Cursed

PG-13

Released Feb 25, 2005

1 hr. 37 min.

Horror

List

15%

98 Reviews

Tomatometer

30%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In Los Angeles, siblings Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg) come across an accident on Mulholland Drive. As they try to help the woman caught in the wreckage, a ferocious creature attacks them, devouring the woman and scratching the terrified siblings. They slowly discover that the creature was a werewolf and that they have fallen victim to a deadly curse. Now that they have been sliced by the werewolf's claws, they will be transformed into werewolves themselves.

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Critics Consensus

A predictable plot and cheesy special effects make Cursed a less-than-scary experience.

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Latrell

It was not interesting, my son was bored and so was I. I may be slow a lil bit but was confused most of the movie

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/21/22

Full Review

Crystal G

This is one of my favorite werewolf flicks of all time. People want to complain about there being CG instead of practical effects. Get it straight, there was plenty of suit work done on the film. It's a wonderful horror comedy . If pictured as just a horror you'll be let down I'm sure. But for what it is . I LOVE IT! I wish I could also see the cut they switched out with Skeet Ulrich. Generally. this deserves more love DANGIT!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/25/23

Full Review

brad p

It's a real shame Wes never got to make the film he had in mind, leaving this tainted exercise in studio interference as part of his legacy.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Carlos I

Pretty lame attempt at replicating and mashing up the successes of Scream and Ginger Snaps. There are a couple fun beats, Christina Ricci tries her damnedest and the Hollywood setting is pretty cool, but overall this is just a lame dog. It's really unfortunate that the studio interfered soo hard, because you could see the seeds of something pretty cool, but instead we get a goofy werewolf movie, with horrendous CGI and groanworthy jokes. I wish I could see that original cut.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/09/22

