Some films develop a reputation for being cursed. Actors might have died on set, everything went wrong, or maybe they found real dead bodies on set. Whatever the case, certain films have a legacy behind them and a lot of baggage. The premise of Shudder's new original documentary series, Cursed Films, covers the legacy of five iconic films -- The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Omen, Twilight Zone: The Movie, and The Crow -- and asks if these films truly were cursed or if the legacy far outshines the reality.
However, does the documentary series succeed? While this series is a great primer into the legacy of these cursed films, the information is limited by the short run-time of each episode. At thirty minutes, each episode can only cover the surface details of the supposed curses. And this results in episodes spending more time focused on the legacy and influence of said film.
The series features a mix of interviews and archival footage from the time of the movie's release, as well as, when needed, footage from the movies themselves. Every individual involved contributes incredibly interesting information, from Linda Blair recalling particularly traumatic moments from filming The Exorcist (or refusing to answer some questions because of how emotionally painful they are) to journalists recalling investigations correlated to the film. Most interesting of all, however, are the interviews with the people who first saw and experienced the film, contributing to the legacy of each cursed film.
One of Cursed Films' greatest strengths and weaknesses is the run-time of each episode. Because the episodes are so short, you hear a lot of information in a very brief period of time. While the series benefits from its concise and brief delivery, cramming a ton of information into a small package, part of you wishes each episode could further expand upon the information presented.
In the first episode, centered around The Exorcist, we hear about the harsh production of the film, thanks to director William Friedkin's intense and violent directing style. While the film briefly touches upon the various deaths that occurred during filming (most notably, actors Jack MacGowran and Vasiliki Maliaros), the most fascinating and in-depth research of the film's production is done when they discuss and analyze a rumor that an actual murderer appears in the film -- which turns out, remarkably, to be true.
However, this series is less interested in discussing the actual curse of the film, so much as it is interested in discussing the legacy of a curse. The documentary series sees stories about curses as part of the film's lore and legacy. The reason audiences look for curses in films is far more compelling material than merely saying the curse exists. There are old documentaries about the events that transpired behind the scenes on a film, including one E! True Hollywood Story documentary surrounding the Poltergeist Curse, that go into the specific events of the curse in far more detail.
And this ultimately makes sense. Cursed Films isn't interested in sensationalizing film curses. It's interested in the very opposite: de-sensationalizing them. It is not here to feed into false narratives about demons dwelling in the celluloid of the film, but rather the straight-forward, rational reality surrounding films about demons, ghosts, and ghouls.
So you need to approach Cursed Films less as a detailed look into how a film is cursed. It's more a documentary about how the public is fascinated by curses or how the "curse" adds to a film's legacy. In this sense, Shudder's documentary series is an absolute success. However, you need to know what sort of documentary it is before watching. If you approach Cursed Films expecting a detailed look at how a film is cursed, you will be disappointed. If you want something more about why we want to believe in cursed films, you will find something very informative.
The first season of Cursed Films is now streaming on Shudder with new episodes released every Thursday.