The Damned

Eva (played wonderfully by a near-impeccable Odessa Young), is a 19th century-widow who, following the tragic death of her husband some years prior, now finds herself in charge of a fishing vessel and its crew of men as they work an especially harsh winter in an isolated and unforgiving Icelandic landscape. A sufficiently bleak and despairing setup already in its own right, but with The Damned, writer/director Thordur Palsson then proceeds to torment us (in a good way) with a folklore horror that relentlessly builds up genuine dread, tension and discomfort from start to finish.

Already facing the harshest of elements and coming to terms with the possibility that they might not make it through the winter, Eva and her crew spot another shipwrecked just off the coast near their station. Now, Eva is faced with an impossible choice; save the survivors or abandon them to ensure the survival of her men. That choice sets the tone for what becomes a harrowing tale of guilt and consequence, and their power to corrupt the human mind.

It’s at this early moment of the film where Palsson’s and the film's path is set, slowly tightening itself around the viewer without ever once letting up that feeling of unease, hitting its big moments at the right times all of which are elevated by Stephen McKeon’s chilling soundtrack. The perfect Icelandic setting, as utterly stunning as it is unforgivingly brutal, itself needs mention here as an essential character doing as much heavy lifting for this film as anything else to really sell that feeling of sheer isolation. Most should agree and feel everything the film intends, but how much each viewer ultimately gets from The Damnedby not just how it proceeds from there but indeed culminates could vary.

It’s a slow-paced film for sure, not glacial thankfully but definitely takes its time stepping forward, which most should also agree is its strength rather than its flaw. It earns its payoffs in the scarier moments through that hard work and patience, rather than relying upon a relentless barrage of diminishing returns. Where it could ultimately be most divisive however is in its ending. It isn’t one that doesn’t satisfy necessarily, but rather leaves you with more questions than it really answers, so while the overall ride over the film's almost ninety-minute runtime is stellar, the final landing seems a bit shaky.

The ending does however, play fantastically well with the film’s overall themes of guilt and superstition, all of it is driven and truly put across by a fantastic cast. Stalwart performers such Siobhan Finneran and Francis Magee deliver at every turn, as does of course Rory Kinnear’s (Game of Thrones) brief but substantial appearance as the crew’s helmsmen, another fine entry by the always entertaining actor. But it’s Joe Cole’s (Peaky Blinders, Gangs of London) and Odessa Young’s (The Staircase, The Stand) that steal the show, Cole’s affectionate and caring second-in-command who hope clings to shines, but it’s Young, who really has the whole weight of the film on her shoulders, has to and succeeds with aplomb in driving the emotion and trauma of the film in a performance so captivating you can’t not watch her.

As far as directorial debuts go, Palsson probably couldn’t ask for better, and for fans of the genre, The Damned is a must-see.