Ju-on: The Grudge

Aroview: A horror film that understands that fear is best painted blacker than molasses, this cult Japanese hit follows in the ghostly steps of the RING films, but ups the ‘shock’ ante ten fold.

Dispensing almost entirely with plot, the film instead uses ‘chapters’ to introduce a new character to their date with a deathly curse that has emanated from an unresolved domestic slaying. Deliberately heavy-handed in concept and execution, this is often effective in its primary aim to etch grimly unsettling images into the minds of its audience. Though it eventually runs out of climaxes, it will challenge even the hardest horror-phile to sit through it alone in the dark.