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Another month, another horror film about possession.

This one takes us down to Columbia where a dysfunctional family finds themselves trapped in a secluded house that has a dark evil within. Best known for horror film sequels, Spanish director Victor Garcia was tapped to direct The Damned (formerly known as Gallows Hill) to bring a certain authenticity to the film. But not even he can breathe any life into this imitation horror film. American David Reynolds (Peter Facinelli) comes to Bogota with his British fiancé Lauren (Sophia Myles) to find his disapproving daughter Jill (Nathalia Ramos) who is hiding from life with her boyfriend Ramon (Sebastian Martinez), a cameraman, and her Columbian aunt Gina (Carolina Guerra), an eager journalist. But a terrible storm leaves this group stranded in the middle of nowhere, with only an isolated house as refuge. The owner of the house, Felipe (Gustavo Angarita), is wary of...

Is it just me, or does horror material come in waves? Just as I was complaining how witches have lost their popularity status in modern day horror, during my Witching & Bitching review none the less, The Damned comes along with a sinister “bruja” cursing poor victims and raising Hell. Originally titled Gallows Hill – a more interesting headline when compared to The Damned‘s nondescript nature – director Víctor García attempts to redefine typical haunted house stories with a dash of occultism, but something feels constantly amiss. Despite a menacing child, morphing skin, and some seriously tingling chills, García’s film just isn’t as damning as we’d hope.

Peter Facinelli plays David Reynolds, an overprotective husband and father who only wants to retrieve his vacationing daughter (Nathalia Ramos) before his wedding day. Driving down a twisty, beaten road, David’s family – along with a journalist Aunt and her cameraman – find...