Odessa Young plays a widow suffering the consequences of an impossible choice in “The Damned”, a period psychological horror thriller from director Thordur Palsson. Set in the 19th century, the story (written for the screen by Jamie Hannigan) builds much of its tension through its harsh setting. It often implies more than it shows which fuels much of the dread. The rest comes down to Palsson’s ability to sustain a chilling atmosphere for the duration.

Young’s character is named Eva. She and her husband Magnus purchased a fishing station along the icy Icelandic coast. It’s a frigid and forbidding place, but one that offers tremendous opportunity for those able to endure the cold. When we first meet Eva, Magnus has already died in a tragic accident. Determined to keep her husband’s dream going, Eva opens it up to fisherman who come to fish during the winter months. There they stay, snowed in until Spring when they can take their earnings and reunite with their loved ones.

One afternoon Eva and the fisherman witness a ship sinking out in the icy bay. They’re left with a harrowing choice. If they venture out into the tumultuous sea to help they run the risk of crashing their boat against the rocks. And if they do save the sailors and bring them to shore, will they have enough food to make it through the winter? A pained Eva decides not to send their boat out to help which leads to some devastating consequences.

Their fateful choice weighs heavier on them after bodies from the shipwreck begin washing up on the shore. To make matters worse, the camp’s hyper-superstitious cook Helga (Siobhan Finneran) ominously warns that vengeful spirits have been unleashed due to their inaction. The fisherman are quick to dismiss her claims as old wives’ tales. But as a series of horrifying events befall the small group, we’re left to wonder if they’re cracking under the weight of guilt or if a supernatural evil is in their midst.

Even with its lean 89-minute running time, “The Damned” is a bit of a slow-burn. The film has its grisly moments which fit well and have a savagely potent effect. But Palsson is less interested in spectacle and more into patiently developing an intensifying sense of fear, tension, and paranoia. And while Hannigan’s script can be light on characterization, there remains a human pulse which is seen most in the way guilt gnaws away at Eva and the men. It’s mental and physical toll is crushing.

Filmed on location in Iceland, “The Damned” uses its distinct setting as a key means of defining its characters’ bleak and pitiless circumstances. DP Eli Arenson’s high-contrast cinematography is bone-chilling in a variety of ways. It effectively captures the forbidding Westfjords winter while also setting up some of the movie’s biggest frights. A case could be made that Palsson leans it tad too much on the visuals and the atmosphere they help create. But they’re essential in making “The Damned” a truly visceral experience.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS