By Becca Johnson - January 8, 2025
January is renowned as the dumping ground for cinema, particularly films under the horror genre. The month in which films are dumped to long be forgotten, bar a few exemptions, many of us head into this months releases ensuring to manage expectations. Hoping to lift this curse is The Damned, directed by Thordur Palsson (The Valhalla Murders) and starring Odessa Young (Assassination Nation), Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders) and Rory McCann (Game of Thrones).
The Damned follows a 19th-century widow who is taken with making an impossible choice when, during an especially cruel winter, a ship sinks off the coast of her impoverished Icelandic fishing village. Eva and her crew must choose to either rescue the shipwrecked, or survive winter with their remaining food. Facing the consequences of their choice and tormented by guilt, the inhabitants wrestle with a mounting sense of dread and believe they are being punished for their choices. With a dark looming atmosphere, great performances and stunning use of location, The Damned is a great winter watch, though its slow pace and occasional lack of substance may stop it from being memorable.
The Damned mostly concerns itself with a looming sense of dread, an eerie atmosphere and existential horror to deliver its scares - this works a treat. From the moment it starts, it feels unsettling and as though something strange is afoot, as unexplainable events occur that send our inhabitants into a state of terror. Playing with the fear of the unknown and how that can manifest itself, it winds up becoming a pretty harrowing watch at times, in the way it grabs you and forces you to endure the uncomfortable mood alongside the characters. It does have some great scares filtered throughout that are more on the conventional side, but its focus on creating an all-consuming sense of uneasiness is where the true, effective horror lies.
Aiding this is the location, that is utilised perfectly throughout the entire run-time. Perfect to watch during these winter months, the isolation of the freezing, lonely and sparse Icelandic village is engulfing and immersive, whilst also allowing some beautiful cinematography to pull through. Slow burn, atmospheric horrors aren’t exactly new, but when paired with this icy location and exploration of guilt-induced fear, The Damned becomes something quite fresh and exciting.
The cast on display here are certainly up to the task, led beautifully by Odessa Young. Carrying on her deceased husbands legacy by running the village and calling all the shots, she has a lot of responsibility on her hands and the toll this takes on her wellbeing is portrayed particularly well. Taking no decision lightly and being torn between showing strength and being consumed by fear, it’s a particularly impressive and complex turn. Starring opposite is Joe Cole, who fans will be delighted to see back in the genre after his impressive performance in 2015’s beloved Green Room. Nobody shares as much screen time as leading lady Young, but Cole does the most with his, largely impressing. Even though his community are plagued by a lack of sustenance, guilt, shame and other unknown horrors, Cole’s charm still manages to shine through.
It’s also fun to see Rory McCann, who graced the big screen not so long ago with a supporting performance in Gladiator II. Following that and his infamous role as The Hound in HBO’s Game of Thrones, it’s plain to see that he looks the part for a movie of this ilk, and he certainly acts it, too. Fitting into the 19th-century setting seamlessly, he commands the screen every time he is present, despite minimal screen time.
Though The Damned has a lot to offer fans of the slow burn, meticulous approach, it does occasionally lack substance which will stop it being memorable for many. The scares are quite sparse, so if you’re not taken aback by the eerie atmosphere and bleak tone, it may not scratch that horror movie itch. A straightforward plot is often a blessing, and with a snappy run-time of 89 minutes, the script doesn’t concern itself with convolution or too many threads. However, this does lead it to feeling like it doesn’t have enough meat on its bones, particularly around the middle when the set-up has passed, and audiences are anticipating what may come next. There is definitely pay-off in here, and some great spooky moments in the final act, though some of it does tie up into a neat enough bow. Many may be scratching their heads when the credits roll. To put it simply - The Damned meanders - and the pacing of the movie won’t be for everyone.
The Damned is not only a solid January release, but a great original horror movie that proves fresh ideas are still out there. It may not win over the entire crowd due to slow pacing and minimal conventional scares, but with a tight run-time, good performances and a stunning location that’s equal parts beautiful and frightening, The Damned is more than worth a viewing.
The Damned releases in cinemas January 10
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