Cursed
A werewolf loose in Los Angeles changes the lives of three young adults who, after being mauled by the beast, learn that the only way to break the curse put upon them is to kill the one who started it all.
The film disappointed at the box office against its respectable budget of $35.0M, earning $19.3M globally (-45% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unique voice within the horror genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Cursed (2005) exemplifies carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Wes Craven's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 37 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ellie works as a publicist in LA while caring for her awkward younger brother Jimmy, who is bullied at school. Their lives are ordinary but unfulfilled, with both siblings struggling to find their place.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Ellie and Jimmy encounter a car accident on Mulholland Drive and try to help. They are viciously attacked by a werewolf creature that bites both of them before fleeing into the night, leaving them wounded and traumatized.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Ellie and Jimmy accept that they've been cursed and must find and kill the werewolf that attacked them to break the curse. They commit to hunting the creature, crossing from denial into active pursuit of the supernatural threat., moving from reaction to action.
At 49 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat The siblings discover that Jake Taylor himself is the werewolf who attacked them. This false defeat reveals their romantic connection is entangled with the curse, raising the stakes dramatically and complicating their mission to break the curse by killing the werewolf., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 73 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jimmy is captured by Jake and faces death as the full transformation looms. Ellie realizes she may lose her brother and must fully embrace her werewolf nature to save him. Their humanity appears lost, and the curse seems permanent., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 78 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Ellie realizes she must use the werewolf powers as a weapon rather than fight against them. She accepts her curse temporarily to gain the strength to defeat Jake, synthesizing her human determination with supernatural ability to save Jimmy and break the curse., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Cursed's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Cursed against these established plot points, we can identify how Wes Craven utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Cursed within the horror genre.
Wes Craven's Structural Approach
Among the 14 Wes Craven films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Cursed represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Wes Craven filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Lake Placid, Cat's Eye. For more Wes Craven analyses, see A Nightmare on Elm Street, Vampire in Brooklyn and New Nightmare.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Ellie works as a publicist in LA while caring for her awkward younger brother Jimmy, who is bullied at school. Their lives are ordinary but unfulfilled, with both siblings struggling to find their place.
Theme
A fortune teller warns about the beast within, suggesting that what we fear most about ourselves might actually be our greatest strength. This foreshadows the siblings' journey to accept their werewolf nature.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Ellie and Jimmy's relationship, their mundane lives in Los Angeles, Jimmy's problems with bullies at school, and Ellie's romantic interest in Jake. The siblings are portrayed as outsiders in their own ways.
Disruption
Ellie and Jimmy encounter a car accident on Mulholland Drive and try to help. They are viciously attacked by a werewolf creature that bites both of them before fleeing into the night, leaving them wounded and traumatized.
Resistance
The siblings begin experiencing strange changes: enhanced strength, heightened senses, and aggressive impulses. They debate what's happening to them, research werewolf lore, and struggle with whether to believe the supernatural explanation for their transformations.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Ellie and Jimmy accept that they've been cursed and must find and kill the werewolf that attacked them to break the curse. They commit to hunting the creature, crossing from denial into active pursuit of the supernatural threat.
Mirror World
Ellie's relationship with Jake Taylor deepens as her werewolf nature makes her more confident and assertive. Jake represents the normal life she wants, while also being connected to the supernatural mystery they must solve.
Premise
The siblings investigate werewolf attacks in LA, use their newfound powers (Jimmy stands up to bullies, Ellie becomes more assertive at work), and track down suspects. The horror-comedy premise plays out with supernatural detective work and body horror.
Midpoint
The siblings discover that Jake Taylor himself is the werewolf who attacked them. This false defeat reveals their romantic connection is entangled with the curse, raising the stakes dramatically and complicating their mission to break the curse by killing the werewolf.
Opposition
Jake hunts the siblings as their transformations intensify. Their curse worsens with each passing full moon. Ellie is torn between her feelings for Jake and the need to kill him. The werewolf attacks escalate, and the siblings' grip on their humanity weakens.
Collapse
Jimmy is captured by Jake and faces death as the full transformation looms. Ellie realizes she may lose her brother and must fully embrace her werewolf nature to save him. Their humanity appears lost, and the curse seems permanent.
Crisis
Ellie faces her darkest moment, contemplating whether to give in to the beast or fight for her humanity. She mourns what she and Jimmy have lost and struggles with the reality that she must kill someone she cared for to save her brother.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Ellie realizes she must use the werewolf powers as a weapon rather than fight against them. She accepts her curse temporarily to gain the strength to defeat Jake, synthesizing her human determination with supernatural ability to save Jimmy and break the curse.
Synthesis
Final confrontation with Jake in werewolf form. Ellie and Jimmy work together using their enhanced abilities and knowledge of werewolf lore. They kill Jake using silver, breaking the curse and ending the werewolf lineage terrorizing Los Angeles.
Transformation
Ellie and Jimmy return to their normal lives but transformed: Jimmy is confident and no longer bullied, Ellie is assertive and self-assured. They've literally and metaphorically conquered their inner beasts, becoming stronger versions of themselves through their ordeal.