Curses will often be used in horror movies to quickly explain the paranormal entities or situations scattered throughout. Some movies employ the curse concept effectively by detailing its purpose for existing, but others will fall short and include it merely for the sake of advancing the plot.
No matter the reason for a curse's placement in a movie, it will usually serve to inject an otherworldly element of horror. Some curses are inflicted on the villains and will make them more powerful, while others, if applied to the protagonist, will render them a target for a greater evil. A curse can take several forms and can be quite dangerous depending on what they can do.
5 The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit - Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005)
Tottington Hall residents usually come together annually to see who was able to grow the largest vegetable within the space of a year. It's normally a time for excitement, but rabbits have been popping up all over town and eating the townsfolk's hard work. Thankfully, Wallace and Gromit have devised a way to safely extract these adorable creatures.
In the hope of providing a long-term solution to Tottington Hall's problems, Wallace creates a device that can alter a rabbit's mind. His goal is to stop rabbits from enjoying vegetables, but things take a turn when Wallace's mind becomes infused with that of a test subject. As a result, he gains the ability to transform into a were-rabbit. For the rest of the movie's runtime, Wallace parades through Tottington Hall, eating all vegetables in his path. Though his affliction is remedied toward the movie's climax, it could have ruined one of humanity's most vital food sources if left unchecked.
4 The Beach's Curse - Old (2021)
Old centers around Guy and Prisca Cappa and their two children, Maddox and Trent. Guy and Prisca are in the middle of a divorce and decide to go on a tropical vacation before cutting ties, permitting their children one last chance to enjoy their time together as a family. Upon their arrival, the resort manager invites the family to a remote beach, claiming it to be a must-see. The Cappas accept the invitation only to find themselves fighting for their lives.
The beach in question houses an otherworldly property; all those who venture there will age rapidly and die depending on how long they stay. The only way to escape is to swim through a nearby coral reef, but doing so isn't as easy as it sounds. Out of all the groups that arrive, the only two members to survive are Maddox and Trent. They went from being children to middle-aged in the space of a day, so another hour on this shore may very well have meant their deaths. Not only is this curse dangerous, but the speed at which it affects its victims is terrifying.
3 It Follows (2014)
It Follows documents the life of Jaime Height and the lengths she was forced to go to in order to ensure her survival. Her story begins on a relatively happy note; she meets a kind man named Hugh and quickly forms a relationship with him. After two dates, however, Hugh incapacitates Jaime with chloroform and straps her to a wheelchair. He spends the next few minutes explaining to Jaime that he passed a curse onto her through intercourse. Jaime, shocked by Hugh's sudden change in character, refuses to believe him until she sees the proof of his words.
Jaime spends the rest of the narrative attempting to flee from this otherworldly being, but each of her attempts fails. The entity is determined to murder her, forcing Jaime to devise a new way to free herself from its clutches. What makes this curse particularly dangerous is that only the sufferer can see its effects. Therefore, it is entirely up to Jaime to ensure that she retains enough distance from it at all times, otherwise, her life will be forfeit.
2 The Curse Of The Aztec Gold - Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)
The Curse of the Black Pearl follows Jack Sparrow's journey to reclaim his stolen vessel. A dastardly crew has laid claim to the Pearl, leaving Jack to rely on other, less reliable means of travel. His ventures result in him meeting Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner, an unlikely duo who shares similar goals. As a child, Elizabeth discovered Will adrift at sea. Upon pulling him aboard her vessel, she noticed a strange medallion around the young boy's neck and chose to conceal it to prevent any unwanted questions.
Years later, Elizabeth is captured by Jack's mutineers and taken aboard the Pearl where she learns a frightening truth. The pirates who have kidnapped her are victims of an Aztec curse and are therefore unable to die. Ridding the curse requires 882 pieces of Aztec treasure to be returned to the Isla de Muerta, but not all of them are easily obtained. The most dangerous aspect of this curse is that its removal can kill its victims if they are wounded.
1 Hom-Dai - The Mummy (1999)
Before becoming one of the most iconic mummies in cinematic history, High Priest Imhotep was nothing more than an ordinary man with a sinister goal. He committed treason by having an affair with the Pharoah's mistress, Anck-su-namun. The pair later killed the Pharoah to ensure their survival, but their plan was quickly thwarted by the Pharoah's bodyguards.
Imhotep was placed in a sarcophagus and covered in flesh-eating beetles as punishment for his actions. Cursed with immortality, he was forced to live for 700 years until Evelyn Carnahan accidentally released him. His freedom brought with it a devastating plague that quickly spread throughout Egypt. The Hom-Dai curse is one of the most dangerous curses to exist in fiction. By inflicting Imhotep with it, the Pharoah's bodyguards granted him a baffling level of power and subsequently doomed future generations.