If you’re a fan of Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, then you won’t want to miss Shudder’s excellent documentary series Cursed Films. Before you start thinking of the likes of Waterworld, World War Z, or Terry Gilliam’s first attempt at The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, those movies just had nightmarish productions due to underbaked scripts, spoilt actors, and shocking bad luck. The subjects of Shudder’s Cursed Films had an altogether different kind of force working against them.
Each half-hour episode is devoted to one movie and tackles the superstition surrounding these movies that have led to them being labeled ‘cursed films.’ The standout episodes included the respectful handling of Brandon Lee’s accidental death while filming The Crow and the more true crime-themed account of the death on the set of The Twilight Zone Movie. Disappointingly, director John Landis (who helmed the fateful first segment of The Twilight Zone Movie) declined to take part in the episode.
It can be challenging to find a new, well-documented true story, and Cursed Films is at its best when it highlights the emotional impact of these events. Aside from a couple of episodes (The Exorcist and The Omen) that are less focused on what happened on the set and more on the superstition, Cursed Films is an enthralling series.
My only complaint about the series is that at 30 minutes an episode, there needs to be more time to delve into everything. As a five-star geek, I thought the 4-hour Nightmare on Elm Street documentary Never Sleep Again could have benefitted from another hour. I kid you not; there is no such thing as a well-made documentary that’s too long. This is a minor quibble in an otherwise outstanding series that is a must-see for anybody with even a passing interest in movies. Plus, there’s already a second season which is available to stream on Shudder.
Cursed Films Series 1 is out now on Blu-ray, and you can win a copy by entering our competition right here!