Full Review

matthew d

Very funny, clever, and charming horror comedy from horror master Wes Craven! Director Wes Craven's werewolf horror comedy Cursed (2005) is fantastically entertaining and far greater than the panned reviews would have you believe. Wes Craven never directed a bad movie. Craven lets you see all the awful, mean characters get killed brutally or surprisingly redeemed. I found Cursed clever and satisfying. He nails the frightening scares and keeps things light as he spoofs werewolf lore. Writer Kevin Williamson, of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, provides funny jokes and smart parody of werewolf movie trademarks. His twists are shocking and delightful as he tears apart narcissists and homophobes alike for Cursed. Craven gets how to set up and terrify you, while always giving you a laugh for the diehard horror fans that will get all the jokes. It's nearly as funny as Fright Night, while as scary and thrilling as Ginger Snaps. It has a similar sense of humor to Wolf or An American Werewolf in London. I think it's hilarious! Cursed is absolutely worth watching. It's too bad Wes Craven was disappointed with the end result because of horrible decisions from infamous movie producers Harvey and Bob Weinstein demanding reshoots and adding in CGI instead of Rick Baker's practical effects. I watched the Unrated version and did not see much CGI other than one scene of a werewolf jumping on cars and one werewolf transformation sequence because the rest is a fuzzy practical suit that's effective. Maybe the theatrical version had more CGI and less blood or something. Cursed is certainly a scream and has cool practical werewolf fur suits. Christina Ricci is gorgeous and loving as horror heroine Ellie Myers. Ricci is cool and motherly with a sharp wit and sincere maturity that makes her immediately sympathetic. I loved Ricci in Cursed! She is cool and lovable as she deals with werewolves after the effects of being bitten by a Lycan. Jesse Eisenberg is funny as the endearing dork Jimmy Myers. He's as funny and likable in Cursed as he was in Zombieland to be honest. Joshua Jackson is a real creep as Ricci's moody boyfriend Jake Taylor. Judy Greer steals the show as the mean girl Joanie. I found her incredibly hot and striking with her sharp as ever humor and iconic line delivery. Judy Greer and Christina Ricci need to be lead actresses in more movies as they're deliriously fun actresses. Milo Ventimiglia is intimidating and funny as the wrestling jock Bo. His character turn from closeted homophobe to helpful openly gay friend is nice. Kristina Anapau is very pretty and nice as Brooke. Portia de Rossi plays spooked by omens very well as spiritualist Zela. Shannon Elizabeth gets to be an obnoxious teenager who gets her's as Becky Morton. Mýa is really cruel as the flirty and stupid Jenny Tate. Michelle Krusiec is beautiful as Ricci's sweetly concerned nosebleed co-worker. Nick Offerman cameos as a skeptical police officer in a funny bit. The band Bowling for Soup somehow got the opening song number cameo as themselves in a funny nu-metal or alternative rock performance. Solar is a very cute golden retriever as Eisenberg's pet Zipper. Editors Patrick Lussier and Lisa Mozden cut quickly around blood and gore to make it not too grisly. I like the ultra fast pace at 97 minutes, creating a brisk feeling for Cursed. Cinematographer Robert McLachlan uses shadows and nighttime to hide the werewolf effects. I love the clever and careful framing that always centers around Christina Ricci in close-ups and medium shots for very expressive camerawork. The werewolf attacks in wide shots are pretty impressive. Production designers Bruce Alan Miller and Chris Cornwell create a cozy home for Ricci and recreate the interior of famous Hollywood spots. All the behind the scenes shots of sets are fun. Art directors Andrew Max Cahn and Jeff Knipp create interesting furry werewolf designs that look animalistic and fearsome. All the shadowy aesthetic works wonders for Wes Craven's dark and playful direction. The dozens of crew that worked on set decoration and visual effects did a solid job adding coffins, cameras, and werewolves as needed. The practical werewolf effects from Greg Nicotero are certainly cool. Composer Marco Beltrami crafts a spooky score for Cursed that's moody and exciting depending on if a scene is more horror or humor focused. Sound designers G.W. Brown, Todd Toon, David E. Fluhr, Christian P. Minkler, Gabriel Guy, Michael Edward Johnson, Adam Kopald, and Donald J. Malouf adds werewolf howls, barking dogs, and flesh being torn asunder for their neat movie noises. Costume designers Alix Friedberg, Lisa A. Doyle, Deborah Hall, Kelly Mijailovic, and Lindsay McCracken give every actress sultry suits and colorful blouses. I love the massive werewolf fuzzy suit. Make-up artists Judy Lovell, Luisa Abel, and Julie L. Pearce create posh looks and bloody wounds alike. In all, Cursed is a ton of fun for a cool werewolf story. There's decently scary werewolf sequences and plenty of funny humor.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Idc what people say. This was a super fun popcorn creature feature. Yea it’s campy and there’s a lot wrong with the plot and the twist villain was dumb, but I enjoyed it. Idk. Maybe I’m just a sucker for horror films but tbh not everything has to be perfect or super serious. I’m glad I saw it. I had a good time.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/15/22

Full Review

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Wes Craven

Director

Christina Ricci

Ellie Hudson

Joshua Jackson

Jake

Jesse Eisenberg

Jimmy Hudson

Judy Greer

Joanie

Scott Baio

Self

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 2/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Paul Arendt

BBC.com

Cursed is no Scream, but it is at least a healthy yelp.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 29, 2005

Full Review

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Genre fans and newcomers alike should skip this monstrosity and go rent Ginger Snaps instead.

Rated: 1/5

Mar 7, 2005

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

After a promising start, Cursed rapidly self-destructs and ends up in complete ruin.

Rated: 1.5/4

May 16, 2022

Full Review

Jason Adams

My New Plaid Pants

The big transformation scene was like watching a cartoon Popple emerge

Jul 6, 2021

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

A film that is overshadowed by its admittedly tumultuous production history and horror stories of studio interference. It's still not a good movie, though.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 30, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

In Los Angeles, siblings Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg) come across an accident on Mulholland Drive. As they try to help the woman caught in the wreckage, a ferocious creature attacks them, devouring the woman and scratching the terrified siblings. They slowly discover that the creature was a werewolf and that they have fallen victim to a deadly curse. Now that they have been sliced by the werewolf's claws, they will be transformed into werewolves themselves.

Director: Wes Craven
Executive Producer: David Crockett, Andrew Rona, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Brad Weston
Screenwriter: Kevin Williamson, Kevin Williamson
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Dimension Films, Outerbanks Entertainment, Craven-Maddalena Films
Rating: PG-13 (Horror Violence|Brief Drug References|Terror|Language|Nudity|Some Sexual References)
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 25, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.3M
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS, Dolby SRD, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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