We're just over a week into 2025, and Hollywood is already setting the table with an embarrassment of studio horror choices. In the next few weeks, audiences will be able to watch movies like Companion, The Monkey, Wolf Man, and Heart Eyes, each of which will be given a wide release across the country. But let's not forget this month's true starting gun: Thordur Palsson's The Damned, a period horror film that kicked off the 2025 Hollywood release calendar in over 700 theaters nationwide.
The year is 18-something-something, and after the sudden death of her husband, young widow Eva (Odessa Young) does her best to carry on his legacy. She still operates his remote fishing outpost, caring for the ragtag group of fishermen who make their living in the Arctic shore. But when a boating accident forces Eva to make a terrible choice, Eva must come face to face with the draugr, the drowned Icelandic demon who wants her to atone for her sins.
In this short expert from the podcast, Matt Donato explains why The Damned is a horror film that works for both the midnighter and the slow burn crowds:
"I think we all put a barrier between Donato and Monagle movies sometimes. But the truth is, I like these kinds of movies as well. There are plenty of [throwbacks], that if you transport me to the correct era — if you transport me to this really chilly, atmospheric, Nordic place — I'm in for the ride."
The Heretic episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or the podcast platform of your choice.
