Chapter 4. Horror in the IDF
The Specters of Violence in The Damned
Unlike other New Israeli Horror films dealing with the army, The Damned (2018) by Evgeny Ruman, is not a comedy. The film is an intense slow burner relying on atmospherically suggestive psychological horror more than blood and gore. Three soldiers go on a routine tracking mission in the desert. Instead they end up in another realm, facing the specters of violence committed by Israelis against the indigenous Bedouin community in 1948.
Questions for discussion
- Which horror tropes and conventions can you identify in The Damned? Which films does it remind you of?
- What characterizes The Damned as an Israeli film? You may think of the plot, themes, or settings.
- What is the relationship between the local Israeli characteristics and the global horror tropes in The Damned? How does the trope of haunting function in an Israeli setting?
- What was the production history of The Damned? How did it impact the film?
- What was its audience and critical reception?
Availability
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video