United Kingdom Iceland Ireland Belgium United States
Language
English
Box office
$1.3 million
The Damned is a 2024 folk horror film directed by Thordur Palsson and written by Jamie Hannigan, who adapted the screenplay from a story by Palsson. It stars Odessa Young as a 19th-century widow who faces an agonizing decision after a shipwreck threatens to fully deplete her village's scarce supplies during a harsh winter. The cast also includes Joe Cole, Rory McCann, Lewis Gribben, and Turlough Convery.
An international co-production between the United Kingdom, Iceland, Ireland, Belgium, and the United States, The Damned was financed and produced by Elation Pictures in collaboration with Wild Atlantic Pictures, Netop Films, and Ley Line Entertainment. Filming took place in Iceland in 2023.[1]
The Damned premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2024. Before its debut, Vertical Entertainment acquired North American distribution rights, planning a theatrical release later that year. The film was ultimately released in the U.S. on January 3, 2025, receiving positive reviews and grossing $1.3 million at the box office.[2]
Plot
Eva, a young widow in the 19th century, manages a remote winter fishing outpost in an Arctic bay, inherited after her husband Magnus died in a shipwreck on jagged rocks called "the Teeth." The outpost, cut off from the nearest village by a snowbound mountain journey, faces a harsh winter with dwindling supplies. Eva and her crew, led by helmsman Ragnar, have resorted to eating bait as their catch diminishes. One morning, they witness a shipwreck at the Teeth, but with limited resources, Eva reluctantly agrees to leave the survivors to their fate.
Later, a barrel of salt pork from the wreck washes ashore, prompting Eva to lead the crew on a risky nighttime search for more supplies. They recover a crate containing lamp oil and brandy but encounter desperate survivors clinging to the rocks. Chaos ensues as the survivors try to board the crew’s small boat, leading to violence and Ragnar’s death. Despite their efforts, they return with minimal resources and a growing sense of despair.
The next day, bodies from the wreck wash ashore, and strange occurrences begin. One corpse is found with live eels inside its stomach. The crew, wary of Nordic folklore about the draugr revenant creatures of hatred, takes precautions to prevent them from rising. However, Eva begins experiencing vivid dreams and visions of a dark figure, and the superstitious Helga warns that the draugr must be burned to stop its torment.
After a brief reprieve with a successful catch, disaster strikes again when the fish stores vanish, and Helga goes missing. The crew finds her trail leading to an empty coffin at the burial site. Paranoia and delusions grip the group, culminating in violent confrontations among the remaining members. Eva, determined to end the threat, sets out to confront the draugr.
Eva’s hunt leads to more loss as the fog-covered burial site claims another crew member, and Helga is found frozen to death. Back at the cabin, a possessed Daníel attacks before taking his own life. Eva then encounters the draugr, who drags her into a final confrontation. She manages to shoot the grotesque creature, burn the cabin, and escape, believing the ordeal is over.
A flashback reveals the truth: the draugr was a desperate survivor from the shipwreck. Speaking in Basque, he offered Eva a gold pocket watch and begged for his life. Unable to understand him, Eva shot him, took the watch, and set him on fire.
Thordur Palsson wrote the story and directs, while Jamie Hannigan wrote the screenplay. Emilie Jouffroy and Kamilla Hodol produced for Elation Pictures alongside John Keville and Conor Barry of Wild Atlantic Pictures and Netop Films. ish.[3] Producers also include Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page and Nate Kamiya producing for Ley Line Entertainment.[4]
Filming took place in Iceland in 2023 and the project entered post-production in spring 2023.[7]
Release
It had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2024.[8] Prior to, Vertical acquired North American distribution rights to the film, planning to release it later in 2024.[9] The film was released in theaters on January 3, 2025.[10]
Reception
In the United States, the film made $769,721 from 732 theaters in its opening weekend.[11]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 72 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10.The website's consensus reads: "Heavy on mood and existential terror, The Damned's patient approach to horror pays off with cerebral chills."[12]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favourable" reviews.[13]
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