2004
Karen, an American volunteer in Tokyo, is assigned to care for Emma in a house haunted by the vengeful ghosts of Kayako and her son Toshio, a curse that infects anyone who enters. As Karen's coworkers and Emma's family succumb to the curse, Detective Nakagawa investigates the mysterious deaths, only to be killed by the spirits when he attempts to burn the house down. Karen realizes she is the next target after learning of a previous victim's suicide, and when her boyfriend Doug is killed by Kayako, she sets the house on fire in a desperate attempt to destroy the curse. Despite being rescued from the burning house, Karen sees a vision of Kayako in the ambulance, confirming that the curse has followed her.
Save the Cat beat sheet
A series of eerie deaths connected to an old Tokyo house drives Karen and a set of characters into supernatural terror.
Open full beat sheetKAREN is listed as Protagonist / Health Center volunteer. 20s, American, fragile, intimidated. In the parsed data, KAREN is connected to 25 scenes, 60 dialogue lines, 69 text mentions, first appearing around scene 2.
25 scenes / 60 dialogue linesPETER is listed as Maria's husband. 20s, dies early in the film. In the parsed data, PETER is connected to 21 scenes, 46 dialogue lines, 48 text mentions, first appearing around scene 11.
21 scenes / 46 dialogue linesSUSAN is listed as Matthew's sister. Late 20s, American. In the parsed data, SUSAN is connected to 17 scenes, 36 dialogue lines, 39 text mentions, first appearing around scene 24.
17 scenes / 36 dialogue linesJENNIFER is listed as Matthew's wife. Struggles with the move to Japan. In the parsed data, JENNIFER is connected to 12 scenes, 16 dialogue lines, 19 text mentions, first appearing around scene 11.
12 scenes / 16 dialogue linesDOUG is listed as Karen's boyfriend. 20s, American. In the parsed data, DOUG is connected to 11 scenes, 29 dialogue lines, 38 text mentions, first appearing around scene 2.
11 scenes / 29 dialogue linesTOSHIO is listed as Supernatural entity. 7-year-old Japanese boy, ghost. In the parsed data, TOSHIO is connected to 11 scenes, 1 dialogue line, 5 text mentions, first appearing around scene 9.
11 scenes / 1 dialogue linesNAKAGAWA is listed as Detective. 40s, Japanese. In the parsed data, NAKAGAWA is connected to 8 scenes, 23 dialogue lines, 24 text mentions, first appearing around scene 50.
8 scenes / 23 dialogue linesEMMA is listed as Patient. 60s, American, suffers from dementia. In the parsed data, EMMA is connected to 8 scenes, 1 dialogue line, 5 text mentions, first appearing around scene 10.
8 scenes / 1 dialogue linesYOKO is listed as Health Center worker. Early 20s, Japanese. In the parsed data, YOKO is connected to 8 scenes, 9 text mentions, first appearing around scene 43.
8 scenes / 0 dialogue linesKAYAKO is listed as Supernatural entity. Ghost of a murdered woman. In the parsed data, KAYAKO is connected to 6 scenes, first appearing around scene 38.
6 scenes / 0 dialogue linesSUZUKI is listed as Real Estate agent. 30s, Japanese. In the parsed data, SUZUKI is connected to 5 scenes, 1 dialogue line, 2 text mentions, first appearing around scene 29.
5 scenes / 1 dialogue linesMARIA is listed as Peter's wife. Late 20s, breathtakingly beautiful. In the parsed data, MARIA is connected to 4 scenes, 5 dialogue lines, 6 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
4 scenes / 5 dialogue linesIGARASHI is listed as Detective. 30s, Japanese. In the parsed data, IGARASHI is connected to 2 scenes, 9 dialogue lines, 9 text mentions, first appearing around scene 51.
2 scenes / 9 dialogue linesALEX is listed as Karen's boss. 40s, American. In the parsed data, ALEX is connected to 2 scenes, 5 dialogue lines, 7 text mentions, first appearing around scene 5.
2 scenes / 5 dialogue linesMATTHEW is listed as Emma's son. Business professional. In the parsed data, MATTHEW is connected to 1 scene, 2 dialogue lines, 7 text mentions, first appearing around scene 41.
1 scenes / 2 dialogue linesTAKEO is listed as Kayako's husband. Murderer of his family. In the parsed data, TAKEO is connected to 1 scene, first appearing around scene 77.
1 scenes / 0 dialogue linesMaria wakes up to find Peter sitting on the edge of the bed; he then walks to the window and jumps to his death.
MARIA, PETERKaren and Doug meet in a crowded street and share a moment of affection before heading to the nursing center.
KAREN, DOUGKaren and Doug walk past a temple and discuss cultural differences.
KAREN, DOUGKaren and Doug arrive at the nursing center; they share a goodbye kiss.
KAREN, DOUGKaren meets with her boss Alex, who assigns her to a new case.
KAREN, ALEXKaren enters the house and finds Emma in a neglected state.
KAREN, EMMAKaren finds a torn photo and hears strange noises upstairs.
KARENKaren discovers Toshio in a closet.
KAREN, TOSHIOKaren calls Alex and then encounters Toshio again.
KAREN, TOSHIOKaren witnesses a supernatural entity attacking Emma.
KAREN, EMMAJennifer finds her travel mug and discusses Yoko with Matthew.
PETER, JENNIFERMatthew and Jennifer discuss Yoko's bike and dinner plans.
PETER, JENNIFERJennifer struggles to shop in a Japanese grocery store.
JENNIFERJennifer wakes up to find her soup spilled and footprints leading away.
EMMA, JENNIFERJennifer follows footprints and sees a cat and child's hands.
TOSHIO, JENNIFERJennifer hears thumping and enters a room, then the door slams shut.
