosphere, but such a significant misstep could damage his career. The cast tries their best to salvage the film, but an absurdly obvious, generic, formulaic, and clichéd story ultimately dragged it down. Its lack of surprises, the incredibly predictable jump scares, and the complete disregard for the audience—treating viewers like they’re unintelligent—make *The Grudge* one of the worst horror films in recent years. Rating: D

Source on TMDB