Cursed (2020)

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 17, 2020
User Score
4.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 84
  3. Negative: 39 out of 84
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User Reviews

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  1. Loiislane
    Mar 22, 2021
    10
    Loved the thrown in bits of comedy. Pulls the heart strings. Really cool way to weave in what we thought we knew about mythology
  2. Wackme
    Dec 14, 2020
    3
    The main characters are watchable, but the rest is terrible: bad acting, bad script/writing, bad director. I couldnt finish the first episode.
  3. Demuniac
    Nov 25, 2020
    8
    I have to disagree with most people here. I like this show a lot. It's a fresh take on a mythical world. Yes the lead is female but feminism isn't shoved down your throath. It's just not a serie about arthur, rather it borrows its lore to tell something new.

    The scenes and atmosphere are great, acting is fine. Roles are fleshed out, and plot twists are by far not always cliche. In short,    I have to disagree with most people here. I like this show a lot. It's a fresh take on a mythical world. Yes the lead is female but feminism isn't shoved down your throath. It's just not a serie about arthur, rather it borrows its lore to tell something new.

    The scenes and atmosphere are great, acting is fine. Roles are fleshed out, and plot twists are by far not always cliche.

    In short, ill be looking forward to a new season!    … Expand
  4. OzanAlpasla
    Sep 25, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It’s a low quality fantasy show. The writing and the acting are bad.........… Expand
  5. metabad
    Sep 1, 2020
    3
    The King Arthur Legend with a female lead?
    Of course! So we get this one to cross off our list, too.
    The setup isn't too bad, Katherine Langford is ok as Nimue, the lead character. In the beginning she's depicted as powerful but her powers and their limits are never really established. So sometimes, when in danger, she doesn't or can't use her powers and sometimes she does/can,    The King Arthur Legend with a female lead?
    Of course! So we get this one to cross off our list, too.

    The setup isn't too bad, Katherine Langford is ok as Nimue, the lead character.
    In the beginning she's depicted as powerful but her powers and their limits are never really established.
    So sometimes, when in danger, she doesn't or can't use her powers and sometimes she does/can, depending most likely on what the script writers want to happen next.

    Another thing: If you want a female lead and the story is about a magic sword,
    how about you cast an actress that can actually wield a sword?
    Langford couldn't convince me for a second that she can win any fight with that sword.
    And the fight with the wolves...cringe worthy.

    Which brings me to the special effects. Yes, it looks like they didn't have a big budget for CGI, but they could have used it more cleverly. But they didn't and some effects look really bad.

    With regard to the rest of the cast, only Gustaf Skarsgård stood out as Merlin.
    Even though Merlin is depicted as a drunk, Skarsgård balanced out the characters weaknesses to have him somewhat likable.
    Father Garden and King Uther were convincing enough as villain and rivals to get hold of the sword.
    But the ones that should have made an impression are Arthur and Gawain, but they were totally bland and not contributing anything substantial to the plot.
    They serve as good people to talk to, to give advice and for the female lead to make love to.
    I don't blame the actors. The script simply doesn't give them enough to do.

    Fallen victim to the woke agenda, they aren't allowed to be strong and forceful, only the women are.
    Male villains, of course, are allowed to be strong and dangerous, and show all that 'tocthic mathculinity". That's their reason of being.

    The season's finale is surprising, but not in a good way.
    They were going for a massive cliffhanger, I guess, but the last scenes feel totally off.

    To wrap it up, 'Cursed' is for people who need a regular dose of fantasy fare and who aren't picky about it.
    My main complaints about it are the lead's arbitrary use of her powers, her lame sword fighting, the arbitrary plot development, the pushing of the woke agenda and the lack of memorable characters that aren't villains.

