Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Damned' on Hulu, a Gloomy Ghost Story Set on the Freezing Iceland Seaside
The Gist: 'We should not be here.' That's Eva (Young) speaking in voiceover. It's the most reasonable sentiment in this movie about miserable people in a miserable locale working miserable jobs. Maybe they'll be rich someday, but then again, maybe being poor and warm is a viable alternative? They venture out upon the ocean by day to catch fish, and return to a cabin at night to drink and sing shanties and remain somewhat less frozen by the fire. Eva heads this operation, inheriting the gig from her husband who died, of what we know not, but considering the setting, one imagines it being absolutely horrid and painful and either brutally drawn-out or brutally sudden. So it goes. It's been a low-yield fishing season, and they've been forced to eat the bait, so some amongst this crew might be next for the adjacent hill adorned with a handful of gravemarkers. Fun times!
Eva's tough, though. She has to be, to lead this collection of grizzled coots, fresh-faced young dolts and one old lady. Among them is helmsman Ragnar (Rory McCann, of Game of Thrones fame), second-in-charge Daniel (Cole) and the cronelike Helga (Siobhan Finneran), a grandmotherly sort whose role here is to cook and serve food and be the caretaker of all the wacko superstitious lore that's so grim and silly and laughable that it just can't be true. I mean, she even tells a creepy story over booze and dim firelight, like a camp counselor trying to spook the kiddies.
One fateful day – note: horror movies rarely have non-fateful days – the group stands agape as they watch a ship wrecking on the rocks over yonder, the very same rocks that claimed Eva's poor spouse. And so they face a difficult decision: Do they stage a rescue, or stand pat? They not only risk their own wreck, but they can barely feed themselves, so the prospect of providing for dozens of survivors would only add to the misery. It's Eva's boat, so she makes the tough call to remain ashore. It's the logical choice, but how ironic is it that they'll all soon be plagued with great and mighty illogic as a result? Very ironic.
The next morn, Eva finds a barrel washed up from the wreck. It's full of edible food. So not only did they let those men suffer and die, she and her crew benefited from it. That's some bad mojo, karma, juju, woo-woo or what-have-you. They decide to row out to the fateful spot and there's a whole bunch of men clinging to a rock and they swarm the boat and Eva's guys fight them off so they don't get swamped and during the melee Daniel plants a hatchet in one of the men's skulls and he sinks sinks sinks into the briny deeps. The fisherfolk head back, deeply disturbed. And soon enough, the bodies begin washing up on their shore, thus prompting ol' Helga to rev up the ghost stories about draugrs that inflict people with it's-not-I-who's-crazy-it-is-I-who-am-mad loonybrains. Sure enough, Eva starts seeing figures in black-metal-guy facepaint appearing and disappearing in the shadows. And that's when we realize something else around here is hungry – the graveyard. For corpses!
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Eggersims galore here – The Damned boasts the period authenticity and gloomy thematics of The Witch (occult folklore), The Lighthouse (madness, maritime setting) and The Northman (Scandinavian occult folklore and madness). The first season of The Terror (with episodes directed by Edward Berger) comes to mind, too.
Performance Worth Watching: Young assimilates into oppressive horror-movie atmospherics with the best of 'em. To be less glib, she occupies the most screen time here, and ably bears the brunt of the drama, finding her character's discomfort zone between fearful apprehension and confidence in her survivalist capabilities.
Memorable Dialogue: Daniel makes the unspoken theme spoken: 'The only thing I know is, the living are always more dangerous than the dead.'
Sex and Skin: None.
Our Take: Give this to The Damned – few people in movies make logical decisions. (Heck, even Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossibles often chooses to save the life of a friend even though it puts the entire population of the world at risk.) It's far more dramatic for movie characters to lead with their emotions, whether in rom-com dilemmas, survivalist thrillers or horror scenarios that defy logic even more than the rom-coms and thrillers. The heart rules. And that's why the irony at this movie's core is rather tasty, and borderline ingenious.
