The original Japanese horror film that inspired The Grudge, Ju-On: The Grudge, was released in Japan and gained popularity for its supernatural horror elements.
The American remake of the Japanese horror film Ju-On titled The Grudge was released in the United States, directed by Takashi Shimizu and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The sequel to the American remake of The Grudge was released, continuing the story and further expanding the American adaptation of the original Japanese film series.
The third installment in the American The Grudge franchise was released, continuing the narrative of the haunting and curses originating from the same setting as the first two films.
Kayako Saeki, a housewife, is brutally murdered by her husband, Takeo Saeki, in a fit of jealous rage, forming the initial curse.
The violent death of Kayako and her family members' subsequent demise leads to a vengeful curse being rooted in the Saeki house, affecting anyone who enters.
Karen Davis, an American nurse living in Tokyo, moves into the Saeki house to care for an elderly woman, becoming exposed to strange occurrences.
Karen researches the mysterious past of the house and the Saeki family murders, uncovering the horrifying origin of the curse.
Karen encounters the ghostly manifestations of Kayako and other victims, becoming entangled in the curse herself.
Karen tries to break the cycle of the curse by confronting the spirits in the house but fails to escape its power entirely.
