Cursed - PG-13
Common Sense Note
As horror movies go, this PG-13 one is pretty tame compared to the R-rated gore-fests out there, but unfortunately it's just a really bad movie. Teens are more likely to laugh at the low-budget special effects than have nightmares.
Parents need to know that there are some bloody killings, but that the violence is not as graphic as what appears in R-rated movies. There is some strong language and a few naked backsides. A group of high schoolers gang up on Jimmy and accuse him of being gay and use derogatory language about his supposed homosexuality. It turns out, however, that one of these "cool kids" is actually gay, and he makes a pass at Jimmy.
Families who see this movie could talk about how the parent-less Ellie and Jimmy take care of each other. They could also discuss the way the movie handles homophobia.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Beth Pratt
CURSED is another really dumb horror movie, this time focusing on werewolves. Of course, it's hard to tell if the movie is supposed to be a campy, sarcastic film like Scream or a true horror movie. Although it offers funny touches like a Scott Baio cameo, it's not clever and biting enough to be a send-up of horror movies, but it's not scary enough to be a horror movie, either. Basically, it's a just a mess of a movie -- that's the best that can be said about it.
Here's the premise: Twenty-something Ellie (Christina Ricci) and her teen brother Jimmy get into a car accident on a dark, winding road. They try to free the other driver of the car (Shannon Elizabeth), only to see her get dragged away by a large wolf. Ellie and Jimmy get scratched by the wolf, but don't think anything of it right away. After all, Ellie is focused on work and her new boyfriend Jake (Joshua Jackson) and Jimmy is busy trying to make it through the horrors of high school, where he is the victim of some bullying boys from the wrestling team. But soon tell-tale signs that Ellie and Jimmy were infected by a werewolf start emerging, and the siblings find themselves fighting the urge to go to the dark side.
The movie, which was originally rated R, was reshot and then edited down to become a PG-13. It appears that a sensible plot and any kind of character development were edited out as well (what happened to Ellie and Jimmy's parents, by the way?). And they must have run out of money before they hired the special effects team, because the computer-generated werewolves look fake and decidedly not scary. They would have been better off not showing the werewolves at all, because then the anticipation of seeing the beasts would create some real interest and suspense.
Bottom line: If teens are looking for some real thrills, they're better off seeing a movie like The Ring.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentA bare male and female backside. A gay teen makes a pass at another boy. Ellie asks her teen brother, "Why can't you download porn like the other teenaged boys?" |
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ViolenceCharacters are bitten, scratched, and ripped open by werewolves -- blood is shown. A werewolf is shot many times. There's a violent car crash. A few suspenseful scenes. |
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LanguageSome strong language, including frequent use of "s---t". |
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Social BehaviorHigh school kids pick on a boy and accuse him of being gay (and use derogatory language about his supposed homosexuality). |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoSocial drinking and a brief reference to crack. |
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