The Cursed

The Cursed (2021) is a visually stunning film with fine acting. Yes, there is a “but” coming. Like so many horror movies, the plot doesn’t gel. Even cursory analysis of the narrative reveals this weakness. While I admire the brilliant cinematography and actors who endow their performances with gravitas, inconsistencies in the story detract from what could have been a superb genre film. But then plot consistency has always had a rather tenuous relationship with horror.

The tale begins during World War I, and scenes of carnage and dismemberment. One of the injured soldiers has bullets extracted from his torso, the third bullet looking very different from the previous two. It obviously didn’t come from German artillery. Cut to 35 years earlier, a lavish country estate. A brother and his older sister are happily playing. Also in the house is their beautiful mother, who is washing the upper part of her body at a bathtub. She is interrupted by her husband who briefly takes in her bare breasts, then nods and closes the door. A concise and smartly filmed scene that establishes the state of the marriage as well as the cold remoteness of the head of the household. It is therefore not surprising to find out that the emotionally bankrupt man can distance himself from any suffering that he may cause. Actor Alistair Petrie taps into the character’s exterior cold control, denying any meddlesome feelings that could erupt and destroy his carefully constructed image. And Kelly Reilly, who plays the wife, also delivers a nuanced performance etched with conflicting emotions.

There is a slew of younger actors in the cast who are splendid. They play characters who pay for the sins of their fathers. Those members of the landed gentry perpetrated acts of unspeakable cruelty and murder against a tribe of gypsies. The graphically depicted atrocities get rationalized. It was simply a land ownership dispute that required a firm hand to clarify who maintained property rights. And what sends a better message than a genocidal massacre? A supernatural vendetta turns progeny into prey, and the townsfolk don’t know how to respond. Cue the entrance of the knowledgeable outsider seasoned in use of applicable weaponry. In this case, he’s a pathologist.

Horror fans will rejoice in some references to beloved movies. There is a scene reminiscent of Lucy’s staking in 1958’s The Horror of Dracula and a strong reference to the “I Wurdalak” segment of Black Sabbath (1963.) Like both those films, The Cursed delivers on atmosphere and striking imagery. Displaying a command of orchestrating suspense, Director Sean Ellis can creep us out with billowing sheets and a worried housemaid. Ellis also shows deft director skills in the nightmare sequences. Yet, it is probably his cinematography work on the movie that is most impressive. His camerawork makes a pastoral setting simultaneously lovely and menacing while interior shots play with light and shadow to create a mood that is oppressive and ominous. So, on two out of three counts Ellis is a success and that’s no small thing. He only falters with the screenplay which is overburdened with trappings like the silver coins given to Judas. As a director and cinematographer, Ellis displays great talent. Unfortunately, the plot’s incongruities detract from an otherwise effective horror movie. Perhaps wearing two hats should be enough.