This is most certainly a horror movie to watch at night with all of the lights out for the best effect.
When I found a heavily discounted Blu-ray copy of The Cursed at a store known for selling overstock, I didn’t have high hopes for it. The cover art looked cheap and it didn’t stand out from the myriad of B-movie horror titles with which it shared the racks. But, I saw the cast included Boyd Holbrook from Narcos and Kelly Reilly from Yellowstone. That made me think the production had to be quite a bit more substantial than your typical Wild Eye release. And, after watching The Cursed, I can confirm that the production quality is indeed top-notch.
The Cursed takes place in rural France the late 1800s. A wealthy landowner named Seamus Laurent (Alistair Petrie) receives a claim from a Romani clan that they are the rightful owners of a plot of his land. Enraged that they’re attempting to steal what is his, Seamus assembles a crew of villagers to eliminate them. By doing so, a curse is unleashed. The local children begin having a shared dream of a scarecrow. In the dreams, some of them dig something out of the ground near the base of the scarecrow’s post. These dreams set into motion a series of events which leads to the disappearance of Seamus’ son, Edward (Max Mackintosh.)
Soon after Edward’s disappearance, the body of a young boy is found. It looks to have been mauled by a wild animal. Pathologist John McBride (Holbrook) is called in to investigate not only the death of the young boy but the disappearance of Edward. Soon, he finds himself using his forensic skills against something less than human. Something that has Seamus and his family in its sights.
The Cursed, or Eight for Silver as it was originally called before it was released, is the definition of a slow burn. Writer/director/cinematographer Sean Ellis (Anthropoid) meticulously assembles his story with such patience that it is bound to frustrate some. I appreciated the fact that Ellis takes his time and lets scenes breathe. The camera lingers over the countryside as it’s draped in mists, shadows, and fog. Eerie noises emanate from the dark. Ellis lays on the spooky atmospherics and it works in the film’s favor. This is most certainly a horror movie to watch at night with all of the lights out for the best effect.
Although touted as a werewolf movie, the script takes some serious liberties with the established lore. As a result, the film is able to deliver some true twists because it’s not bound to “the rules.” And, while the movie might be restrained in terms of pacing, it definitely doesn’t skimp on the gore.
So while my initial expectations were rather low, The Cursed was a genuine surprise. This is a hidden gem that deserves a wider audience who can appreciate it for what it is: an interesting and worthwhile new spin on the werewolf genre.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
