A good horror flick is hard to come by. Cursed, the newest creation of Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson, of Scream fame, does not escape the mediocrity that plagues the horror genre today. Basically, it is one big cliché after another. From the 16-24 demographic band at the beginning of the movie, to the cliché brother and sister brought together by disaster, the fun never ends.

The plot is a recycled version of Teen Wolf, starring Michael J. Fox, 1985, Ginger Snaps , 2001, and other assorted horror and suspense movies. Brother Jimmy, played by Jesse Eisenberg, and sister Ellie, played by Christina Ricci, have an unfortunate car accident which leads to a werewolf attack.

Within a few days they are experiencing strange new powers. Jimmy uses his powers to cream guys on the wrestling team, just like Fox did on the basketball team in Teen Wolf.

Ellie finds it hard to control her monstrous hormones and lust at the office, much like the character Brigette in Ginger Snaps. While it was somewhat entertaining to watch, I couldn’t help but think back to the movies that got it right the first time.

Aside from its dreadful plot, a stark contrast to the usually satirical and witty writing of Williamson, Cursed featured several other problems, such as bad jokes, unimpressive camera work, disappointing special effects and scary scenes that were not scary are just some of this film’s shortcomings.

To be fair, Cursed has a few redeeming factors. Depsite the clichés, it would still be entertaining to someone who has not seen many horror movies. Also, there was some gore and violence, though not nearly enough to garner a good review.

Overall, it does not impress. If only Wes had opted for an R rating, he might have garnered an extra star for gore points. Unfortunately, Cursed turned out to be sub par on more than one level. If you think you would enjoy an hour and a half of mind numbing clichés, then check this one out. If; however, you have any taste in movies, stay away from this curse.

I give it two stars.