Ju-on (2002)

Ju-on poster

English Title: Ju-on: The Grudge
Pioneer LDC
Starring: Megumi Okina, Shuri Matsuda
Directed by: Takashi Shimizu

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: A Japanese house holds horror and death at the hand of a vengeful spirit for anyone who enters.

Featured Feline (with initial Kitty Carnage Warning): At the beginning of the film we see a man named Takeo Saeki (Takashi Matsuyama) who is committing murders. The sound of a cat meowing is heard over these opening shots. Then a black cat, which is the family cat named Mar, is seen just as Takeo reaches out and grabs the cat very roughly by the scruff, pulling it off screen to be killed.

Ju-on - black cat Mar being grabbed roughly by scruff

As such the spirit of Mar also haunts the house and those who enter. The first person we see entering the house is social worker Rika (Megumi Okina). She hears the sounds of something in an upstairs closet that has been taped up. She removes the tape and opens the door to see the black cat sitting inside. She calls to the cat but is shocked when she first sees the little boy Toshio (Yuya Ozeki) curled up nearby holding a stuffed black cat toy.

Ju-on - black cat Mar in cupboard

Mar is also present when the current tenant of the house Kazumi (Shuri Matsuda) sees it running up the stairs.

Ju-on - black cat Mar sitting on stair landing

She spots Mar at the top of the landing just before the Toshio’s hands reach out and grab the animal, pulling the cat out of sight.

Ju-on - black cat Mar at top of stairs being grabbed by hands

Closer to the end of the film we see Rika in her bed. She hears the sound of countless cats meowing and when she opens her eyes she is surrounded by black cats, some of them real and some of them stuffed.

Ju-on - Rika Megumi Okina in bed surrounded by black cats