The Cursed is a 2021 gothic horror film directed and written by Sean Ellis. The film stars Boyd Holbrook, Kelly Reilly, Alistair Petrie, and Roxane Duran. The film is centred on a rural 19th-century French village where a mysterious, possibly supernatural menace threatens. There is an implication that a gypsy curse is at play due to the slaughtering of a Romani clan. John McBride, a pathologist, comes to town to investigate the danger – and exorcise some of his own demons in the process.
S P O I L E R S
The main problem with The Cursed is probably due to misplaced expectations and unaligned marketing. Promotional material might suggest that the film’s horror involved lycanthropy (i.e. werewolves) where in fact, the film’s narrative tries its hardest to distance itself from any such connection. Perhaps writer-director Ellis is attempting a unique take on the werewolf genre and perhaps avoid typical comparisons with what has been done before with this well-trodden path.
So while The Cursed may be promoted as a monster movie of sorts, in reality, it is a ponderous examination of capitalism and the karmic effect it has on the exploited land. Laurent, the French land baron is unable to see his role in bringing the Romani curse upon himself and his family, with the ironic excuse that he was only protecting himself and his family in the first place!
Our other issue with The Cursed is that while set in France, all the characters speak English with an Irish inflection, which provides a culture shock to the viewer, For example, why is the land baron’s name Seamus Laurent? The way that name is pronounced in the film seems to suggest that the character is Irish and not French! It is altogether unsatisfactory and takes us out of the story completely!
That all said, if the above expectations are managed then one can appreciate the gothic horror vibe and the manner in which the cursed creatures are presented. The atmospheric settings might overwhelm the need for gore and genuine scares but not by too much. The intent is always to present the cursed creatures as victims and not predators and in that respect, succeeds well.
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