jmbovan-47-160173

The Damned is an Icelandic folk horror in a fishing station during the cold time of year. There is a horrendous event happens, and some of the reason it unfolds as it does is for survival. A difficult decision had to be made, but this one haunts the people that remain.

The Damned plays with some gender politics given that the widow of the owner is now running the station, and given the time period, that is an unusual situation. There is also a theme of religion underlying the story, that of folklore versus Christianity. Both of these are presented subtly giving flavor to the overall story without overwhelming it. The beginning is a little slow as we get to know the setting and the basics of the story, but once the event happens, the film has a low intensity to it that is then constant for the rest of the film. So most of the film is in this tension to me. Not your typical horror with jump scares and blood, but it is intense regardless.

The Damned has the makings of a slow burn. But, I felt more tension than is typical of a slow burn. The ending falls easily to a slow burn that is twisted. Very captivating overall.

So this is loosely based upon the idea of Madonna having a stalker when she was dating Dennis Rodman. From these tidbits, they created a borderline satirical, borderline psychotic film that ends up not going far enough, crazy enough, or absurd enough. It all just sat there at pretend, with Ray Nicholson mugging as an escapee from a mental institution. And not very well as he seems more like a Charlie Chaplin character, just off from center, not truly delusional.

Samara Weaving fends the best as she embodies what is expected for a pop star of this time period. But, she isn't given enough time to fully embody his character as the shenanigans of the Nicholson character derail the plot. Or I guess he becomes the plot.

Tired depiction of fan obsession and delusional beliefs hitting all the beats it's supposed to hit, exactly in time, to be this type of film. I wish they could have created more originality in the presentation through production and story lines to show the absurdity more. Instead, they played it safe, middle of the road leaving this film listless and tame.

Bagman plays better as a folk horror film than standard American horror film. It establishes the "creature" in nature as well as the historical context of this type of mythology being in various cultures throughout time outting children in danger. This allows for our childhood fears of what's in the dark to perculate just a bit before the thriller parts (and jump scares) truly start.

On the down side, Bagman doesn't present anything new to this tale or genre of film, be it horror or folk horror. I found the overall experience of the film to be enough for a good watch, but at the end, I was left with many feelings of "I've seen this before in other films."

Production was good. Acting was good. Pacing was good. It just didn't bring enough or anything original to the screen. When making a folk horror film, you can't rely on the standard tropes of horror films (gore, screams, startling images, jump scares, etc.). One has to create a sense and vibe that builds to an ominous and creep inducing tension so that the resolution, regardless of originality or not, sparks dread in the viewer. (Originality does help though, as a unexpected twist increases the tension we experience.) Bagman sparks unease at best, and has nothing new to offer. Adequate for a watch.