‘The Cursed’ Review: Delivers Plenty of Gruesome Moments

Horror legends take many forms, often twisting and changing forms of the years. Even the classics like werewolves and vampires get retooled for new audiences. The Cursed is its own beast; part werewolf, part something of its own terrifying creation. While the horror film isn’t as scary as it could be, The Cursed delivers some bloody terrifying moments thanks to its creative use of practical effects.

In the 1890s, land baron Seamus Laurent (Alistair Petrie) enjoys his status and wealth and will do anything necessary to keep it. When a Roma clan makes camp on his land and rightfully claim that it is theirs, rather than bargain with them he decides to have the people slaughtered and buried. But before the final clan member is killed, a curse is put on the land and all those who live on it. Some days latter and people begin having nightmares and Shamus’s son Edward goes missing into the night. When another boy turns up murdered, the town elicits the help of traveling pathologist John McBride (Boyd Holbrook) for help. He’s seen this happen before firsthand and knows of the curse that now plagues the town.

The Cursed has plenty of standout and shocking moments. The first is when Seamus sends his men to burn down the Roma camp. Filmed as a single wide shot showing the entire camp from a distance, you see everything play out as the men ride down to talk with the clan briefly before opening fire and burning everything down. It’s a tense moment as the camera never cuts away. People flee and hide, but ultimately no one escapes. Then comes one of the most gruesome moments I’ve seen in any recent film.

Whether as a warning or just a showing of their cruel nature, the men take one of the last remaining Roma and make a human scarecrow out of him, brutally cutting off his hands and feet and nailing him to a post. The film doesn’t shy away from showing this terrifying scene. It’s not the only one too as once the cursed monster has been unleashed it wrecks havoc all over town, sending fear into everyone. Body parts are ripped from torsos and there’s a shocking dissecting scene that will leave your jaw agape. The Cursed is one bloody horror film and not for the faint of heart.

The story itself is fairly decent, putting its own spin on the werewolf mythology. A pair of silver fangs crafted by the Roma people is what sets off the curse, transforming those bitten into monstrous beasts who prey on the town. John McBride has a tragic backstory where he encountered the curse before, but the film doesn’t delve too deeply into him or any of the other characters. It’s all about the monster hunt.

Overall, The Cursed is a gruesome horror film that delivers some monstrously good frights. Fans of old-school practical effects will be pleased with the film, although more attention could have been given to the monster itself. Still, The Cursed is one horror film worth sinking your teeth into.