The Cursed (I) (2010) User Reviews

An old curse is killing people and our animal friends. Bummer, I know.

[Someguysomwhere · 4/10 · 22 November 2010]

After losing his job and his girlfriend Denny travels to Tennesee to spend some time with a friend and do some research on some of it's history; specifically matters concerning unsolved murders of people and animals. Shortly after his arrival, more murders of people and animals occur. The sheriff is suspicious of him (never mind that the town has had a history long before Denny showed up) but at this point it's only an "interesting coincidence".

More stuff happens, and it turns out that all of it is connected to an ancestor of Denny's, Charles Dellington, who was a former slave owner in Tennessee. Seems that after the slaves were liberated old man Dellington couldn't get anyone to work for him because of his bad reputation. So he tried to work the land himself, but that failed. He tried raising cattle; that too failed. He prayed to God for help, but it seems God was busy, or something. Desperate, Dellington tried "the other guy" (yeah, the Devil). He draws a large pentagram, strips down to his underwear, and lies down at it's center and offers the devil his soul. This is some old guy, folks, so we know the Devil couldn't have been too pleased with that maneuver. He cursed the poor bastard.

In my mind this is at best a 4 star movie. The acting could have been a little better on the part of some of the cast members. And the story (as usually is the case) could have been more imaginative though I did like the form the ghost took. There's also some very bad "old man" make-up in here so the make-up artist should go back to school. Lastly, I never really understood the reason for all the killings; animals, people, WTF?!!! If you see the movie let me know. Love, Boloxxxi.

The excitement wore off.

[kdb890 · 3/10 · 6 February 2010]

I'm originally from McMinnville, Tennessee, where this movie was filmed. I was an extra in a few different scenes and spent a lot of time watching while they were filming it. At the time, and while waiting for the movie to finally come out, I was very excited to see it on the big screen. Unfortunately, that excitement wore off quick.

I'm glad that small towns such as mine are starting to get noticed by the film industry, but the portrayal of the town was downright embarrassing. From the horrible southern accents to the awful acting, it made it hard to get through this movie.

The beginning of the movie started out very slow. It seemed like every time a commercial came on I felt as if nothing at all had happened and I sat there wondering, "When is the action going to start?" Truthfully, there wasn't enough action in this film at all. The plot is pretty much obvious from the start and you can guess what's going to happen next.

Some general complaints about the movie: 01. Way too many people die right off the bat and throughout the whole film. It's as if literally the entire cast of the movie is killed by this creature. 02. Now I've always been a horror movie buff, so I know fear. This film instilled no fear in me at all, probably because there was no guesswork involved; everything is laid out for you. 03. The special effects are cringe-worthy at best. This seemed like one of those corny Syfy Originals and that disappointed me because I was hoping for so much more. 04. The movie was originally going to be called Tenebrous, meaning dark, shadowy, obscure, but it was changed to The Cursed after the co-producer died. What a shotty thing to do!

It was hard for me to gain a real interest in this film and be able to sit down throughout the whole thing because there was no mystery. There was nothing in this film that kept me guessing or hanging on the edge of my seat. Even the ending was disappointing for me. It ended in a cliffhanger, which is okay if there's a sequel in the works but there's not.

So if you haven't guessed already, I don't recommend seeing this film. It's cheesy and guessable, and it's hard to imagine that Costas Mandylor, star of the Saw films, shared in the creation of this movie. It's not a film that I would be interested in wasting my money on or watching again, even if I were paid to do it. Believe me, you'd rather be spending your time doing something else.

Low-budget, but serious and atmospheric

[Wuchakk · 5/10 · 25 September 2012]

Although "The Cursed" was shot in 2007 it wasn't released until early 2010 on Syfy.

THE PLOT: A writer (Brad Thornton) comes to a small Tennessee town to complete a book and strange things start happening – animals and people mysteriously disappear or are slaughtered. He hooks up with a good-looking librarian (Francesca Cecil) and they trace the problem to a satanic curse from the post-Civil War era. Meanwhile the sheriff (Louis Mandylor) is at his wits end trying to figure out what's going on and increasingly suspects the writer's involvement.

Although this is a low-budget, independent film it's considerably better than Syfy's usual fare, e.g. "Gatorade vs. Mega-Cleavage." How so? For one, it maintains a serious vibe, which is important in an age when most mystery/horror films belong in the comedy section. Secondly, the film creates a mysterious ambiance throughout, akin to "The Fog" but with a Stephen King plot minus the cartoony characters.