That said, despite such food for thought (in a movie about starving people – more irony!), The Damned may test your patience with its languid pace and propensity for things-that-go-boo cliches. Palsson emphasizes atmosphere over action, but doesn't give his characters much of interest to do within those atmospherics – Young's maudlin brooding occupies a goodly chunk of screen time, and she has more than her fair share of waking nightmares where soggy are-they-or-are-they-not-apparitions appear and disappear, leaving trails of wet bootprints in the cabin, which she then follows into the dark recesses of a soul that allowed her to prioritize the safety of her men over the lives of others. Yawn? Also, the film being rooted in folk horror, it inevitably boasts its share of Evil Twigs (less so Evil Antlers, which are probably more scarce in this region of Iceland), although one presumes ol' Helga crafts her totems out of driftwood, so she gets off on a technicality here.
It's easy to appreciate how Palsson captures the desolate beauty of Iceland, in all its misty-foggy shades of blue and dirty white. Same goes for a provocative conclusion, and the dramatic emphasis on Eva's damned-if-you-do/don't decision, which we can consider a metaphor for the impossibility of living a life of moral purity. The binaries are so often false, aren't they? And considering the unforgivingly cold hell of a place Eva lives in, consequences lurk in the shadows, waiting to leap out and get her, no matter her intentions.
Our Call: STREAM IT, but only if you're up for a downer.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'28 Years Later' Is Now Streaming. Is It as Good as the Original?
Upon its release in 2003, Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later instantly and forever rewrote the rules of the zombie genre. After decades of lumbering undead, Boyle introduced us to the fast-moving zombies that would soon proliferate in Zack Snyder's remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Walking Dead, World War Z, and countless less worthy imitators. (Boyle's monsters are technically 'the infected' rather than zombies, having been afflicted with a bloodthirsty rage virus.) Twenty-two years after his first film, which was followed by 2007's unofficial, C-grade sequel 28 Weeks Later, Boyle and original screenwriter Alex Garland are back with 28 Years Later. It's the first in a planned trilogy of films, the second installment of which is set to hit cinemas in January. So, how does this late-era sequel stack up to Boyle's singular original? Can the filmmaker, once again, rewrite the rules of the genre? Nominally, 28 Years Later follows the same structure and formula as the original, though with some small but effective tweaks. In the years since the virus originally spread, the infection has been eradicated from Europe and much of Britain. Only a small pocket of the Scottish Highlands remains quarantined, in which thrives a community which has managed to stay clear of the infected. Twelve-year-old Spike (newcomer Alfie Williams) is one of the village's youngest members. The opening passage of the film finds him embarking, along with his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), upon his first trip out of the community and onto 'the mainland,' where the infected still run amok. Though younger than most who trek to the mainland, Jamie is bullish that Spike notch his first kill and, effectively, enter into manhood. The opening passage chronicling Spike and Jamie's journey is a breathlessly paced sequence featuring more zombie action than an entire season of The Walking Dead and at least five white-knuckle moments of unadulterated suspense and fear. Can you remember the last time a horror movie actually made you care about its characters so much that you were hiding behind your hands and humming, 'Oh no, oh no, oh no…'? There are roughly three films' worth of those moments in 28 Years Later, each sweatier than the last. But then, about 40 minutes into the picture, Boyle and Garland pivot the narrative and effectively switch genres, with Spike's ailing mother (an awards-worthy Jodie Comer) taking center stage. Chances are you're aware of this twist, because it's provoked a certain amount of disagreement amongst audience members, but we won't spoil it here if you've managed to avoid it up until now. There's no point in being coy: 28 Years Later is a masterpiece. It's not only the best movie of the summer by a country mile, but one of this year's very finest films. In a season where the major releases have teetered between pleasantly all right and totally joyless, few of them possessing even the slightest hint of originality or risk, it's a pulsating thrill to see a summer blockbuster which functions as a proper, old-fashioned great movie. This is a picture made with great skill and care, but at this point, we should expect that from Danny Boyle. The Oscar-winning British filmmaker of Trainspotting (1996) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008) has never made a boring movie, and he seems to grow more confident with age. He's the consummate filmmaker, one who has remained throughout his career rooted in arthouse, European, and American popcorn influences in equal measure. His films consistently reflect a thrilling the movie functions as a breakneck adventure, an emotional family drama, and a teen coming-of-age story without the disparate genres ever betraying or overtaking each