The Cursed (2021)

July 21, 2022 4:46 PM

In the late 19th century, a brutal land baron slaughters a Roma clan, unleashing a curse on his family and village. In the days that follow, the townspeople are plagued by nightmares, the baron's son goes missing, and a boy is found murdered. The locals suspect a wild animal, but a visiting pathologist warns of a more sinister presence lurking in the woods.

Rated 73% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on Hulu and available for digital rental on multiple outlets.

posted by DirtyOldTown (5 comments total)

Much bigger budget than I expected. This really feels like a studio film. Fantastic production design and period detail. Some really gnarly, goopy gore and some real chills. A bit deliberate in its pacing, maybe even slow in spots, but I liked it immensely.

Very clever reframing of the werewolf mythos.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:22 PM on July 21, 2022

I really wish they kept the more interesting title - Eight for Silver - over the incredibly generic the Cursed. The film is much more interesting then the boring title implies.
posted by Ashwagandha at 7:49 PM on July 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

It also bears mention that the "Roma curse" isn't xenophobic as that trope usually is, as it's heavily implied the Roma are essentially the keepers of Judas's thirty pieces of silver and as well as the keepers of the related curse.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:06 PM on July 21, 2022

Cursed isn't just a generic title, it was already the name of a werewolf movie. A 2005 Wes Craven/Kevin Williamson movie starring Christina Ricci and Jesse Eisenberg, for cryin' out loud! I don't remember it being very good, but it still airs on cable often enough that people will be aware of it.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 11:51 PM on July 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

I don't know; it still felt pretty racist to me. The author can think up tree-infested humans but can't think up an explanation for werewolves besides "because of a Romani curse"? [sigh]

Aside from that bit, I liked the movie.
posted by johnofjack at 5:19 PM on September 16, 2024