Written and directed by Sean Ellis (Anthropoid), a community finds itself living and hiding in terror in the creepy horror thriller, The Cursed. A few clever puzzle pieces are put together and a solid performance is given by Kelly Reilly, but they are not enough to overcome the many mishaps throughout the movie. Die-hard fans of the genre will find it interesting enough to be a passable watch.
A village community in rural France is cursed, and it is not because of the cholera outbreak that is widespread but is actually due to what transpired on the same fields thirty-five years earlier when a gypsy community that laid claim to the land was wiped out by local authorities. As a result, nightmares combine with horrifying violence to rampage the current locals. Quickly on the scene is John McBride (Boyd Holbrook), a pathologist who tragically lost his family previously. Now, he arrives to investigate and give hope to Seamus (Alistair Petrie) and Isabelle (Reilly) Laurent and the rest of the community. The horror hits home when Mr. and Mrs. Laurent's son Edward (Max Mackintosh) is apparently the victim of a savage wolf. Traps are laid and shots are fired, but one by one, villagers seem destined to meet their violent doom. Unless McBride and others can figure out how to put a permanent end to the ferocious beast, the entire community could find itself trapped with nowhere to go.
Moviegoers who enjoy violence, gore, and the occasional jump scare will find enough in the story to stay engaged. As gruesome as some moments are, there is not overkill, and cinematographically speaking, the unique camera angles and gloomy aesthetics work well. To that point, it might as well have been a black and white film with the lack of color, which likely diminished the effects of the computer-generated imagery.
Unfortunately, aside from the initial scenes and eventual payoff, there is much confusion in between, coupled with the violence. Not much in the script is able to connect the dots; nor is there much interest garnered concerning the main characters. The audience does not get to know them, and the result is a bunch of scenes that seem pasted together, or scenes like Isabelle bathing, that feel out of place. The creepy moments and jump scares are done rather well, but there is a bit lacking in terms of plot and through lines. The setting is also a troubling aspect. Though the movie takes place and was shot on location in France, viewers feel like they have been transported to England instead, with British accents and ale aplenty, and the only attempt of any French-sounding pronunciation at the several utterances of the Gévaudan region. While the violence is spectacular, the acting is inconsistent. Reilly is unable to offset the uninspiring performances by most others in the cast. When one takes out the blood and guts, the result is mostly drab.
Rated R primarily for strong violence and grisly images, The Cursed is a film primarily for horror fans, and moviegoers not keen on seeing violence and blood should avoid it like cholera. It also has a few clever moments and a decent artistic structure, but it does not come through enough, except to appeal to movie watchers bent on getting a dose of fear and violence. While it isn't a nightmare of a film, it certainly isn't a blessing either.