Speaking of the atmosphere, I really liked how you can hear the distinctive Eastern forest sounds, like the crickets and peepers, etc. I realize it's odd to point this out but the movie did this better than any that I can remember. The film was shot in McMinnville, Tennessee, by the way (and it's nice to see a film of this ilk shot somewhere other than Bulgaria, Romania or British Columbia).

Another positive is the monster's appearance, particularly when it opens its mouth (when it's closed it doesn't look very impressive).

Negatives include too much obvious dubbing and plot elements that simply don't make sense (why would the killer of the demon become the monster? And how would the old black guy know this with any certainty?); in addition, I disapprove of two important people biting the dust and the very end is lame.

FINAL WORD: Although it's nothing to get overly excited about, "The Cursed" is effective for a TV horror film. The filmmakers and actors take the material seriously and the film evokes a cool creepy atmosphere, but the negatives cited above force me to give it a fairly mediocre rating or "almost good".

GRADE: C+.

This ain't no SALEM'S LOT

[ctomvelu1 · 5/10 · 13 March 2010]

The Mandylor brothers, Louis and Costas, who aren't getting any younger or better in the acting department, costar in this no-budget demon-hunting tale set in a Steven King-type small town. The demon has been awakened from a long sleep by the arrival of a young writer, whose family was from the town and who is connected to it somehow. It starts off by killing some cattle and then tears up a whole bunch of people, including most of the cast, which isn't all that large. The script is pretty bad, the acting is wooden, and the special effects are just so-so. The demon itself isn't all that bad-looking and wisely is kept in shadow most of the time -- and frankly it could just as easily have been a werewolf. I think the filmmakers were influenced by the TV show, SUPERNATURAL. The ending is lifted from both John Carpenter's THE THING and THE FALLEN.

Trite thriller inspired no doubt by Stephen King type of stories...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 11 March 2010]

BRAD THORNTON and LOUIS MANDYLOR star in what feels like a Stephen King story about a sheriff (Mandylor) trying to solve the mysterious deaths of townspeople and farm animals in Tennessee who have fallen prey to a blurry dark figure who seems to be impossible to kill.

With phony Southern accents for some cast members and CGI effects that are unworthy of even a made-for-TV thriller, none of it appears to be the least bit convincing. It doesn't help that none of the principal roles are played with any distinction.

Director Joe Bender must be partly to blame but the script is trite, shallow stuff with cardboard characters that have no dimension whatsoever.

Apparently, the scriptwriter ran out of ideas for the ending and leaves everything pretty much unresolved as to the fates of our hero (Thornton) and the town sheriff.

Satan must be disappointed!

[blondien46 · 21 January 2012]

This movie starts out interesting when the little girl is looking for her cat and wanders into the woods, something you'd think her mother would have warned her against. When the mom finds only her hand you think this is going to be a bad ass movie! Sweet! Then it takes a U-turn and gets slow like a typical bad horror film. A mysterious stranger comes to town and animals and people start dying off. The sheriff tells him we don't want "no trouble"-which of course is what they get! And it's all the stranger's fault, even though the town has a history of disappearances and bizarre things. This movie has so many clichés that you and your partner can take turns saying them! Like the sexy, young librarian that doesn't exist in real life! The mysterious stranger just happens to be writing a book about murders in the south and comes into the library. She gives him a book with all the history that she has just for that occasion! As he reads, he begins to figure out what has alluded the towns people for hundreds of years! Really??! His friend happens to have a rifle that shoots at "mock 20" (WTF is that?) And we all know that the creature is sooo fast a regular gun just won't do... When the sheriff and his wife are murdered, the sheriff duties fall to his younger brother. The townsfolk don't trust his abilities and want to form a vigilante group. He doesn't believe this is a good idea-if nothing else to prove he isn't 100% redneck, but only 85%. And we all know he has a "murder investigation to attend to!" We find that the mysterious stranger and the creature are related. His ancestor turned to the dark side when all his slaves were freed. Well, he was old and pathetic and Satan was bored, so he turned him into the "creature" who after hundreds of years wants "released" and has been "waiting" for the stranger, which is kinda like his salvation or something. The ending is even worse. You don't know who shot who and you don't really care.