other. Just when you think the movie is settling down, Boyle gives us a naked 'Alpha' zombie (with one notable, swinging appendage) ripping the spines from some unlucky army cadets, or a completely over-the-top zombie baby birthing scene. This is a terrifically weird movie, one of Boyle's most brazenly experimental in years, but its weirdness is also one of its greatest attributes and largely why the whole thing works so effortlessly. Surprisingly, this bears a strong resemblance to Boyle's equally odd and rapturous Millions (2005), a crime caper/domestic drama/religious allegory aimed at a pre-teen audience which is as peculiar as it is beautiful. Garland and Boyle indulge some surprisingly dark horror, but they also aren't afraid to challenge their audience. (What a delight!) The chemistry between Williams and Comer, both of whom give scorching performances, is estimable. Comer, in a precarious balance act, is at once heartbreaking and fearsomely formidable. The final passage, which sees the introduction of a Kurtz-like doctor played by Ralph Fiennes, is vibrantly, unexpectedly affecting. It's also so ghoulish that it verges on very black comedy. Knowing Boyle, that's probably exactly what he intended. Jon Harris' inspired, deeply unsettling editing adds immeasurably to the nightmarish atmosphere, while Anthony Dod Mantle brings a nail-biting immediacy to each scene (the film was shot partially on iPhones). Most notable is the brilliant, unexpected score from Scottish hip-hop group Young Fathers. Their work brings to the film an epically ethereal quality which fits the material like a glove. It's an uncommon type of score for a thriller, but it works beautifully and is one of the best cinematic compositions of this year. With 28 Years Later, Boyle has delivered a perfect follow-up to his original. (The events of the dismal 28 Weeks Later, with which Boyle had little creative involvement, are ignored here.) 28 Days Later, which was being shot when the September 11 attacks occurred, uncannily and perhaps accidentally reflected the world's collective confusion and horror at the time of its release. Years is a much more positive and redemptive film, though it's just as savage in its evisceration of modern social maladies. As much as it's a down-and-dirty horror picture, 28 Years Later functions as a rather heartbreaking rebuke to isolationism and the power of fear. It's a pure Danny Boyle film, one which is entertaining and horrifying and thrilling and, above all, big-hearted. It's a movie which deserves to be seen by all, even those who might not normally watch horror films, so powerful is its construction and impact. Where can I watch 28 Years Later?'28 Years Later' Is Now Streaming. Is It as Good as the Original? first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 30, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Gizmodo
5 hours ago
- Gizmodo
‘Together' Director Explains How that Wild Final Shot Was Made (Without AI)
Ever since its debut at Sundance earlier this year, fans of horror have had Michael Shanks' new film, Together, on their radars. Neon picked it up out of the festival and, after some really creepy trailers and marketing, opened it in theaters last weekend with solid results. It's a provocative, surprising, and incredibly disgusting movie with an ending viewers will not soon forget. An ending that was achieved through traditional methods of visual effects and without a hint of per that spoiler warning above, we're about to explain what happens at the end of Together, so if you haven't seen it and want to, we urge you to look away right now. In the film Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) get infected by this unexplained force that wants their bodies to become one. The how and why behind it is pretty weird, mysterious, and fun, but eventually, the couple realize the only way to defeat this force is to give in to it. And so we watch as their bodies combine from two into one, and, in the film's final shot, a completely new person, the amalgamation of both of them, opens the door to Millie's visiting parents. Speaking on Indiewire's Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast, Shanks explained that both the blending of the bodies and the new character were achieved without the use of AI. 'The amount of screenings I've gone to now, and people come up to me and say, 'Was that AI at the end?' It's just so crazy that people assume AI is now the cause. We've used absolutely none of it on this film,' Shanks said. 'As a VFX guy, as somebody that's worked with all these teams that put in so much work, it's so frustrating now that people look at something that looks interesting or good, and they [assume] just a computer made it. It's like, 'No, no, no, no, no.'' Instead, the 'Tillie' character was created using makeup and visual effects compositing by Genevieve Camilleri. 'In pre-production, Gen just went up and took photos of Dave and Alison and then in Nuke, she made a bunch of variations on which elements to take from which of their faces to figure out what is essential to seeing both of them in that final image,' Shanks said. Then, on the day, the director shot the scene with both actors. 'After we shot the scene with Alison, we moved in Dave, with a bunch of dots on his face,' he continued. 