The Reel Review
With food supplies low, the crew of a remote fishing outpost in 1871 Iceland face a difficult choice when they spot a shipwreck off the coast. Do they rescue the sailors and risk starvation for everyone, or turn their backs on them and stay focused on their own survival? After their decision, crew members start experiencing supernatural occurrences, prompting fears they have unleashed a curse upon themselves, in this period mystery/horror.
Working from a screenplay from Jamie Hannigan (Pilgrimage) set in a bleak, unforgiving location, director Thordur Palsson mines the combined dread of isolation, harsh living conditions and superstition as things quickly go south for the ill-fated crew. Odessa Young (Daughter) is the newly-widowed owner of the fishing camp, with Joe Cole (Gangs of London, Peaky Blinders) and Rory McCann (Game of Thrones) leading the supporting cast.
Palsson does a great job evoking a claustrophobic sense of dread, as some of the increasingly panicked crew members find themselves meeting a dire fate, as does Siobhan Finneran (Downtown Abbey) as the ghost story-telling, superstitious cook. Those seeking jump scares or absolute terror may be disappointed, but for those who appreciate creepy period horror, The Damned is an effective tale aided by a somewhat twisty ending that helps shed at least some light on the mysterious events.
REEL FACTS
• Actress Odessa Young says one of the biggest challenges of filming The Damned was the lack of sun and extremely cold temperatures, which threw off the cast and crew’s Circadian rhythm/sleep cycles.
• Rory McCann portrayed The Hound in Game of Thrones.
• Siobhan Finneran appeared in the first three seasons of Downton Abbey as the conniving maid O’Brien.
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