Unnecessary

[Call-Me-Mr-Smith · 2/10 · 5 September 2019]

The snarling is probably the best part of the movie, followed closely by the smoke screen and screams of horror. Combined, they create a suspenseful atmosphere that requires frequent visits to the washroom and/or hiding under the blanket. The script, camera work, acting and directing are typical of the low budget project. The only thing outstanding is the number of 10 star votes, suggesting of possible computer glitch or heavy shilling (I seriously suspect the later). Overall, 3 stars, minus one for the voting offense.

I need to stop added random things to my watch list.

[tenpencefreddo · 1/10 · 28 October 2022]

I watched this film & provided my husband with updates after each 20 mins...here are those updates.

1. The cop guy from Saw 7 or whatever is in it...playing a cop.

2. One of the characters 'gets up reguarly for early morning jogs' but has clearly never been taught how to run.

3. Its clear the director has never experienced thunder and lightening ever before.

.... 4. Jimmy the cop has been killed by a black mist that turns into a person.

5. Jimmys brother doesnt seem bothered though.

6. New guy in town writing a history book just took librarian he met yesterday on a date.

7. His brothers being creepy on chat rooms.

8. Historian man just came face to face with mist person who threw a cow head on his car and some how car is covered in more blood than a cow head would produce.

... 9. People have been disappearing since 1600s.

10. Historians brother friend got killed.

11. New sheriff whos old dead sherrifs brother accusses historian.

12. I think librarians in on it.

13. There was a drawing of a field background.

14. Noone learned emotion at acting school.

... 15. Historian and librarian met up with old historian man who told them its a curse and will be passed to who ever kills it.

16. Historian and librarian get it on then librarian got killed.

17. Historian got arrested by brother sheriff and they just left the dead librarian in the house.

18. They drive to somewhere where more bodies are and now brother sheriff and historian are teaming up.

19. Go back to dead librarian hours later and her body is gone.

20. They go to find mist person who is a cross between the predator and uncle fester.

21. Its dead, they now don't know who got the curse so point their guns at each other.

22. Goes black and someones fired a shot.

Credits.

You're welcome.

Straight-to-video local horror

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 28 May 2017]

THE CURSED is a very low budget, straight-to-video local horror production from America. It was filmed in Tennessee and is notable for featuring real-life siblings Costas and Louis Mandylor who also play siblings in the movie. Costas Mandylor is of course well known for his prominent role in the SAW sequels. In this film they're sheriffs looking into a rural mystery involving supernatural horror. The film is slow and occasionally atmospheric, but the demonic storyline doesn't really convince and the supernatural scenes are quite laughably over the top.

Decent but low grade

[jmbovan-47-160173 · 4/10 · 28 March 2020]

Nothing new here. Low budget so the acting is mediocre at best. Standard plot line of a "curse" with some additions that are pointless but culminate to give some unsettled quality up to the end. Nothing special but not awful either. A 4 (instead of 6) due to the lack of creativity to the storyline.

Mandylor brothers for the win...kind of.

[Rollinsgirl87 · 4/10 · 20 October 2023]

There's really not much to say about the low budget film, The Cursed other than that it was...okay. I watched it for Costas Mandylor because I loved him in the Saw films but they killed him off about twenty minutes into the story and to be honest, I lost interest after that. The Mandylor brothers are extremely attractive and talented actors and even they couldn't save this movie! The lead is uninteresting and the old blind guy was simply laughable.

Some positive points? The monster was kinda cool and there was a hot librarian, a real girl next door type. That's pretty much it! It was good for a laugh, I got it playing in the background while I'm doing other things.

Decent entry, if not overly spectacular

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 8/10 · 28 September 2015]

Arriving in a small town, a recently divorced man accidentally unleashes a demonic curse with a supernatural entity that is descended from a Satanic curse in his bloodline dating back centuries, forcing him into a deadly battle with the dangerous creature.

