THE CURSE: Women Fighting Against the Pope’s Wrath [REVIEW]

What would you do if you found out that your family had been cursed hundreds of years ago by an angry pope? This is exactly the news the protagonists of the comedy The Curse receive, setting off a series of absurd events and wild adventures.

It’s no coincidence that the film, directed by Tomasz Konecki and Iwona Ogonowska-Konecka, debuts on International Women’s Day. The story revolves entirely around multiple generations of female protagonists. At the center of the plot are sisters Nastka and Monia, played by Vanessa Aleksander and Agnieszka Więdłocha. Nastka is struggling to make ends meet, while Monia is professionally successful but disliked by her colleagues. The sisters don’t get along, but circumstances bring them together at their family home, where their mother (Danuta Stenka) and grandmother (Anna Nehrebecka) live. It’s there that they learn about the alleged curse and why their family has been punished by the head of the Church. Despite their differences, the sisters decide to work together to break the pope’s curse and end their streak of misfortune.

The plot itself suggests that The Curse is filled with absurdities and an exaggerated reality. In their quest to lift the curse, the sisters resort to morally questionable actions, including theft and even planning to poison someone. The curse manifests in humorous scenes, but not all jokes land, and mixing slapstick with darker incidents doesn’t always achieve the intended comedic effect. In fact, the movie feels like two films in one. While The Curse is fundamentally a comedy, its greatest strength lies not in humor but in the relationships between characters and the family dynamic. Julita Olszewska’s screenplay explores sisterly bonds (both in the younger and older generations), mother-daughter relationships, and the connection between grandmothers and granddaughters. The titular curse serves not just as a setup for loud gags but as a catalyst for the characters to confront their past and open up to one another. This is where the film shines—it starts with a barrage of jokes but gradually shifts focus to the characters, allowing their stories to take center stage. While this shift creates some tonal inconsistencies, it also helps compensate for weaker comedic moments with compelling family drama. In this sense, The Curse resembles another film by Konecki about women—Lejdis.

The filmmakers managed to cast some outstanding actresses in the roles of the older-generation women—Danuta Stenka, Anna Nehrebecka, and Iwona Bielska bring undeniable class to the film. However, their roles are secondary, as the story mainly follows the characters played by Aleksander and Więdłocha. The two actresses complement each other well, convincingly portraying both their initial conflicts and eventual teamwork. They’re also charming enough that we can overlook their characters’ questionable antics. Vanessa Aleksander has already made a name for herself as a comedic actress in The Office PL, where she has played one of the main roles, Patrycja, for several seasons. Her experience from that show clearly benefits her performance in The Curse, where she balances expressive and more subdued moments as her character, Nastka, undergoes personal growth and confronts her past. The most prominent male role belongs to Piotr Trojan, known for 25 Years of Innocence. Here, however, his performance is anything but dramatic—his character is exaggerated yet endearing.

The Curse could be a good choice for a casual movie night with friends, sisters, or mothers. It’s a light, easygoing film with hit-or-miss jokes, but it makes up for it with engaging relationships between female characters from different generations, supported by a strong cast. Plus, viewers can enjoy picturesque scenery and the warm, feel-good atmosphere radiating from the screen.