"THE DAMNED" (2024) Will Chill You To The Bone With Atmospheric Dread! (REVIEW)

The appeal folklore has for a horror lover is unique simply because we come from varied backgrounds from all over the world, so when we’re exposed to a bit of terror that we’d never heard of in the form of the draugr, a reanimated corpse from Icelandic folklore that is said to crawl out of its burial mound to hunt down those who wronged it, we feel as if we’ve won the Summerisle lottery. “THE DAMNED” an international effort from Belgium, Ireland, Iceland, the United States, and the U.K., is an atmospheric, beautifully shot slice of dread directed by Thordur Palsson from a story by Palsson and a script from Jamie Hannigan; the film feels like it could have been a forgotten story from Kipling, James or Dahl. Shot in Iceland features some of the most stunning vistas you’ll see on film this year. Does the rest of the production match the stunning visuals? Read on to find out.

SYNOPSIS:

A 19th-century widow must make an impossible choice when a foreign ship sinks off the coast of her Icelandic fishing village during a fierce winter. The decision sets in motion a series of escalating, dreadful events that not everyone will survive.

What Works:

Atmosphere is the key selling point as we’re introduced to Eva (Odessa Young), a widower running a fishing station off the Icelandic coast. While beautiful, you instantly see this is a desolate, harsh, unforgiving land. Mistakes can be fatal. Settling in for a particularly harsh winter with barely any rations to get her and the seven fishermen that lease her shack and boat through till the spring thaw, Eva and her weathered crew are resigned to a long winter but optimistic the spring will produce catch for them. On one of the last runs of the season, as the men prepare to launch for the day, they catch sight of a vessel run aground on the “Teeth,” a savage crop of rocks that can gut a ship’s hull, sinking it in minutes. All present are devastated by what they’re seeing. Still, the reality of their meager rations means someone must make a harsh decision: do they launch a rescue, or do they simply stay put, essentially dooming any survivor to a frigid, watery grave? 

Palsson does a good job of conveying the reality of the situation with his actors. You can feel the pain of their collective decision, which will haunt them in different ways. Here, we have the second most substantial element of the film, the escalating sense of doom that begins to permeate every member of this desperate crew. Superstitions abound as cook Helga (Siobhan Finneran) begins filling everyone’s heads with tales of the draugr, who will rise from the dead, bent on revenge unless they can stake nails in their feet, tie their arms and rotate their coffins three times to disorientate the corpses. Soon, paranoia begins to take hold as food disappears and coffins mysteriously empty. These are the most compelling scenes as despair turns to panic and insanity. The look and feel of the production are perfect. Everything looks appropriately worn and crusted; the fishing shack looks like it’s been there for millennia. Solid performances from Rory McCann (GAME OF THRONES) as helmsman Ragnar and Joe Cole (GANGS OF LONDON) as Daniel help elevate the movie above a standard spookfest. Still, Odessa Young’s portrayal as Eva, the widow desperately trying to hold things together as they inevitably fall apart, stands out here. She carries the movie and her one you’ll remember long after. The cinematography by Eli Arenson deserves high praise, with gorgeous candle-lit interiors and exterior shots that will take your breath away. The visuals in this film are a character itself, and you’ll feel the salt on your skin and the wind burn on your face.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

The film has one major flaw: almost immediately, everyone agrees to abort any rescue for the crew sinking at the “Teeth,” removing any dramatic tension within the group later as each one succumbs to their haunting. Without that specific tension, the film feels thin. You essentially have the first act exposition, leading to the sinking, leading to an acceptance of their fate. There’s little in the way of a solution to their dire consequences. Not to say that the film isn’t entertaining; we enjoyed it immensely, but it just comes up short in the third act. The eventual reveal in the last five minutes feels rushed, almost tacked on to neatly end the film, but leaves us scratching our heads as there weren’t enough breadcrumbs to lead us to this shocker in the movie’s first two acts. While fascinating, Palsson’s inclusion of the draugr myth could have been used more effectively; it’s more of an unsettling presence than a palpable threat.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

“THE DAMNED” has its flaws; it feels a bit rushed for a film that takes its time within its scenes leading to an odd sense at the end where you think you’ve gone deep with the characters, but as the credits roll, you’re left wanting more from it all. That aside, this is a remarkably atmospheric, dreadfully delightful, well-made film. It’s time well spent with a tale (mostly) well told, and we’ll be curious to see what Thordur Palsson does next.

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