This film is better if you have not seen the previous films. It has many scenes that appear from Ju-On: The Grudge and Ju-On: The Grudge 2 (and, as I remember it, even some stuff from the original tv-movie).

It's a mix of the Japanese and American sensibilities and it doesn't quite gel. The editing is more American and it takes away a bit of the very spooky atmosphere from the earlier films. This is also more bombastic and I feel that they borrowed heavily from The Shining in the finale (Even going so far as to mimicking the Ligeti score used in the labyrinth scene).

At times it's surprisingly different from American style films. Like the rather somber approach to acting. Gellar is unusually vulnerable and timid at times in a way that reminisce of how Japanese actresses would approach these scenes.

Some scenes, it could be argued, is actually better this time around. But others feel a bit corny in a way the originals never did. I have never watched this with friends but I can imagine that several scares in this version would get a laugh if it was shown to a group of people.

Still, this is a very good movie but the earlier film have a more consistent tone and are more effective.