One of the most gripping dark thrillers I've seen is now on Hulu — and this movie is a psychological nightmare

Tom's Guide

12-05-2025

When modern horror leans heavily on cheap thrills and jump scares, a dose of eerie 19th-century dread feels like a refreshing change of pace. That's exactly the case with 'The Damned,' a haunting thriller that uses dramatic terror to send shivers down your spine, literally.
I unfortunately didn't get the chance to see 'The Damned' in theaters, but I streamed it when it became available for purchase on digital services back in January. Now that it's found a proper streaming home on Hulu, it feels like the perfect time to talk about it, considering it somewhat slipped through the cracks.
If you're into spooky horror-thrillers that thrive on atmosphere and slow-burning tension, 'The Damned' is absolutely worth a watch. And if you're just dipping your toes into the genre, this one makes for a solid starting point. It's not overly gory or complex, as it chooses to lean into an unnerving, character-driven story about what happens when people make the wrong choice and have to live with the consequences.
So, if you've seen 'The Damned' floating around on Hulu, here's why you need to add it to your watchlist now.
'The Damned' is set in a remote 19th-century Icelandic fishing outpost. The story follows Eva (Odessa Young), a young widow who has taken over her late husband's role as leader of a small crew struggling to survive an unforgiving winter. With supplies dwindling and isolation deepening, the crew faces a dire situation.
When a foreign ship wrecks on the nearby jagged rocks, Eva and her crew are confronted with a harrowing decision: attempt to rescue the survivors and risk their own survival, or leave them to perish. Choosing the latter, they soon find their situation worsening.
Strange occurrences begin to plague the outpost —bodies wash ashore with unsettling signs, and the crew experiences eerie visions and escalating paranoia. As fear and superstition take hold, the line between reality and folklore blurs, particularly with the ominous presence of the draugr, a revenant from Nordic legend.
It was perfect timing that the temperature had suddenly dropped and my house felt like a walk-in freezer, because it meant I got the full effect while watching 'The Damned.' I ended up hiding under my blanket, not only due to the movie's atmosphere having a placebo effect, but because I was genuinely on edge the whole time and needed some form of comfort.
That alone proves how effective 'The Damned' is as a creepy thriller. In the opening minutes, we meet Eva and her small crew of fishermen, tucked away in an isolated outpost. They're discussing the importance of catching fish, even at the cost of their deteriorating physical and mental health. Eva, however, argues that her crew's well-being is the most important thing to her.
The very next scene throws you into the snowy landscape. It's a beautifully shot movie, and I have a lot of appreciation for director Thordur Palsson, who builds mounting dread through lingering shots of the distant sea and the crew's pale, blank stares.
With a taut runtime of 89 minutes, the movie wastes no time introducing the central conflict, which kicks off when the crew spots a sinking ship and chooses to do nothing. From there, things get pretty bleak.
'The Damned' is a slow-burn thriller so don't expect shocking reveals every few minutes to keep you on edge. Instead, it draws you in through its characters and the gradual unraveling of their psyches.
Rooted in folk horror, the story leans into themes of superstition, especially the importance of putting the dead to rest properly. Ava, however, resists these traditions, partly because she doesn't want to rattle the men when they're already suffering from guilt.
But as time passes, 'The Damned' begins to emotionally wear down its characters, showing how one grim situation can turn them against each other. As Daniel (Joe Cole), one of the fishermen, puts it: 'The living are always more dangerous than the dead.' And that proves all too true as tensions rise and the crew begins to splinter from within.
'The Damned' is an effective little movie that works at making you feel cold and anxious until the very last second. Odessa Young is a strong lead, and she portrays fear with such genuine emotion that every time she appeared on screen, I knew something bad was going to happen based on her expression.
Joe Cole, who you might recognize from 'Peaky Blinders,' brings a softness to his character that makes him easy to root for — especially with his quietly building romance with Ava, which adds even more emotional weight to their fate. While the rest of the crew mostly serve as fresh meat for when things inevitably go south, the brief scenes of them dancing and singing together do help them feel like a close-knit group, even if most of their characters aren't deeply developed.
Most of all, 'The Damned' works at being a simple horror-thriller, and it's nice to see something go back to the genre's roots. There are still some grotesque moments and eerie shots of a dark figure cracking its decaying bones in the corner of the room (familiar visuals for fans of the genre), but it all comes together to make this a chilling and worthwhile watch.
If you're in the mood for something that builds slow, creeping dread rather than relying on loud jump scares, 'The Damned' is one to watch. It respects the viewer's intelligence and focuses more on atmosphere and emotion than spectacle.
With a lean runtime and plenty of tension, it's a perfect late-night watch when you're craving something eerie but grounded. Hulu has quietly picked up a hidden gem here, so if you're scrolling for something genuinely chilling, add 'The Damned' to your watchlist.
For more streaming recommendations, see what else is new on Hulu in May 2025.