    I don't know about you, but to me, that's too many complaints for it to be a good show.    … Expand
  6. Brickthegrim
    Aug 29, 2020
    3
    I feel like the original concept is new but everything. EVERYTHING ELSE, is copy past movie tropes and plots. Honestly i feel like I've seen every scene in this show tens times over. Just with other actors. Not to mention the hilarious attempts to be as PC as possible, Netflix. This show is a struggle to take seriously. Bad writing. Bad directing.
  7. gonzalo94
    Aug 21, 2020
    0
    I did not expect anything and still I am disappointed. It’s a low quality fantasy show, is better watch witcher that this.
  8. 711Flint
    Aug 18, 2020
    2
    I’m not sure what audience they were trying to reach. The story and dialogues are enough for a 10 years old kid, but the fighting scenes are brutal.
    It’s like a Quentin Tarantino version of Once Upon a Time with very shallow story and horrible acting from basically everyone.
    At episode 6 I was thinking of asking for a refund from Netflix for the time wasted. At episode 10 I’m pretty sure    I’m not sure what audience they were trying to reach. The story and dialogues are enough for a 10 years old kid, but the fighting scenes are brutal.
    It’s like a Quentin Tarantino version of Once Upon a Time with very shallow story and horrible acting from basically everyone.
    At episode 6 I was thinking of asking for a refund from Netflix for the time wasted. At episode 10 I’m pretty sure we don’t need to bother waiting for season 2.
    I’m giving 2 because ... Floki.    … Expand
  9. Berik
    Aug 9, 2020
    4
    At the start of the show it immediately becomes apparent why and how this show exist. Instead of creating an original idea for a show about a woman with a sword, they rip off King Arthur. This story conveniently happened before Arthur, as 'a woman' wielded the sword before him. What a surprise, a woman infiltrates a legend about a mythic man. And she gets Bambi killed!

    We meet ..., a    At the start of the show it immediately becomes apparent why and how this show exist. Instead of creating an original idea for a show about a woman with a sword, they rip off King Arthur. This story conveniently happened before Arthur, as 'a woman' wielded the sword before him. What a surprise, a woman infiltrates a legend about a mythic man. And she gets Bambi killed!

    We meet ..., a grumpy know-it-all who gets responsibility like an adult, yet decides it's not good enough for her because she wants to be an adventurer. She starts this off by playing dice with potential rapists, followed by pissing them off and revealing she's a witch. Also, Arthur Pendragon is black...

    The problem with this show is that the main character is unlikable and treats the people around her like crap while thinking she is fantastic herself, so a narcissist. Next to that, the plot is as random as a Rick & Morty episode. But don't worry! The main character is covered with plot armor!

