JU-ON: ORIGINS

UK/US Netflix, streaming now

Creators Toshinori Yamaguchi,

Kazutaka Sakamoto

Cast Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Yuina Kuroshima, Ririka, Koki Osamura

At this point, trying to untangle the mythology of the Ju-On/Grudge franchise is like trying to read a plate of spaghetti, so it’s understandable that this Japanese six-parter refuses any sense of continuity. Instead, it’s pitched as a meta-horror, revealing the allegedly true story behind the movies.

Paranormal researcher Yasuo (Yoshiyoshi Arakawa) is our way in, as he interviews actress Haruka (Yuina Kuroshima) about the eerie footsteps she keeps hearing in her apartment. Turns out her boyfriend went into a haunted house, and something followed him home. Meanwhile, in another timeline, student Kiyomi (YouTuber Ririka) is invited to an abandoned house by new classmates who aren’t as friendly as they seem. And there’s a parade of men carving up their pregnant wives.

More of a subtraction than an addition to the franchise, Origins pares back the theme of the Grudge movies to a straightforward “man murders woman”, then replays that horror in half a dozen grisly ways. The ghosts are mostly relegated to the sidelines so that the show can highlight real-life horrors: news footage of the most brutal crimes of the late ’80s and early ’90s plays constantly in the background. Grim, yes, but entertaining...? Sometimes you just want to watch Takako Fuji crawling down the stairs… Sarah Dobbs