by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s The Damned (UK, Iceland, Ireland, Belgium; 2024), by director Thordur Palsson.
Synopsis
A 19th-century widow (Odessa Young as Eva) has to make an impossible choice when, during an especially cruel winter, a foreign ship sinks off the coast of her Icelandic fishing village.
The Good
Joseph: I originally reviewed The Damned back in June for its Tribeca premiere, for another site for which I write, proclaiming it to be a shoe-in for my top 10 list of 2024. After a fresh watch last night for this review, I stand by that statement, and its wide release this month should lead it to land on many people’s lists as one of the best fright-fare features of 2025. The dread in Palsson’s superb blend of psychological, folk, and survival horror is inescapable. The film’s mise-en-scène is at once bleak and beautiful thanks in large part to stunning cinematography from Eli Arenson including some breathtaking landscape shots. You can almost feel the unrelenting cold in which Eva and her employees are trapped. Palsson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jamie Hannigan, unfurls the mystery behind the mythological Icelandic entity known as the Draugur — no spoilers beyond that here — masterfully, as the tension between the trapped fishermen and the battle between superstition and religion ratchets up.
Young heads up a fine cast in her excellent lead role as Eva, a widow who is in charge of the lives and livelihood of her mostly male crew. Eva must make swift, difficult decisions, none of which are easy. The rest of the ensemble cast members are also strong, including Joe Cole as lead crew member Daniel.
Mike: The Icelandic thriller The Damned by Thordur Palsson is a disturbing piece of work that does an excellent job of building suspense. In order to create a sense of claustrophobia and dread that fills every scene, the film does an excellent job of utilizing the isolated scenery of Iceland to its advantage.
Each and every one of the performances is outstanding. Young’s performance of Eva is subtle and genuine, doing an excellent job of capturing the character's developing anxiety and desperation. Doing just as wonderful is each member of the supporting cast, with them bringing a level of depth and complexity to their particular parts.
Palsson provides a self-assured sense of direction, doing a masterful job of using long takes and a minimalist approach to storytelling, which enables the tension to gradually build up and develop in a natural occurrence. There is a real sense of impending doom that is created by the sound design accomplished through the subtle usage of ambient noise.
The Bad
Joseph: I have nothing to say here. The Damned works perfectly for me.
Mike: The only thing I could think to put here would be that the pacing can feel a bit sluggish at times, creating an atmosphere of tedium rather than dread. Fortunately this isn’t a repetitive feeling and may only bother the most fidgety of viewers.
The Verdict
Joseph: The Damned is a masterwork of a horror film. It unveils its secrets at a splendid pace, combining the fear of “The Other” with Icelandic mythology and folklore, and with the horrors to which some decisions may lead.
Mike: The Damned is an eerie reminder of the persistent power of terror and the darkness that may lurk beneath the surface of even the most calm places, providing a frightening experience that should stay with the audience long after the credits have rolled despite the fact that some people may find the pace to be a bit too slow at times.
The Damned
Directed By: Thordur Palsson
Written By: Jamie Hannigan, Thordur Palsson
Starring: Odessa Young, Joe Cole, Lewis Gribben
Run Time: 1h 29m
Rating: NR
Release Date: January 3, 2025 (United States)
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