Synopsis: In the late 1800s, a man arrives in a remote country village to investigate an attack by a wild animal. However, he soon discovers a much deeper and sinister force that has the manor and the townspeople in its grip.
In this atmospheric and eerie horror movie, the massacre of a group of gypsies leads to a supernatural terror being unleashed on a small village.
The movie opens on a World War One battlefield, as a soldier named Edward Laurent (Alun Raglan) takes his final breath after being taking multiple bullets to the chest. From there, the film jarringly jumps 35 years into the past to Edward’s childhood in a French village. Edward’s father, Seamus (Alastair Petrie), is a cunning and cold landowner who is miffed to discover that a gypsy clan has settled on his land. The land rightfully belongs to the clan, but Seamus won’t be stopped by that small detail.
Seamus sends a group of men to brutally remove the clan, and the resulting carnage kicks off the movie’s central plot. While visiting the site of the massacre, one of Edward’s friends decides to try on a mysterious set of fangs cast in silver. The friend attacks Edward, seemingly possessed by the fangs, which sends Edward’s sister Charlotte (Amelia Crouch) fleeing back to their home to get help. Edward is saved by his father, but soon begins to suffer from a mysterious affliction and disappears into the woods.
After the boy who attacked Edward is found mutilated, the village calls in pathologist John McBride (Boyd Holbrook) to help them get to the bottom of the unnerving events. What follows is more grisly attacks, grotesque transformation sequences, and an undeniable feeling of dread.
Director, writer, and cinematographer, Sean Ellis, does a great job of building up the paralyzing sense of fear that permeates the story. His stylish shots of the mist shrouded forest that surrounds the village and just out of focus glimpses of the werewolf provides a sense of foreboding and anticipation for the viewers.
Kelly Reilly, who portrays Edward and Charlotte’s mother, Isabelle, gives the strongest performance of the film. Her portrayal of a mother desperately trying to find and save her lost child is believable and moving. At the climax of the film, she realizes that Edward himself is the beast that has been attacking the village. She puts herself in harm’s way to protect her monstrous offspring, and as she takes her final breath, Edward is resurrected in human form. It’s a quick moment, but a poignant reminder that a mother’s love is the ultimate form of protection and healing. It’s a nice bookend to the fact that her son’s supernatural affliction only came about because of his distant father’s bigotry and greed. Young Edward is suffering because of the literal sins of his father.
Holbrook does a good job in his role as well. He’s believable as a brooding pathologist who has had his own disastrous run in with lupine creatures of the night, and as a result, has shut himself off to the world. The events of the film provide him a grim catharsis, and by the end, also provides him with a new family to take care of.
Originally titled Eight for Silver, The Cursed attempts to tackle the werewolf legend in a unique way. Although it doesn’t quite stick its landing, it’s watchable.
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Writer. Video Essayist. Film/TV Critic. Pop Culture Enthusiast.
When he isn’t writing for Geek Vibes Nation or The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found typing away at one of the novels or screenplays he’s been working on forever.
