The Damned
Vertical Entertainment | Release Date: January 3, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The Daily BeastNick SchagerJan 3, 2025
Concise, clever, and unnerving, it’s a perfect film for the onset of winter. Read full review
80
Film ThreatTerry SherwoodJun 27, 2024
The Damned is an oppressive film filled with static images of ice fields, dark, almost chiaroscuro moments in cabins, and thoughtful, if not over-indulgent, dialogue. Read full review
80
SlashfilmJeremy MathaiJun 12, 2024
Even a minor stumble or two does little to hold back one of the year's better horror efforts, leaving us to grapple with images that will haunt us long after the credits roll. Read full review
79
Paste MagazineJim VorelDec 12, 2024
The Damned gets by more than well enough via the elemental strength of its moral dilemma and the pristine beauty and unrelenting inhospitality of the Icelandic wilderness that is its scene-stealing star. Read full review
75
IndieWireChristian ZilkoJan 7, 2025
The scares are mostly metaphorical and the sparse imagery becomes repetitive by the end, but “The Damned” remains a promising debut that offers a moody exploration of the human condition. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyJan 3, 2025
The first movies of any given year are usually among the worst. Not this one. It’s a keeper, so treat yourself to a scary New Year’s celebration. Read full review
70
The Irish TimesTara BradyJan 9, 2025
The final reveal is as unnecessary as it is predictable, and the pace can be as glacial as the setting. No matter. The Damned is powered along by suspicion, atmospherics and an unforgettable landscape. Read full review
70
Screen DailyNikki BaughanJan 3, 2025
While there are perhaps a few too many jump scares, and an overwrought ending which takes some of the wind out of its sails, The Damned is powered to the finish by its creeping sense of dread. Read full review
70
ColliderChase HutchinsonJun 10, 2024
What makes The Damned so effective is how grounded it all is in the characters and their perception of the world. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerJan 2, 2025
In his debut feature as a director, The Valhalla Murders creator Thordur Palsson lets the icy-blue pitilessness of the inhospitable Westfjords permeate every frame and every moment. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 24, 2025
There’s no ignoring that The Damned has a visual, visceral power that should stick in the memory. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJan 3, 2025
Young is very good in her part, making Eva a strong, flawed character whose depth helps to counterbalance the shallowness of everyone else. On the whole, however, The Damned wasn’t able to achieve what I was hoping from it and, rather than being an overlooked gem, it’s instead simply “overlooked.” Read full review
60
Screen RantBen GibbonsJan 11, 2025
The Damned has been made to a high standard. The film is extremely well-crafted; the cast, the period setting, and the eerie and isolated fishing village where the story plays out all help to create a tense and believable story. Read full review
60
Time OutAnna SmithJan 10, 2025
While billed as a psychological horror, it may be best approached as a dark drama or thriller, rather than a fully terrifying experience. But if you invest in its characters, it offers a thought-provoking insight into the depths of the human mind when faced with the laws of survival. It’s grim, but good. Read full review
60
The GuardianCatherine BrayJan 7, 2025
While it may have more punch as chilly horror-drama than allegory, it’s a decently put together film. Read full review
60
The New York TimesAlissa WilkinsonJan 3, 2025
Its tension weakens, and tediousness sets in, though that effectively evokes what the characters are experiencing. But a period of slog reduces the story’s immersive quality, slowing momentum. What’s best about the movie, though, is how it eventually picks back up and morphs into something a bit different from straight-ahead horror. Read full review
50
Little White LiesBillie WalkerJan 9, 2025
Despite its refusal to lean into the visceral imagery it sets out with, The Damned still succeeds in creating a haunting atmosphere, which is aided by the deserted Icelandic landscape that seems to stretch on forever. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineEd GonzalezDec 28, 2024
Had we been allowed to truly sit with the characters’ prejudices, then The Damned might have earned the desperation with which it strains for contemporary resonance. Read full review
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