It feels almost unfair on any fantasy or medieval show to be released after Game of Thrones and The Witcher. Older shows like BBC’s Merlin and Robin Hood are saved by the fact they were released before the two shows. Cursed, however, will now be watched by viewers who most likely watch Game of Thrones and maybe The Witcher and that isn’t good for Cursed.
Cursed is a new fantasy Netflix series which follows the story of Nimue (played by Katherine Langford), a girl who is Fae kind, a type of magical people in this re-imagining of the Arthurian legend. The series is based on the graphic novel of the same name which was created by Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller. Nimue’s people are being killed throughout the land by the Red Paladins and when her village is attacked she is given an ancient sword by her dying mother to take to the legendary Merlin (Played by one of the many Skarsgard brothers Gustaf Skarsgard). It is a coming of age story that will ultimately end with Nimue, the magical and powerful heroine, becoming the lady of the lake with the help of Arthur by her side whilst she fights off the Red Paladins and their King Uther Pendragon.
The Arthurian tale is one that many productions have attempted to best over the past twenty years. Most recently we had King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, a film that bombed at the box office but I actually rather enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of the standard Arthurian tale then Cursed most likely isn’t for you, it takes the characters and places them in all sorts of different places that you may not like. For example, Arthur is a sellsword and Merlin is a drunk which given the times could be accurate but the tales tell a different story.
If you loved Game of Thrones’ character arcs and build up then Cursed isn’t for you either. With the five episodes I got to watch (half the first season) I couldn’t tell you much about the Fae kind except for the fact that the Red Paladins hate them and want to wipe them out and that they are a more forest race of people rather than living in castles. Cursed may be the type of series that gets better in the second half of the season but the start isn’t great. The series is set amongst this battle and it is both important to the entire show but also skipped over like skipping a stone on water.
The series will dip into the troubles of the Fae and why they’re important when it feels like something else needs to happen and is simply a by the books setting for the story to take place in. Nimue doesn’t mention them or seem to care too much about them unless they are either right in front of her or the story feels like it’s about to come to a halt. There is a lot going on and not a lot of explanation, other fantasy series succeeded by informing you of everything but leaving little treats for the viewer to guess and find out later.
Cursed is a young adult series, think of a CW tv series on a Netflix budget. This alone will most likely make a lot of viewers turn the series off as the usual tropes of a young adult series are seen in each episode. There’s everything from potential multiple love interests to some awkward acting. My least favourite moments of the show are all due to the writing of the show.
There are a few moments in the show where the writing is awkwardly bad and mixed with the acting in the scene it really doesn’t go well for the series. There is a serious moment where a young Arthur gets very loudly slapped across the face but it’s completely out of the blue and I couldn’t help but laugh instead of feeling sorry for him. Another example is one moment Nimue really badly injures herself to get into a castle only to escape said castle five minutes later having gained nothing.
When researching the series I found out that Netflix had acquired the rights and started production on the series before the graphic novel was released. The graphic novel and its art by the great Frank Miller is reviewed fairly well, the art especially. It is even included in the series, instead of editing scenes together like a normal show, Cursed instead transitions between scenes using artwork. At first, it’s bewildering as it catches you completely off guard and then it begins to only occur sometimes as filler to explain what was happening before the scene you’re about to watch…which is cheating? Or bad writing? I’m not sure but there is a reason why other series aren’t edited the same way Cursed is and Cursed is the reason why. Nice to look at but obviously just something put there to make the show ‘unique’.
All of the negative comments aside there are a few good aspects to Cursed. The Series’ score is nice to listen to and fits well with the overall aesthetic of the series. Some of the action is the high budget action and visuals that Netflix pays for, it’s no The Witcher but it will do while we wait for the next season of that series. Cursed did start to get a little bit more interesting on the fifth episode but after that, it is your decision to find out. Katherine Langford is great as Nimue, she is strong and a clear heroine. Gustaf Skarsgard is intriguing as Merlin and Peter Mullan and his great accent is menacing as the leader of the Red Paladins.
I like the Arthurian tale, something about fantasy Britain is always cool and legendary. However Cursed with its focus on young adult viewers, bad writing and poor creative choices falls onto the wrong side of film and TV’s exploration of the legend. I imagine Cursed would be watched by many people still but if you see Frank Miller’s name and a fantasy series that could be like Game of Thrones and The Witcher don’t get your hopes up. I stand by my thinking that the box office bomb King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is still the best Arthur tale told in recent years.