NOW ON VOD! In writer-director Andrew Chiaramonte’s horror film, Young & Cursed, five strangers are plagued by nightmares of demonic versions of themselves. Drawn together by an unseen and sinister force, they are led to a remote mountain cabin none of them has visited before. Kyra (Madison Hubler), who recently inherited the property from her late grandmother, knows this is more than a mere coincidence. Donny (CJ Malone) is a guilt-ridden young man haunted by the death of a priest; Jason (Stevarion Allen) is a drifter from New Orleans who drowns his pain in music and drugs; Trudy (Morgan Franz) hides deep loneliness behind compulsive sexual desire; Tahoma (Reda Fassi-Fihri) is a Native American who suffers from blood-soaked blackouts, and Maria (Jennifer Rosas) is tormented by visions of herself turning into a monster.
From the moment they arrive at the cabin, there is an uneasiness in the air. The walls bear strange markings, and a dusty journal speaks of a primordial she-demon named Lilith (Britt Crisp). When the group performs a séance to uncover the cabin’s secrets, they unknowingly break a sacred seal, releasing Lilith from her spiritual prison. The atmosphere shifts—lights flicker, doors slam, and ghostly whispers fill the air. Lilith tells the strangers that they will be dead by morning, but the question is, who will be their master? Each of them begins to see distorted reflections of their own faces in mirrors and shadows, as if their inner demons are taking physical form. Fear quickly turns to paranoia, and the strangers must decide whether to trust or turn on one another.
“…five strangers are plagued by nightmares of demonic versions of themselves.”
Chiaramonte conceived Young & Cursed as an exploration of humanity’s eternal struggle between good and evil. He depicts demonic possession as a battle from within rather than as a traditional exorcism tale. With the lead antagonist Lilith, Chiaramonte drew from biblical mythology and Jungian psychology, portraying her as the first woman of Eden who refused submission and was demonized for her defiance. From here, the film examines how trauma, guilt, and desire can act as gateways for darkness to take root in the human soul. Here, he uses horror to confront the terrifying possibility that evil doesn’t invade us; rather, it awakens within us.
To me, this horror film is perfectly suited for a Gen Z audience. It addresses many of the issues and concerns plaguing the youth today. There’s a scene just into the second act where everyone’s personal issues are set aside as Tahoma laments about how Native Americans have been treated since the arrival of the first settlers. They stole our land and enslaved us. Jason’s ancestors were enslaved. As a woman, Trudy is sexually ensloved and controlled by men. Maria lives in a country that doesn’t want her. But what is the relationship between the darkness of your past and the darkness in your life today?
Young & Cursed is a microbudget indie making good use of off-the-shelf visual and sound effects. Shot in an actual cabin in the woods, director Chiaramonte pushes against the limitations of his environment to deliver a full-blown spiritual horror film. Also, the cast is young. Their lack of experience is overcome by their passion to tell this story. Young & Cursed has the charm of a modern-day B-movie. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that, as individuals, we are more defined by our present circumstances than by the past. While I firmly hold that belief, film — especially horror — is duty-bound to explore the ideas of victimhood and overcoming evil in its storytelling, and Chiaramonte does exactly that.
"…duty-bound to explore the ideas of victimhood and overcoming evil in its storytelling..."