    While the production quality of the show is clearly pretty high, the contents are rather juvenile and inconsistent with its logic. It has black and Asian actors that can't be present in Medieval England, nor could they be royalty or in monasteries. And then there's the obligatory homosexual biracial romance... It's a mediocre teen drama show. I give it a 4/10.    … Expand
  10. Hazeleyedbtrfly
    Aug 1, 2020
    10
    I don’t usually watch TV due to the fact that I’m a reader. However this show Cursed totally reminded me if the genre of books I would be reaching for without a doubt t. This show’s take on King Arthur, Nimue, Merlin and low and behold Lancelot. I am seriously Anxious for another season !!
  11. UncleWillard
    Jul 31, 2020
    1
    Just another attempt at making a girl's version of a genre of movie. Again, using identity politics to market a shallow and **** product. Nothing wrong with good female characters and stories, but it's disingenuous to just replace the same old garbage with a feminine veneer. I can't believe that in an era where their arw so many fe.ale authors i the sci-fi and fantasy genres, we can't getJust another attempt at making a girl's version of a genre of movie. Again, using identity politics to market a shallow and **** product. Nothing wrong with good female characters and stories, but it's disingenuous to just replace the same old garbage with a feminine veneer. I can't believe that in an era where their arw so many fe.ale authors i the sci-fi and fantasy genres, we can't get a good, original series with a compelling plot.… Expand
  12. Nobilis1984
    Jul 27, 2020
    3
    Mal wieder mal eine schlechte Netflix Serie. Das man die Arthur Saga neu auflegt ist ok aber doch nicht so. Merlin ist ein Säufer und unsympatisch. Merlin ist für mich ein netter alter Mann im Magiergewand wie man es halt von Disney kennt. Zudem ist Arthur ein farbiger. Passt auch nicht zum Original.
    Wegen mir könnt ihr das machen aber das 70% die Serie nicht leiden können ist sowas von    Mal wieder mal eine schlechte Netflix Serie. Das man die Arthur Saga neu auflegt ist ok aber doch nicht so. Merlin ist ein Säufer und unsympatisch. Merlin ist für mich ein netter alter Mann im Magiergewand wie man es halt von Disney kennt. Zudem ist Arthur ein farbiger. Passt auch nicht zum Original.
    Wegen mir könnt ihr das machen aber das 70% die Serie nicht leiden können ist sowas von klar. Was haben sich die Macher dabei nur gedacht?    … Expand
  13. robb2984
    Jul 26, 2020
    10
    Love the concept thought the sets look good. Ended on a solid cliffhanger. I really like the actors thought they were all good choices that made the characters come to life.
  14. barnebyjones
    Jul 24, 2020
    6
    I recently binged the whole series. I wouldn't say it was a waste of my time--it wasn't, during this Covid outbreak, there has definitely been worse things I have watched. However, there was sometimes some frustrating character choices that made me want to just stand up and yell at my screen. I did not read the book, but this seems like this may have been a case where they didn'tI recently binged the whole series. I wouldn't say it was a waste of my time--it wasn't, during this Covid outbreak, there has definitely been worse things I have watched. However, there was sometimes some frustrating character choices that made me want to just stand up and yell at my screen. I did not read the book, but this seems like this may have been a case where they didn't translate the book to screen well---using a lot of animated cutscenes to portray things happening when they couldn't afford special effects. really just ended up making the story hard to follow and confusing. Many times I would be watching and asking myself "how?" or "why?" a character did something. It seemed as though the premise of a really good story was there but it felt really rushed--like most Netflix series do, as Netflix likes to do 3-4 seasons and then they cancel. They introduced far too many characters for the amount of episodes which allowed for no real character progression, thus leaving the audience feeling unattached. On a positive note, I feel like the ending set up potential for a good storyline ahead. If/when season 2 arrives---I will be watching.… Expand
  15. spaacer
    Jul 24, 2020
    1
    This tv show is so bad the history is so underrated and the actors isn't so good at least it make me laught sometimes.
  16. keiloo
    Jul 22, 2020
    2
    This show is Garbage, Katherine Langford's acting is terrible and it was just painful to sit through the first episode but I don't just give up on a TV series because the 1st episode was bad... but after the 10th i just had my head in my hands thinking what utter Trash.
  17. FriendlyFoe
    Jul 21, 2020
    1
    "Cringed" is a more apt title. Floki does not save this mess. The story beats of the first three episodes are abominable. Do yourself a favor and ignore the advice of other reviews who advocate you wasting any more of your life plodding through the remaining episodes in hopes of marginal improvement. Vote with your time, as well as your wallet. Fans of the Fantasy genre deserve better.
  18. Daermon
    Jul 20, 2020
    3
    I wasetd my time for this big sh... Bad and idiot writing, story, boring, and everything is bad.
  19. DH_4079
    Jul 20, 2020
    9
    Cursed has a great photography, a great visual display, a great costume design, the production and pre-production are really good and some great and well executed camera movements, in general, has a good artistic and photography direction. Everything and that the actors are really good, the performances could be much better, the script is not rubbish but having Frank Miller and Tom WhellerCursed has a great photography, a great visual display, a great costume design, the production and pre-production are really good and some great and well executed camera movements, in general, has a good artistic and photography direction. Everything and that the actors are really good, the performances could be much better, the script is not rubbish but having Frank Miller and Tom Wheller in your ranks is somewhat loose in the first episodes, different misfortunes occur but none of them ends up importing you from the everything and this is mainly due to the failures of post-production.

