The Damned

Eva, a young widow living in the 19th century, finds herself isolated in a remote Arctic bay, where she oversees a small winter fishing outpost inherited after her husband, Magnus, lost his life in a shipwreck on the jagged rocks known as the Teeth. The outpost is cut off from civilization, requiring her and her crew to endure the brutal cold and sparse resources during the long polar winter. Her crew includes helmsman Ragnar, played by Siobhan Finneran, alongside other sailors such as Daníel, Hákon, Jónas, Skúli, and Aron, portrayed by Joe Cole, Turlough Convery, and others.

As supplies begin to run dangerously low, the crew resorts to desperate measures—at one point, even resorting to eating bait to survive. Their bleak situation is worsened when they witness a shipwreck at the Teeth, a tragic event that leaves some survivors stranded amidst the treacherous rocks. Despite their limited resources and growing dangers, Eva is reluctant but ultimately decides not to rescue the survivors, leaving them to their fates.

The situation takes a turn when a barrel of salt pork from the wreck washes ashore, prompting Eva to lead a daring, risky night-time expedition to search for more supplies. During this hazardous hunt, the crew recovers a crate containing essential provisions like lamp oil and brandy, but they are quickly confronted by the desperate survivors clinging to the rocks. Chaos erupts as these survivors attempt to board the crew’s small boat, leading to violent clashes in which Lewis Gribben’s character Daníel kills one of them. Ragnar’s fate takes a tragic turn when he is swept into the freezing sea, forcing the crew to make the heartbreaking decision to abandon him and escape with their limited supplies.

The following day, the crew’s nightmare deepens as bodies from the wreck begin washing ashore. Strange phenomena come into play: one corpse is discovered with live eels inside its stomach, hinting at unnatural forces at work. Helga, the cautious cook played by Siobhan Finneran, becomes increasingly wary of local folklore about the draugr—reanimated, revenant creatures from Norse myth known for embodying hatred and vengeance. She painstakingly takes precautions to prevent what she fears might come alive from the burial site nearby. Meanwhile, Eva experiences vivid dreams and visions of a dark, menacing figure, intensifying her sense of unease.

As the crew tries to maintain hope with a successful catch, disaster strikes again when their fish stores mysteriously vanish overnight. Helga then disappears, and her trail leads the crew to the burial site, where they examine coffins—only to find one empty, fueling paranoia and paranoia-driven delusions among the crew members. Tensions burst into violence: Hákon attempts to strangle Daníel but is ultimately killed by Aron, and later, Daníel attacks Jónas before taking his own life by slitting his throat, engulfing the crew in chaos and despair.

In their frantic efforts to confront the growing supernatural menace, Eva leads a dangerous quest to face the draugr. Tragically, Skúli falls to his death at the fog-covered cemetery, and Eva discovers Helga’s frozen corpse. The draugr ambushes her when she returns to the cabin, but she manages to shoot and burn the creature, and then sets the cabin ablaze, believing she has finally eliminated the threat.

In a disturbing revelation, it’s disclosed that Eva had killed a desperate shipwreck survivor who, speaking in Basque, had offered her a gold pocket watch in exchange for her boat. Unable to understand his language, Eva shot him and set him on fire, adding a layer of tragic guilt to her ordeal.

Throughout her harrowing journey, Eva confronts the terrifying power of the supernatural, human desperation, and guilt, battling to survive amid the icy wasteland’s deadly mysteries. Her story weaves themes of isolation, folklore, and madness, creating a haunting tale of survival and inner demons in the unforgiving Arctic environment.

Last Updated: August 19, 2025 at 05:15