The Damned (2025) Review
Thordur Palsson's directorial debut, The Damned, is a mixed bag. It attempts to blend a period piece with something akin to a Lovecraftian-lite horror film, all set against the stunning backdrop of 19th-century Iceland. What are the themes? I don't know. There's something here about survival of the fittest and people's compromises in life-or-death situations, but that's thin at best. Thankfully, though, it's not a total train wreck. The cinematography has its moments, and the sound design is sharp. However, the whole thing crumbles under the weight of a narrative that feels like it was thrown together at the very last moment, the characters often feel paper-thin, and a reliance on jump scares that don't exactly reinvent the wheel. The premise is interesting, but the execution is sadly lacking. Outside of an astonishing opening establishing shot that reminds me of The Thing (either version), there's not enough to latch onto.
Summary
The Damned throws the audience into 19th-century Iceland, where an isolated fishing outpost is dealing with the fallout of a shipwreck and the sinking feeling that they're being punished for their choices. The problem is that the story jumps around so much that it's hard to keep track of anything. As for the big moral question -- do you save yourselves or risk everything to rescue the shipwreck survivors? It chiefly exists as a hook to see the film but is ignored for 80% or more of its runtime. Then, you have the horror elements that come in, which should be terrifying but is so underwhelming that it elicits more of a shrug from me. Also, vital pieces of the film might be left on the cutting room floor. The audience is placed at least halfway into another story without information on each character's backstory, background, or a reason to care about any of them. Thankfully, though, the camerawork, especially the sharp depth of field, is engaging enough to keep many invested in the film when the story becomes bland.
Story
My biggest issue with The Damned, hands down, is the structure. The best thing I can liken it to is trying to assemble Ikea furniture without the instructions and that proprietary tool Ikea loves. This incoherent mess of a narrative structure makes it hard to care about anyone, much less be interested in anything that happens in its one-hour and 29-minute runtime. Also, and I cannot state this enough, I feel I'm missing out on vital information from each character's backstory.
Performances
It doesn't help that the performances are serviceable at best. No one is bad in the film, per se, but nobody stands out to me, either. And the casting of Joe Cole, bless his heart, feels totally out of place. Seeing and hearing someone with 2020s sensibilities, such as Joe Cole, in a film over 200 years ago is jarring. The film is also awash with dialogue-heavy speeches that, for whatever reason, everyone seems interested in. Oh, and Odessa Young? Give that woman's makeup and hairstyling team (Raquel Álvarez Ferrer, Thomas Foldberg, and Ásta Hafþórsdótti) an award! They did a phenomenal job making her look decades older by the end of the film.
Direction
I admire Palsson's ambitious direction because he had a clear vision for The Damned and did not compromise in any way. This film has all the ingredients to be a standout horror film. As both director and one of the two writers on the film, Palsson crafts a film with a strong sense of isolation and dread, leaning into the harsh environment to further the character's desperation. His ability to create tension in individual scenes is commendable, particularly in moments of quiet unease. That being said, while his vision is strong, it is not fully realized on the screen. Some of this could be due to Stephen McKeon's score trying to make me believe that each and every scene is supposed to be these huge moments with its pounding drum, woodwinds, and percussion, but it could also be because instead of trusting the audience, Palsson tends to remind the audience that they're supposed to feel scared every five minutes.
Writing
As for the writing team, Jamie Hannigan and Palsson deliver a mixed bag of a screenplay, burdened by long stretches of dialogue and excessive exposition instead of showing the audience what's happening. This cheapens the movie and robs the audience of a more atmospheric film. On top of that, the moral quandary at the heart of the film, saving the survivors of a shipwreck or saving yourself, is so rote that there's no life left in this long-dead and buried horse. The biggest problem with the film is that, by the time the first act is nearly complete, it's never given me any particular reason to care for its characters. Or at the very least, make me interested in its world.
Sound
On the bright side, the sound design by Quentin Collette, Jeroen Truijens, and the rest of the film's sound department knocked it out of the park! The foley work is superb. NO notes. Every door has a satisfying creak, snow has a nice slushy sound, and every loud sound feels like you're being punched in the chest.
Cinematography
Eli Arenson's cinematography is undeniably one of the film's strongest assets. His use of natural light sources instead of LED panels creates an immersive and moody version of Iceland that's captivating. The opening establishing shot, reminiscent of The Thing, effectively sets the tone for the film's exploration of isolation and paranoia. However, this immersive approach to cinematography also has its downsides, as certain scenes, even with HDR enabled and my display at max brightness, make it hard to see what's onscreen.
Editing
Now, the editing...is something. The editing by Tony Cranstoun and Nathan Nugent exacerbates the film's narrative issues. How a film is edited can make or break a movie; in this case, the film is more than broken - it's ruined. I'm not going to pretend I know everything there is to know, but I do know that the film commits a cardinal sin of a horror movie - skipping the third-act reveal. It's the main draw of a horror movie, and it's never even mentioned how the characters came to that realization.
Production Design
Although Frosti Fridriksson's production design team tried their damndest to capture 19th-century Iceland with depth and complexity, their efforts are woefully underutilized. What's even worse is that because the film is so incoherent at times, it prevents the audience from any sense of immersion.
Costume Design
While Helen Beaumont's costume designs generally fit the period, they are occasionally a bit inconsistent—most notably with characters such as Daniel (Cole), whose modern look feels out of place and undermines the film's overall authenticity.
Wrap-up
The Damned is a frustrating experience. It has all the makings to be a great film, but it fumbles the ball at almost every turn. It's got moments of beauty, a reveal I genuinely liked, but it just doesn't come together. If the final act is supposed to be spooky or otherworldly, it didn't do an excellent job. They should have taken some inspiration from the Hellblade games and used the Icelandic setting to dial up the psychological and supernatural horror elements. At the end of the day, The Damned is a film that can best be summed up by its reveal: a lot of payoff with zero setup. I wish I liked the movie better, but it is what is.
If I had any advice for Palsson with his next film (which I would love to see), it would be to choose a more linear narrative, flesh out the characters more, and protect the narrative in the editing room.
Rating
While The Damned is technically impressive and has flashes of genius, its structure and storytelling shortcomings make it a missed opportunity in the horror genre. However, it still holds potential that might intrigue and pique the curiosity of some viewers.
★★☆☆☆ (2/5 stars)
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