The Accursed is a fair entry into the haunted house/evil presence type of film. It slowly starts but manages to be entertaining. For example, it does well in creating an atmosphere that makes you feel as if something is right around the corner. Additionally, even though it doesn’t veer away from the troupes of the genre, such as making you want to yell at the screen because the characters keep staying in the house, it still manages to capture your attention. All things considered, The Accursed is worth watching if you’re a fan of horror movies.

Elly returns home shortly after the passing of her mother. While staying in the family home to pack things up, she starts to experience weird things around the house. Someone calls the landline, claiming to be a family friend and requests her to be a live in nurse for the weekend. After some reluctance, she agrees and soon comes to realize that something dark and evil is waiting for her.

Another strong part of the movie is the acting. It’s all around solid and without any real weak links. Elly (Sarah Grey) is good as the daughter with loads of regrets even if it leads to questionable choices. Best friend Beth (Sarah Dumont) is probably the strongest of all the roles as she seems the most grounded and tends to say exactly what the audience is thinking. Finally, we have Alma (Mena Suvari) as the family friend with demons of her own. She brings the right amount on menace and nuance to the character.

The Accursed is a fairly standard horror movie in terms of technical aspects. The cinematography is nothing exceptional, but it doesn’t have any major flaws. The acting is solid, but again, nothing noteworthy. The writing is serviceable, but there are no truly memorable moments or lines of dialogue. However, one area it really excels is in its creature design. The monster is disturbing, and they help to elevate the film above its decent technical aspects. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into making this creature, and it really helps to make the film more effective than it otherwise would be.

Sometimes it’s hard to go into a film not knowing what you’re going to get, but that’s not the case with this movie. You know the drill: there’s a formula that’s been set up by others before it, and this film doesn’t stray from that. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. The Accursed is almost like your favorite comfort food. Sometimes you just want to watch a movie to pass the time and be entertained, and this film does just that. The strong performances by the cast help to raise it even higher, even if the script sometimes seems at odds with the acting. All in all, it’s a solid film that will leave you feeling entertained and satisfied.

7 out of 10