'Gen has taken his jaw and his lips and stuck that onto the bottom [of the face]. It's really a combination of makeup and, you wouldn't call it CGI, because nothing's computer-generated, but it's compositing.' Stepping back a bit from the specifics of Together, it's wild that Shanks has to defend that his film didn't use generative AI. If it had come out even just 3-4 years ago, it would not have even been a thought. We all would've just assumed it was one of them dressing up as the other or visual effects. Ultimately, it's kind of both. But the whole conversation changed when we began living in a world where you can put 'Dave Franco and Alison Brie as one person' into a program and get something back in seconds. Basically, props to Shanks for doing something right, working hard at it, and making something memorable. And boo to the world for making us forget that the real magic of filmmaking comes from the human touch. Together is now in theaters. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Gizmodo
6 hours ago
- Gizmodo
‘Gags the Clown' Leans Into an Urban Legend That Maybe Wasn't a Legend
It's been nearly a decade since an outbreak of clown sightings frightened people, first in the U.S. and then later across the globe. A clown in the right context isn't necessarily scary, but a random clown just appearing with no obvious purpose is horror movie material. And, in fact, some of the creepy clown epidemic of 2016 can be traced back to Gags the Clown, a found-footage indie that turned some clever grassroots marketing into a stunt that went viral. Gags the Clown came out in 2018, which means Andy Muschietti's 2017 It squeaked its giant shoes into the pop-cultural conversation first. (Remember the 'clowns only' screenings the Alamo Drafthouse hosted back then?) The first Terrifier came out in 2016, but Art the Clown didn't achieve mainstream monster status until its sequel in 2022. And while Gags might have played to a much smaller audience, you need only dig into the archives of the Green Bay Press Gazette to discern its lasting impact. In an article published August 10, 2016, the paper reported photos purportedly showing local sightings of 'a sinister-looking clown with a clutch of black balloons' were actually 'the first salvo in an online marketing campaign for a locally produced short film.' The article pointed to a Facebook page—created just a week prior by Green Bay filmmaker Adam Krause—annoucing Gags, a short film. He hoped, the article noted, 'he and others involved with the film could use social media to create a small viral campaign that would reach a couple hundred people.' As we know now, clown sightings became one of 2016's biggest weird news stories. Even if it started as a way to drum up interest in a horror short, the phenomenon tapped into a nightmare many people didn't even realize they had until they started reading news stories about clowns in the wild. Gags the short did indeed come out in 2016, but you have to assume Krause knew he'd grasped a certain kind of magic, and the feature-length Gags the Clown followed. Clown in a Cornfield, a clown-themed horror movie so splashy it got its own activation at the recent San Diego Comic-Con, is hitting Shudder this week. So it makes sense the streamer wanted to beef up its clown inventory—you can also watch multiple Hell House, LLC movies there, as well as the first appearances of Art the Clown in All Hallows' Eve—by bringing Gags into the fold this week too. Gags and Cornfield both dig into the idea of killer clown sightings, but Gags assembles its tale through found footage assembled from different sources across one doom-filled night in Green Bay: phones, CCTV footage, police body cameras, news breaks, and so on. The film follows various groups as they react to the clown phenomenon. There's the determined reporter who's insulted that her boss put her on the Gags beat—until she figures out an angle she's sure will be her ticket to a Pulitzer. There are the bored teens who decide grabbing a clown costume and pranking people will be absolutely hilarious. There are the cops who are trying to keep the peace amid increasingly circus-themed chaos. And then there's the right-wing podcaster and livestreamer who decides it's on him to mete out some vigilante justice against the balloon-toting joker taunting his town. While Gags is clearly capable of making good on his sinister promise, he doesn't really even need to. No amount of stabby violence can compete with the psychological terror he emits by just standing around. Not speaking, not moving other than to appear and disappear suddenly, and paralyzing an entire population by just flickering into view when least expected. He's not theatrical like Pennywise or Art; instead, he's just there… staring. The imagination works overtime filling in all the possibilities of what he might be planning or what he might do next. Gags the Clown eventually sprinkles in just enough explanation and motivation—in the grand tradition of the Blair Witch Project, it's always a good idea to listen closely when an old-timer type pops up with exposition—and it also delivers plenty of body horror along the way. There's some uneven acting that might distract a less forgiving viewer, but the clown and his aura of menace are extremely effective. The fact that this movie about clown sightings helped spawn a legitimately worrisome rash of actual clown sightings? That just adds another layer of freaky delight. Gags the Clown is now streaming on Shudder; Clown in a Cornfield arrives on Shudder and AMC+ August 8. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
