The Cursed (Movie Review)

 

The Cursed (2022)
Screenplay by Sean Ellis
Directed by Sean Ellis 

Rated R 

The Cursed starts out on the frontlines of World War I during a German gas attack on the British forces and then you have the inevitable over the top rush greeted by machine guns. An officer is wounded and taken to a field hospital where a surgeon removes two German bullets and then is surprised when he also removes what appears to be a silver bullet of unknown origin. Then we flash back to England 35 years prior. By the end of the movie we find out what the connection between this soldier and the earlier events are. 

It seems 35 years ago there was a land dispute between a group of rich landowners, lead by a man named Seamus, and some gypsies that were squatting on their land. It even appears that the gypsies might have a legal claim, though there is nothing in writing. The group decides to expunge the gypsies with violence by hiring some mercenaries to get rid of them. I think Seamus and company thought they would just scare the gypsies but it ends up becoming a massacre. The leader of the gypsies places a curse on the land and the families involved in their murder. 

Soon after, the villagers begin having disturbing dreams and some sort of unknown wild beast begins stalking and killing people in the countryside. Luckily, a young pathologist named John McBride (Boyd Holbrook) shows up. He had been looking for the aforesaid murdered gypsies for reasons of his own and begins with an investigation into the death of the son of one of the landowners, apparently killed by the beast. 

I liked this movie. It reminded me of a mish mash between The Witch, The Wolfman, and Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter. Holbrook stole the show for me and reminded me of a young Mel Gibson circa 1981 Road Warrior vintage. His arrival gave the horror a dash of adventure and sherlock holmes investigation which lightened the mood at least a tad. It was my first time seeing him in a film or tv show. 

The performances were great, the cinematography, and the setting and costumes were all great. The only complaint is there were a few cliches such as when Holbrook has set up an ambush for the beast and casually puts down his rifle to make a cup of tea! And the camera lingers and zooms on the rifle, like even the CAMERA knows that is a bad idea. There might have one or two moments like that where you go, jeez haven't they learned anything from Halloween or Friday the 13th? AFTER YOU STAB THE KILLER YOU DO NOT DROP THE KNIFE AND RUN! 

There are some moments of gore which are pretty intense, but it's not like the whole movie is a bloodfest. Those kinds of scenes are tastefully spread throughout the movie so when they do happen they are more shocking. 

This will definitely be a buy for me when it comes out on 4K. 

My Grade: B+