Film

Cursed

Name: Cursed
Genre: Horror
Released: 2005
Cast: Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson, Jesse Eisenberg, Judy Greer, Scott Baio

Other titles called Cursed: the 2020 series (Netflix).

Wes Craven's 2005 werewolf film follows three LA twenty-somethings cursed after a mauling, forced to hunt the original beast to break the spell. It's a stylish, gory creature feature that trades scares for dark humor and soap-opera melodrama. For fans of horror that doesn't take itself too seriously, or anyone who loves a '00s vibe.

TMDb rating

2.7

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A Canadian indie werewolf film with genuine bite—literally and emotionally. Ginger's transformation becomes a metaphor for female adolescence, mixing horror with dark comedy and real dread. Far smarter than its premise.

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The Howling1981

Joe Dante's shapeshifter classic that defined modern werewolf cinema. Gruesome practical effects, genuine scares, and a sly sense of humor about horror conventions. Peak '80s creature-feature craft.

But The pacing feels glacial by modern standards, and some of the practical effects—impressive then—look dated now in ways that distract.

Near Dark1987

Kathryn Bigelow's vampire western trades Gothic castles for American motels. It's relentlessly tense, visually stylish, and treats the curse as a genuine trap. The family of vampires is unforgettable.

But It's a vampire film, not a werewolf one, so the surface won't feel familiar. Some viewers find the pacing uneven in the middle act.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Cursed

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Hemlock Grove2013

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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse2010

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An American Werewolf in London1981

The definitive dark-comedy werewolf film. Rick Baker's practical effects are grotesque and brilliant, the transformation scene is legendary, and it balances genuine horror with laugh-out-loud moments and melancholy.

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Dog Soldiers2002

British military horror that's basically soldiers versus werewolves in a remote cottage. It's propulsive, funny, low-budget but clever, and takes its absurd premise seriously enough to matter.

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Wolfen1981

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A harrowing Swedish film about a teen trafficked into sexual slavery. It's a curse that feels absolutely real, inescapable, and dehumanizing. Lukas Moodysson directs with heartbreaking clarity and formal precision.

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