by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Would you want to be in an authoritative role where you make decisions that could cost people their lives? It’s a heavy burden, and the guilt from such decisions can be even heavier. That is where the story of The Damned begins. A 19th century widow, Eva (Odessa Young), finds herself in a role of authority on a coastal Icelandic fishing village; she must make a life-altering decision when a foreign ship crashes in the ice. In choosing to protect the lives of her own people, Eva dooms the sailors on the ship. This is the unfortunate launching off point that would lead to Eva and the other witnesses becoming damned, along with the dead.
The Damned is a horror movie, and director Thordur Palsson crafts a haunting atmosphere. At a lean 89 minutes, The Damned is an old-school horror that leans on mood over jump scares. It has a certain vintage quality, and that works well for the period setting and trappings. Gothic and haunting, the film leverages its isolated and cold setting for even more haunting moments. Fog and mist are used well to deliver some shocking and unnerving moments. When we see the hauntings that manifest for Eva, they are simple yet well-staged, and they utilize slow turns to build suspense. The film’s effects are limited yet authentic. The setting of the film feels real as we are stuck in this lone coastal village right along with the characters.
Those characters are brought to life by the script from Jamie Hannigan (based on the story from Palsson). Thematically, the script is simple and straightforward. We have a group of people who make a decision that costs a group of sailors their lives. That is a harrowing burden to live with.
This is a moral tale that challenges our protagonist and the audience alike. Was this the correct decision? That is the big question. The story is filled with the growing conflict, and the different feelings of the residents of this small village. We spend enough time in this small place to understand the context and connections that inhabit this town.
Narratively, the film can be a bit too familiar. After a while, it mostly turns into a repetitive cycle of characters succumbing to their guilt and ending their own lives or the lives of others. This is a distressing bloodbath that puts the audience in a rough spot in terms of processing what it was all about. The screenplay might not be the strongest, but the technical aspects help elevate these characters, dynamics, and scenes.
Thankfully, the cast delivers on in bringing the paranoia to life. Young is a talented performer, and she is saddled with plenty of fear and emotion from the start of the film. There are plenty of scenes where Young must sell the presence of darkness and dread, and she does it like a champion. You can feel all the emotion in her face, the fear in her tensing body, and the shock and awe in her wide-eyed stares. There are a few other noticeable figures in the film, including Game of Thrones alum Rory McCann. His character, Ragnar, is a strong-willed presence on the island, and McCann brings a fire to him that fits perfectly. Joe Cole is one of the other biggest names in the film, and he serves his limited role well (especially in his final moments with Young on screen). Overall, the various character actors who fill out this village are authentic and impactful in a way that makes the stakes more real, and the horror that much more affecting.
The Damned probably won’t be the best horror film of the year, but it is leaps and bounds better than most January horror releases. It is a classic kind of terror that we don’t often experience in movies anymore. The narrative can get a bit cyclical and overly simplified, but there is something deeply unsettling about Palsson’s film. Young leads a strong and effective ensemble who leads the audience through pain and guilt personified. This is a bone-chilling time at the theater.
Rating: Liked It
The Damned will be in theaters on January 3rd
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