What if the sword chose a queen? This is the tagline for Netflix’s Cursed. Cursed is a fantasy, YA drama series that’s just premiered on the streaming service. Cursed stars Katherine Langford, Devon Terrell, Gustaf Skarsgard, Peter Mullan, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Daniel Sharman, and Sebastian Armesto.
What Makes Cursed a Great Show
It’s a retelling of the legend of King Arthur and is told from Nimue’s [Langford] perspective. Simply put, it is a strong series that is worthy of the likes of fantasy, Medieval shows that have come before it. Do not look down on this project for having a young, female lead. Cursed is story-driven and so well-done that it’s one of my favorite shows that I’ve seen in the past few years.
Right away, the trailers for the series impressed me. I had previously thought this would be a light-hearted young adult series. I was completely proven wrong. Cursed does not need to use a thousand curse words, grotesque gore, or borderline-pornographic sex scenes (nothing wrong with that) to sell itself. It stands on top of incredibly well-written storylines, impressive acting, and beautiful landscapes.
Katherine Langford Fits Well In The Role of Nimue
Langford was a great casting choice. Strong, warm, unsure at times, and willing to accept responsibility, Nimue is a character for young women to look up to. She’s also a character that anyone, no matter their age or gender; should be able to enjoy. The legend of King Arthur is an old one. We’ve seen it before. Therefore, it’s refreshing to view the mythos from a different perspective.
Arthur is in the story, though. Played by Terrell. Who does a stellar job. Like all of the characters in Cursed, Arthur is flawed. This is what makes him relatable and realistic. Arthur, like Nimue; is trying to live up to the expectations bestowed upon him when he was young. Everything stems from his father’s dying wish and trying to prove himself to his uncle. Who is a cantankerous old man. It’s when Arthur decides to forge his own path and stop caring about the people who do not care for him that he truly flourishes as a character. Arthur is not sitting on the sidelines while Nimue kicks ass – he’s right alongside her, proving himself as the person we know from fables.
The Real Standout Of This Show
Let’s get to my favorite character of the show. Skarsgard portrays the wizard Merlin. When I participated in the ‘Cursed’ roundtable, I was able to speak with Skarsgard (I know, I was geeking out). I asked him what separated his Merlin from previous iterations. In a simple and funny response, Skarsgard explained “Merlin’s always drunk”. And yes, Merlin is drunk. Imagine if Jack Sparrow was a wizard.
That’s surface level, though. There’s so much more to Merlin and Skarsgard was the perfect person for the part. Merlin is a drunk. At first glance, he’s not serious. Underneath that, he is a complex character. He is fleshed out throughout season one. His scenes with Nimue are impactful and well-done. There is something so epic that happens in the season finale. It was such an insanely good payoff that I had looked forward to all season. I won’t ruin the end, but…it was so good. (Please, Netflix, renew this show).
All The Characters Are Great
Of course, I have to also highlight some of the other characters in the show. The series wouldn’t be as good as it was without its supporting cast. Characters like King Uther, Father Carden, Morgana, the Weeping Monk, Squirrel, Pym, and the Green Knight rounded out the story. It’s not often that you end up caring about every single character in the show, but I honestly couldn’t imagine Cursed without any of the aforementioned people.
Rating: 4.5/5
If you haven’t realized by now, I loved this series. The story engaged me from episode one. It did a great job in telling its story. And believe me, there is death, fighting, and very adult themes, with some scenes that were slightly unsettling to watch. This show is worthy of The Witcher’s popularity. Langford is a great lead. I need a season two immediately and need for you to watch it on Netflix right now.
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