The Werewolf Film You Didn’t Know You Needed

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MOVIE REVIEW
The Cursed

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Year Produced: 2022
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Writer/Director: Sean Ellis
Cast: Boyd Holbrook,
Kelly Reilly, Alistair Petrie
Where To Watch: In Theaters February 18.

A haunting score and stunning cinematic visuals are just a few of the memorable themes from this film. Horror/thrillers are very much about the sound and the visuals; storytelling is usually put in the back seat (thankfully, “The Cursed” puts a strong focus on the story as well.) Think back to all of the best scary movies you’ve seen. What do they have in common? More than likely, the answer will be the sounds/score (whether you know it or not.) From the instantly recognizable “Tubular Bells” in “The Exorcist” to Freddy’s glove scrapping the water pipe in “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” sound plays such a key role in making you feel like you’re experiencing part of the film yourself. Try watching a chase scene from “Friday the 13th” without the classic “Ch ch ch, ah ah ah” (it’s actually “Ki ki ki, ma ma ma” pulled from Jason’s quote “Kill her mommy!”) Anyway, my point is that sound is crucial and “The Cursed” uses it so well, there were multiple times where I felt the hair on my neck standing on end just from the score alone.

We see a cautionary tale in this film of what happens when you underestimate someone and act in anger. This film is a period piece that keeps itself grounded in the story; it doesn’t focus too heavily on the period’s aesthetic. Instead, moving the story forward through this period via the storytelling. It was great to see the evolution of the “curse” throughout the film, seeing it wreak havoc on those around it and draw others closer.

This thriller kept you on the edge of your seat and looking over your shoulder the entire time. While it most definitely is a horror film as well, it borrows from multiple genres; I had always wanted to watch “The VVitch” but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. While watching this, I felt that it has to, in some ways, be similar. This film motivated me so much that I will watch “The VVitch” this weekend (even with all of the Oscar films I still need to catch up on after the nominations!)

A constant argument is that I don’t think “creatures” necessarily need to be seen to invoke a sense of fear, like the monster in “A Quiet Place.” Unfortunately, this film falls victim to that same issue, although I will admit the CGI on this one was stellar! This is an issue with filmgoers in general (and I don’t mean to sound snotty by saying that.) They want instant gratification. There can’t be an unknown mystery to the film; I would’ve liked to have just seen a claw, teeth, maybe a blood splatter, etc. However, if that’s my biggest knock on a movie, that’s pretty impressive either way.

I can’t wait to buy this one and add it to my collection! I’m hoping for a steelbook or at very least a marvelous embossed slipcover with the “teeth.” I would easily say that this is one of my favorite horror films from the last calendar year. This film is getting an excellent wide release; if you have the opportunity and enjoy a great thriller/horror with a good splattering of gore, I would highly recommend checking this one out!

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