Grudge: Blood-sucking higanbana calls the spirits of the dead

Kayo (Kimie Shingyoji), who married Jingoro (Jun Eto) of the small-time goods dealer Kagamishimaya, is unable to even hug each other seven days after the wedding. Kayo (Kimie Shingyoji), who married Jingoro (Jun Eto), a merchant in a small house in Kagamiya, is unable to even hug Kayo even seven days after the wedding ceremony. One day, Jingoro suddenly dies, but a monk (Ichiro Arishima) appears to the grieving family and tells them that his soul has simply slipped away, and the next morning Jingoro wakes up as if nothing had happened. A few days later, Kayo follows the spirit that escaped from Jingoro again and arrives at the grave of Araji, where she sees Jingoro meeting with the spirit of a young girl. In fact, three years earlier, Jingoro had been torn apart by the daughter (Keiko Suzuka) of Miuraya, a kimono wholesaler, and they had tied each other's fingers together with string, slit their wrists, and thrown themselves off a boat.

Directed by Shigeru Doi, Grudge: Blood-sucking higanbana calls the spirits of the dead leans on a strong ensemble — Kimie Shingyoji, Jun Etoh, Ichirō Arishima — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about horror titles of 1982.