VERTICAL will release Thordur Palsson’s ominous and chilling thriller The Damned in Irish and UK cinemas from 10th January 2025
Starring Odessa Young (The Staircase, Mothering Sunday) and Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders, Gangs of London), The Damned is a tense psychological horror film that follows 19th-century widow, Eva. Tasked with making an impossible choice when a ship sinks off the coast of her isolated fishing outpost during the middle of an especially cruel winter.
With provisions running low, Eva and her close-knit community must choose between rescuing the shipwrecked crew and prioritizing their own survival. Facing the consequences of their decision and tormented by guilt, the inhabitants wrestle with a mounting sense of dread and begin to believe they are all being punished for their choices.
Following its premiere in November, the Cork International Film Festival 2024 awarded an Honourable Mention to The Damned commenting ‘The Damned is a juggernaut of a film, breathing fresh life into a well-trodden genre. Its powerful use of the landscape and compelling performances make it truly deserving of this Special Mention.’
Inspired by the Westfjords of Iceland in the 1800s, The Damned takes place in an unforgiving, almost unliveable setting, yet one that is steeped in immense beauty and turbulent folklore.
For director Thordur Palsson (The Valhalla Murders), himself a native Icelander, it was this folklore and mythology that led him to develop the idea that would later become The Damned. Growing up in Iceland, family members would often share gruesome tales of ghosts, demons and evil spirits. As he recalls, ‘Every Icelander has heard all kinds of different variations of the truth – all elements of our history that have been passed down. One of these stories was about a ship that sank off the shores of Iceland, with all survivors being killed by the natives. Having known of this, I started to write a story relating to it and kept fleshing it out, adding darker elements.’
Rooted in the depths of Norse Mythology, The Damned features haunting performances from Rory McCann (Games of Thrones), Siobhán Finneran (Happy Valley), Turlough Convery (Belfast), Lewis Gribben (Somewhere Boy), Francis Magee (The Tourist) and Mícheál Óg Lane (Calvary).
The film is proudly supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and was produced by Emilie Jouffroy and Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl for Elation Pictures, John Keville and Conor Barry for Wild Atlantic Pictures and Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page and Nate Kamiya producing for Ley Line Entertainment.
The Damned opens exclusively in Irish & UK cinemas from 10 January 2025
Distributed By: Vertical
Theatrical Release Date: 10th January 2025
Short Synopsis: The Damned, an ominous and chilling thriller, follows Eve and her crew as they come across a shipwreck and are faced with the moral dilemma to either help, or prioritise their own survival.
Directed By: Thordur Palsson
Screenplay: Jamie Hannigan
Cast: Odessa Young, Joe Cole, Lewis Gribben, Siobhan Finneran, Francis Magee, Rory McCann, Turlough Convery and Mícheál Óg Lane
Run Time: 89 mins
Cert: TBC
The Damned is produced by Emilie Jouffroy and Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl for Elation Pictures, John Keville and Conor Barry for Wild Atlantic Pictures and Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page and Nate Kamiya producing for Ley Line Entertainment.
The film is proudly supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Wallimage and the UK Global Screen Fund financed by the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport and administered by the BFI
