Nerdly » ‘Captain Hook: The Cursed Tides’ DVD Review

25th Jul2025

‘Captain Hook: The Cursed Tides’ DVD Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Richard Rowden, Sean Cronin, Munraj Bhachu, Ewen Weatherburn, Destiny Viva, John Craggs, Brandon Ashplant, Cameron Ashplant | Written and Directed by Lars Janssen

It’s not often you get a reinterpretation of Captain Hook that casts him as something approaching a tragic antihero, let alone a horror-tinged outlaw seeking redemption. But Captain Hook: The Cursed Tides, the latest from writer/director Lars Janssen (Underground), leans confidently into this premise, and while not all of it lands, the result is a brisk and moody adventure with just enough bite to keep genre fans intrigued.

Running at a lean 90 minutes, the film opens on a surprisingly visceral note: Hook (Richard Rowden) suffers a brutal defeat at the hands of Admiral Smee (Sean Cronin), who slices off Hook’s hand and leaves him for dead. It’s an origin beat that plays less like swashbuckling fantasy and more like gritty revenge horror. Hook’s retreat to the windswept, fog-bound town of Eldritch Landing feels like it belongs to another world entirely; one haunted by curses, cutthroats, and the ghosts of colonial conquest.

There, he meets Silas Blackweather (Munraj Bhachu), a brooding blacksmith mourning the murder of his sister at Smee’s hands. Their alliance, forged in vengeance but riddled with mistrust, forms the emotional backbone of the film. As they flee through thick woodlands and storm-ravaged coastlines, hunted by Smee’s red-coated soldiers, the film becomes a sort of dark pirate western, all fog, flintlocks, and furtive glances.

Rowden is compelling as Hook – weathered, embittered, and capable of a quiet nobility that never tips into hero worship. He speaks sparingly, which works well given the film’s often minimal dialogue. In fact, some of the most effective sequences are nearly wordless, relying on body language, atmosphere, and a moody score to carry tension. That restraint was unexpected and, as a horror fan, I found it refreshing.

Janssen makes excellent use of location, too. Guernsey’s Castle Cornet and a superb replica of the 18th-century frigate Shtandart give the film visual weight far beyond its budget. The aesthetic, with its grey skies and moss-covered ruins, elevates what is essentially an extended chase story, albeit one with sword fights, curses, and a strong whiff of blood-soaked folklore.

That said, there are clear drawbacks. The film’s tone never really escalates. The tension plateaus early, and some viewers might feel it lacks the momentum expected from a revenge-driven pirate saga. It’s also walking a fine line: Hook’s rebranding as a grizzled avenger might not sit well with those who view him strictly through the lens of J.M. Barrie’s original villain.

Still, Captain Hook: The Cursed Tides deserves credit for trying something different. It’s a quiet storm of a film that carves out its own corner in the public domain horror boom with a weather-beaten hook and a haunted heart.