The Damned

Modernity does not express itself everywhere in the same way. Whilst Europe as a whole saw a flurry of social changes during the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, life in the frozen fishing villages of Iceland remained much as it had done for centuries. Indeed, in some ways it’s not so different today. In the midwinter months, when the sun never rises far above the horizon and the air is often full of driving snow, it can be hard to see the line between land and sea, or between past and present.

In the early scenes of The Damned, Eva (Odessa Young) goes walking out among the wrecks, where the exposed bones of dead ships protrude from the snow like the ribcages of fallen giants. Now stripped almost bare by the wind, they have little to offer. Supplies are running low. In the low room where the people of the fishing station huddle by night, concern is voiced: what remains may not last until the thaw. Eva has gone through the records and identified three previous seasons as bad as this one, but every one of them saw people die. So when a ship collides with rocks at the other side of the bay, they hesitate to go to the rescue. They simply don’t have the resources to take in strangers.

Christianity became the official religion of Iceland a little over a thousand years ago, but it has never been entirely secure in its grip. Existing in a harsh climate, and through the months of darkness, shapes the psyche in distinctive ways. The old stories often fit this better. Not made explicit here, but hanging over everything, is the unspoken understanding that leaving a man to drown is worse than killing him. In the old religion, drowned men did not proceed to an afterlife; their souls were dragged down forever into the black depths by Ran. Such a fate might easily provoke any remaining thing to seek revenge. It certainly provokes guilt. Which of these is responsible is not entirely clear, but something begins to affect the fisherfolk in disturbing ways. When a death occurs, Helga (Siobhan Finneran), the only other woman at the station, warns of the coming of a draugr, an animated corpse which will not relent until it has slaughtered them all.

Is there really such a creature? Does the greater danger come from fear itself? The Damned plays its cards close to its chest, keeping viewers guessing. Though not a great deal actually happens, it’s powerfully atmospheric, with a deliciously creepy score by Stephen McKeon. A deep understand of the period and cultural context gives it a weight of authenticity. A widow, Eva is the owner of the community’s boat, and everyone respects her authority. The men work together, largely free of bickering, as people learn to in such environments. Pointless conflict is avoided, allowing more space to focus on personality and a greater depth of emotional experience.

As she demonstrated in 2023’s Manodrome, Young is one of those actors who can set the emotional tone for a film with just a couple of scenes, so it’s intriguing to see what she can do in a leading role. At no point does she disappoint. There’s able support from Rory McCann, whose presence may deepen the fear of the undead for some viewers, and overall the ensemble works really well. Eschewing big drama, director Thordur Palsson trusts his cast to handle the small moments well, and gradually but mercilessly ramps up the tension.

There are elements of tragedy here that you’re unlikely to see coming, and the tonal shift, when it happens, is beautifully managed. Chilling in more ways than one, this may be an old fashioned film, but it shows what good craftsmanship is worth.