    In short, it has a great artistic and photographic direction, it does not have the best performances but they are not an unpleassant, weak script since the creator is a great writer of great comics and success stories, but it can be save, although the CGI, NORMALLY, is fine. executed within what fits in some moments it totally takes you out of the immersive experience that this series is but still it is still good.    … Expand
  20. krizis_fantazii
    Jul 20, 2020
    3
    Boring and sad. The acting are bad. There is no logic in what is happening. Very poor visuals.
  21. shoulderoforion
    Jul 20, 2020
    4
    Low effort homogenized far too bright Arthurian legend, the Fairy Folk looked like Star Trek background extras, and they didn't have to do The Blackfish like that. Didn't like this show very much at all, but had no problem with the Female leads, and the noticeable addition of black and asian characters
  22. Parzival_
    Jul 20, 2020
    2
    OMG... Ist ja mal richtig schlecht. Selten so zeit verschwendet. Einzig die setts sehen interessant aus.
  23. skipperx13
    Jul 19, 2020
    1
    This show is not good, other than the total dismissing of the point of Le Morte d'Arthur and the legends generally, it is badly made, a few good actors reading awful dialog, the writing is lazy falling back on name dropping gimmicks rather than a compelling story. I wanted to like this, the idea has merit but this series does not, if your going to rethink a classic legend you should add toThis show is not good, other than the total dismissing of the point of Le Morte d'Arthur and the legends generally, it is badly made, a few good actors reading awful dialog, the writing is lazy falling back on name dropping gimmicks rather than a compelling story. I wanted to like this, the idea has merit but this series does not, if your going to rethink a classic legend you should add to it not tear it down.… Expand
  24. capt_morgan
    Jul 19, 2020
    0
    Revisionism at its worst; truly just please give up on fitting females into male characters, its embarrassing to watch and comprehend.
  25. MrMuppe
    Jul 19, 2020
    3
    Edit: Unlike what some 10/10 person seem to think, I did watch the whole series before writing my review.

    If numbers I rolled my eyes was a legit score this show would get that maxed out. The thing is that not all the acting is bad and not all the writing is bad, but enough is. You will more then once wonder why a certain character knows so much about things that is not normal for    Edit: Unlike what some 10/10 person seem to think, I did watch the whole series before writing my review.

    If numbers I rolled my eyes was a legit score this show would get that maxed out.

    The thing is that not all the acting is bad and not all the writing is bad, but enough is. You will more then once wonder why a certain character knows so much about things that is not normal for that character to know. It sometimes feels like characters does things not based on what would be natural for them but rather what they have to do in order for the plot to move forward.
    As to the plot being bad and characters knowing more then they should I will not say more since that risk spoiling the story for those who want to see it and make up their own mind.

    The effects are also a hit and miss.
    So is the music, what little there is.
    Oh, and they take a dump on the legend... one that will take time to wash away.
    Now that I think about it, this show is a 3 and not a 4 that I was planing to give it first. There are simply to many things done poorly for it to be anything better then that.    … Expand
  26. PotterheadGleek
    Jul 19, 2020
    5
    It's not the worst show, but it's not the best one. The performance of Langford in here is ok. At least the show could've afforded better special effects. This good-try Arthurian legend could have a better plot, I really try to like this but it's missing something. I hope the next season is better.
  27. Azog24
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    I absolutely love this type of series it has a rich world and a good story. Big fan of the witcher and this reminds me on the series/games and the mentioning of the lady of the lake. Looking forward for the next season !
  28. Nietzschebot
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    If you watch the series all the way through, you can see that it uses a teen fantasy frame that develops into a dark existential drama. Sort of like a typical Frank Miller comic book. Don't listen to the negative reviews from those who watched three episodes. Watch it until the end and you'll realize you like it more than you would have believed.
  29. Andres_
    Jul 18, 2020
    4
    The series has quite notable flaws, but I recognize that at least they have managed to maintain consistency in people and an evolution in some and their history is passable reaching bad.
  30. Joseayala14
    Jul 17, 2020
    3
    It’s a low quality fantasy show. The writing and the acting are bad. The visual effects aren’t great either! I was expecting something else. Disappointing that lately Netflix has been releasing low quality shows.

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020
73
#73 Most Shared TV Season of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Lena Wilson
    Oct 5, 2020
    75
    It takes quite a few episodes for the terminally serious “Cursed” to gain steam, but once it does, this show offers characters worth sticking around for.
    Read full review
  2. The Detroit News
    Reviewed by: Tom Long
    Aug 14, 2020
    67
    Langford (“Knives Out,” “13 Reasons Why”) is effective if not exceptional, somewhat mirroring the entire enterprise. The gore quotient here runs high, but unlike “Thrones” and “The Witcher” there is no underlying erotic throb fueling things and humor is scarce.
    Read full review
  3. Collider
    Reviewed by: Liz Shannon Miller
    Jul 20, 2020
    67
    If you crave originality or weirdness in your fantasy TV, there’s plenty to enjoy here. But beyond some clunky and predictable dialogue, the biggest flaw is Nimue — whether it’s on Langford for failing to really sell key moments or the writing for leading the character to make dangerous or at times even dumb choices, the ostensible focus of the show fails to come together.
    Read full review
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