The Cursed Land (2024)

Good enough.

The Cursed Land is a slow-paced supernatural horror movie with a good, engaging storyline. It has a conclusive ending with a small twist, making you wonder if there will be a continuation. It's not that scary, but I was totally immersed from the beginning until the end.

Even though the story progresses slowly, it has no scenes to skip. It takes time for the story and reveals to unfold, but it's gripping and interesting. The slow progression creates an eerie atmosphere and gives the big picture of what the characters experienced. The movie shows enough information to feed our curiosity regarding the supernatural occurrences, which leaves us satisfied with the ending.

I like how the movie doesn't rely on jumpscares to incite fear. To me, the most chilling scene is when Mit falls asleep, and his shadow doesn't move. Such subtle details build a sinister mood and rouse fear. Additionally, I like how The Cursed Land captures how people of different cultures and religious beliefs live together in Thailand.

The casts are excellent. They didn't overdo it. The camerawork is great, and the cinematography, especially of the countryside, is beautiful. The sound effects are good, and there's no soundtrack. However, they can do more with the djinn's design and visual effects. Sometimes, the djinn moves robotically, making it look like a humanoid instead of a supernatural being.

Although it has a clear story progression, it's slightly anti-climatic, and the exorcism scenes aren't as suspenseful as the build-ups. I wish they did more with the last exorcism scene. It was unsettling, but I expected more resistance, considering the lengths people had to go to suppress the evil spirit.

Overall, it was a good watch. The Cursed Land isn't a must-watch, but it's worthy enough to be added to your watchlist.

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