This turned out to be quite the decent and enjoyable monster movie. One of the better elements here is the rather impressive amount of suspenseful, enjoyable attacks in here which make this one highly interesting. The ability of having the attacks be mostly based on the fog-enshrouded locations that so prevalent in here so the opening attack in the woods where the guy searching for his cat only to stumble upon the creature in the darkness, or a later attack on the highway with all the different creatures getting involved in the incident both manage to incorporate those rather chilling elements to maximum impact. Other attacks, such as the ambush on the hunting party in the foggy woods as they prowl through the under-brush or the encounter in their house also showcase the film's penchant for creepy sections loaded with atmosphere so that tends to bring an overall chilling effort that has a rather frenetic pace to it due to these really chilling scenes. This one tends to go along at quite the great pace here which accounts for quite a few action-packed scenes that move the rather enjoyable plot along incredibly well. That has a lot to do with the concept of the curse here as well, coming off as a really different take on the whole cursed- bloodline angle and makes for a rather pleasing effort overall. Along with the creatures' look and the build-up in here to the finale, there's enough good parts here to make this quite entertaining. There's a few flaws here that do pop up, mainly in the few small attacks here that no mean nothing to the film as a whole. A couple of these attacks are just so short that it's impossible to get a sense of what happened, unlike past Sci-Fi Channel efforts where they played a fine role in the course of the film's events while others are edited so haphazardly that the disorienting nature of what's going on throughout here makes for some pretty troubling times with this. The other big flaw in this one is the fact that a huge majority of the attacks, fun as they may be, have an underlying sense of stupidity on the victims who continually wonder long into the traps and ambushes by their inability to recognize the danger of the situation. Add in some rather lame kills and a lot of off-screens ones as well and these do hold back the few flaws here.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Brief Nudity and sexual content.

Sci fi starting to get a little more clever

[drystyx · 7/10 · 7 February 2010]

This is a fairly trite story line, about the unkillable evil, the same old super evil that cannot be killed. The treatment of the topic here is fairly clever, however.

We get more than one main character. In essence, we get an impression that the writer was alluding to "Lifeforce" in many ways, with one man a hands on operator battling demons in his life, and the other man an official who comes in to clean up. However, these characters are much more credible and identifiable than the ones from "Lifeforce".

The minor characters are plentiful. Some are three dimensional, but there are many who seem to be mere plot devices. These are minimal, and come across more credible, since they are demographic enough. For instance, there is one old demon battler, and three vigilantes who do the doomed vigilantes in the woods theme (which has become popular the past 10 years, but not trite yet). These are a minority, even in the small town, as there are nearly a hundred who meet to discuss action. Therefore, they seem a little more credible as a demographic.

The logical course of action is well thought out by the writer. Much of this is cleverly done. Near the beginning, a rancher tells the lawman that his cattle have been mutilated in a very unexplainable way. We soon learn this is not an isolated case, and the writer shows us very much in a few scenes. Someone is actually learning how to write at Sci Fi.

One hero has a lot of credibility, but the story seems to want to make him a cigarette smoker very badly, even though he is physically fit, lean, and a writer. Most of us have never even met a man who smokes who is lean, physically fit, and creative, nor one who is a jogger or writer. Also, he begins the day by waking up and jogging. Any one who jogs knows that this is unrealistic. Any one who did this would pull a muscle almost every time, and lose out on weeks at a time. The military purposely has GIs warm up with calisthenics before their jog.

But these are nit picks. Obviously one of the sponsors is involved with tobacco, so we can overlook this if it isn't overdone, and if the story is well done. This one passes the test, although the ending is a bit trite and over the top for this otherwise well written piece.

"Be sure to call me if your blur turns up"

[hwgrayson · 5/10 · 13 March 2024]

The movie has some eerie moments but on the whole is not that gripping. It isn't helped by the uninteresting leads, Brad Thornton and Louis Mandylor. The former tried to emote but didn't make any impression. The story wasn't always clear and the unresolved ending was just silly. The script writer probably thought they were being clever. The title of the film is 'The Cursed' but who actually was cursed remained vague. Well, to me anyway. The actual look of the homicidal monster wasn't too bad and the cow on the car scene was scary indeed. The movie wasn't awful but not that thrilling or engrossing.

Low budget movie, well worth watching it.

[song_of_rainbow · 9/10 · 21 February 2021]

I gave this movie a high rating due to a number of things. First, I have to say, a number of people gave this movie a low rating because it was not a Steven King movie (although the fact is that most movies based on King's books are lousy). So comparing books to movies is not fair. Then, this movie's budget was $1,750,000 an amount that many movies spend feeding the crews. It is set in the deep south, not in some modern city, so the characters fit the settings. This movie is actually based on a couple of legends of the deep south, it is not an adaptation of anyone, including King's books. I found it interesting and unique, not what is now in style, such as the usual "lost footage" (the worse possible thing around) or "woman running through forest", as predictable as it gets. It's not a (teen) vampire movie, a person actually compared it to that. It's bloody and I liked the special effects. For the price they did a very nice job. I don't give many movies high rating, if they are lousy, I so state. Nice take on legends of the south, about evil plantation owners.