Blu-Ray Review: The Damned

By Brad Henderson

Every once in a while I watch a film that I enjoy quite a bit but I wouldn’t consider great or essential to see. I call these films “rainy day” films: when something is just mediocre but you can’t stop thinking or talking about it. The film may not be that great but it’s one that won’t leave you. Films like Red Hill, Home Sweet Home, No One Lives, The Colony, and Citadel are a few that I feel fall into this category. Now, I legitimately like all those films but I know a lot of people consider them “forgettable.” People throw that word around to describe films but I honestly haven’t seen forgettable films nor do I think they exist.

The Damned is a horror film that snuck in there without a lot of people noticing. It was released by IFC, who tend to do a shitty job promoting their films. When The Damned came across my desk and I saw that Peter Facinelli was in it, I was less enthused to screen it. The only time Facinelli fit into a film was as Mike Dexter in Can’t Hardly Wait. Every time he’s in a film he seems miscast. Not knocking him as an actor but to me, he just doesn’t fit in his films. I immediately thought that when starting The Damned but quickly changed my mind because he is quite good in the film. In fact, the rest of the cast is, too.

My reviews are spoiler free and I will keep the same standards for The Damned. Don’t read the box or synopsis because both give a huge surprise away. I went in knowing the surprise so I was kind of bummed knowing what “the damned” actually was. All I will say is that some family members are caught in a flood and find a house in which they seek shelter. The house is occupied by an elderly man, and once inside, they also find a little girl locked in the basement. Our story unfolds from there and it gets pretty wild at times which I dug quite a bit.

If you have time, I suggest checking out The Damned. Once it shows up on Netflix I would give it a watch. I also suggest the other films that were mentioned above. Who knows, you may like them a lot more than I did. I guess these films are a little more low-key with basic plots and are directed competently enough that they are OK. Personally I don’t want to watch an epic film or mindfuck every time, so it’s nice to have these laid-back flicks every once in a while. I also imagine that’s why they don’t succeed or aren’t all that popular because they are not “inventive” enough. Screw that. Enjoy the film for what it’s worth and don’t expect some sort of revelation while watching it.

The Damned was released by MPI Home Video on November 11.