JENNIFERMatthew returns home to a dark house.
PETERMatthew finds the house in disarray and checks on Emma.
PETER, EMMAMatthew searches for Jennifer.
PETERMatthew finds Jennifer unresponsive in bed.
PETER, JENNIFERMatthew searches for an ambulance number.
PETERMatthew searches for a phone.
PETERMatthew encounters Toshio and Jennifer dies.
PETER, TOSHIO, JENNIFERSusan arrives at the house.
SUSANSusan checks on Emma.
EMMA, SUSANSusan confronts Matthew, who is acting strangely.
PETER, SUSANSuzuki shows the house to Susan, Matthew, Jennifer, and Emma.
PETER, EMMA, JENNIFER, SUSAN, SUZUKIThe family enters the house.
PETER, JENNIFER, SUSAN, SUZUKISuzuki shows the living room and tatami room.
PETER, JENNIFER, SUSAN, SUZUKISusan searches for Emma.
EMMA, SUSANSusan finds the ceramic cat in the closet.
SUSANEmma is found in the rear room.
PETER, EMMA, JENNIFER, SUSANSuzuki explores the hallway.
SUZUKISuzuki encounters a supernatural event in the bathroom.
PETER, SUZUKISusan works late and leaves a message.
SUSANSusan hears strange sounds and enters the stairwell.
SUSANSusan experiences supernatural phenomena in the stairwell.
SUSANSusan is trapped in the hallway by a supernatural force while trying to escape.
SUSAN, TOSHIO, KAYAKOSusan seeks help from a security guard, but the supernatural entity follows.
SUSANSusan watches the security guard on the monitor as he is confronted by the entity.
SUSANSusan arrives home and receives a strange phone call from Matthew.
SUSAN, MATTHEWSusan is terrorized in her apartment by supernatural manifestations.
SUSAN, KAYAKOYoko cleans the messy room while hearing strange croaking sounds.
YOKOYoko walks down the hallway while the rear room door swings open.
YOKOYoko encounters supernatural phenomena and a black cat.
YOKOYoko encounters unnatural darkness in the hallway.
YOKOYoko is cornered by a black cat and hides in a closet.
YOKOYoko climbs into the attic to escape the closet.
YOKOYoko encounters a supernatural entity in the attic.
YOKO, KAYAKOKaren wakes up and talks to Doug about the house.
KAREN, DOUG, NAKAGAWANakagawa and Igarashi discuss the case.
NAKAGAWA, IGARASHIKaren reads the police report.
KARENAlex discovers blood and encounters a mutilated Yoko.
ALEX, YOKONakagawa realizes the connection between the cases.
NAKAGAWANakagawa and Igarashi examine the bodies.
NAKAGAWA, IGARASHIKaren confronts Doug about the bodies.
KAREN, DOUGKaren and Doug argue about the nature of the events.
KAREN, DOUGKaren researches the house online.
KARENNakagawa watches a surveillance tape of the hallway where Susan was, witnessing a supernatural entity emerge from the stairwell.
NAKAGAWANakagawa arrives at the house with gasoline to destroy it.
NAKAGAWANakagawa prepares to set the house on fire but hears splashing from the bathroom.
NAKAGAWANakagawa finds Toshio in the tub and is attacked by a supernatural force.
NAKAGAWA, TOSHIOKaren researches the house and Peter's death while Doug visits.
KAREN, DOUGKaren experiences a supernatural encounter while showering.
KARENKaren attempts to contact Maria Kirk via intercom.
KAREN, MARIAKaren interviews Maria about Peter's suicide.
KAREN, MARIAKaren and Maria look through Peter's old photos.
KAREN, MARIAFlashback: Peter receives obsessive letters from Kayako.
PETERFlashback: Peter visits the house to find the sender of the letters.
PETER, TOSHIOFlashback: Peter enters the house and finds Toshio in the bathroom.
PETER, TOSHIOKaren learns that the detectives are dead.
KARENKaren returns home, finds Doug missing, and realizes she is the last person left on her list of people who have been to the house.
KAREN, DOUGDoug arrives at the house and enters.
DOUGDoug explores the house while Karen arrives to find him.
KAREN, DOUG, KAYAKO, TOSHIO, PETERKaren finds Doug's body and attempts to escape Kayako by setting the house on fire.
KAREN, DOUG, KAYAKO, TOSHIOKaren is rescued by emergency services.
KARENKaren wakes up in the ambulance and sees a vision of the house in the past.
KAREN, KAYAKO, TAKEO, TOSHIOYes, he was shut in a closet! There was tape around the -- No, they're not home yet. I don't know, Emma hasn't said a word to me -- He's still upstairs -- yes, I'm sure he's Japanese -- But -- Yes, alright, Alex. Just please get here as soon as you can.
Hey, Karen. It's me. I just wanted to say -- I'm sorry. I know I wasn't hearing you. If all this is real to you, then it's important to me, and I'm gonna check that house out. So just sit tight, I won't be long. I love you.
He usually didn't wake up before me. But that morning, he did. He made coffee for us. Then he sat there and waited for me to wake up. And when I did, he looked me right in the eye. And then he jumped.
Or else I'll tell the company it's just not working out, and that we're going back to the States with or without my old job. They can get someone else to crunch their numbers.
The jawbone you found in the attic yesterday with the American couple belongs to this girl. I estimate it was -- removed -- from her body two or three days ago.
It's exactly how superstitions survive: if you walk under a ladder and think uh-oh, you're in for some bad luck, sure enough, what do you know? You trip over --
It's Yoko's case, but she didn't show up for work this morning, and I can't reach her at home. She must be sick, or something. And she has the damn house key.
I talked to your teachers. They said you can take as much time as you need. We could go to Kyoto for a weekend, see those temples you're always talking about.
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