Steve Lawson’s 2024 film Ship of the Damned revolves around a cursed ship filled with cannibals. The crew is not only cannibalistic but also cursed to never reach the shore and has been doomed to remain adrift for the past 500 years. Our protagonist, Elena, has dedicated years to researching old ships and boats. With the help of her ex-boyfriend, Michael, she finally discovers the location of this legendary cursed ship. As they started researching, the question arose: Will they encounter the cannibal crew? And more importantly, will Elena make it out alive? Join us as we dive into this thrilling story and explore the mysteries in the movie Ship of the Damned.
Spoiler Alert
What happened to Tony?
In Ship of the Damned, we meet Elena, a smart and pretty woman who lives with her best friend Charlie. Despite her many qualities, Elena had been single for years. Her last relationship was with a guy named Michael, which ended four years ago. They lived together for a year and a half, and Michael even proposed, but Elena wasn’t ready to settle down. She wanted to explore more, so they broke up. It was clear Michael hadn’t moved on and still wanted to stay in touch with Elena. Though she knew Michael was a good guy, there was something about him she just didn’t like—maybe it was that he was a bit boring and monotonous, with no sense of adventure. Charlie encouraged Elena to stay in contact with Michael, reminding her that finding good guys in their town was rare. Taking her friend’s advice, Elena took Michael’s call and learned something shocking! An old ship had been spotted off their island’s seashore.
Michael knew how much Elena loved researching maritime ships of the 17th century. Since he worked for the Maritime Coast Guard Agency, he had access to the ship and invited Elena to conduct her research. Even though it was forbidden to enter the boat, Michael was willing to bend the rules for Elena, showing just how much he loved her. Elena was obviously excited but puzzled by the ship’s condition. For such an old vessel, it should have been rotting from the salt water, but it seemed strangely well-maintained. Curiosity piqued Elena asked two people to help her investigate. She taught them how to look for things on an old pirate ship, hoping they might even find some treasure. However, things took a dark turn when one of the guys, Tony, got trapped inside the ship by its cursed crew. These pirates had been living on the ship for 500 years, cursed to never reach the shore. Back in 1622, they were ruthless killers who looted everything, including a witch who cursed them. Since then, they’ve survived by killing and eating humans, which has made them incredibly strong. Tragically, Tony met the same fate—they strapped him to a bed, stabbed him from all sides, and started eating his flesh and brains. Elena and Michael had no idea about the horrors that were waiting for them on the ship.
Why did the crew need Elena?
Elena and Michael had no idea where Tony was. They knew they couldn’t get inside the ship without authorization or permission, as Michael could lose his job. Still, Michael was willing to take the risk for Elena’s sake. As they entered the ship, they were fascinated by its condition but soon started hearing noises. Who could be alive on this old ship? It just couldn’t be possible. Little did they know what they were about to discover. They saw Tony’s mutilated body strapped down and being eaten by the crew. They were terrified, obviously! But as they thought of leaving, the crew noticed them. That was the end of it. Both Elena and Michael became hostages, locked in the ship’s brig. Elena couldn’t understand how people on a ship this old were still alive. She had no idea what she was about to find out. The ship’s captain, Jacob, and his subordinate, Garrick, told them the old tale of why they were cursed, why they had been eating human flesh, and why they had been on this ship for all these years. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. They learned that the crew could only be freed from the curse if Elena slept with one of them and bore their child. Since Elena wasn’t cursed, her child would be born free of the curse, allowing the crew to finally escape their fate. They thought Elena’s athletic body was more than enough to bring a healthy child for them, so they were willing to kill Michael and keep Elena with them until a healthy child was born. They also knew the ship was far from the shore, so even if Elena wanted to escape, she really couldn’t and was bound to be there with them.
Did Elena escape from the ship?
After hearing all this, Michael, being the protective ex-boyfriend he was, told Jacob that he would fight him. If Michael won, Jacob had to let Elena go. Jacob agreed, but sadly, he defeated Michael. But there was Elena—she was a proper athlete and knew all about fighting. She took on the challenge to defeat Jacob. Being a man, Jacob was not willing to fight a woman, but little did he know he would be bested by her. Obviously, it hurt his male ego, and he took both of them hostage again. Up until now, the crew was willing to negotiate with them, but not anymore. They decided they had to force them to get what they wanted. However, Elena and Michael were too cunning for them. They saw that there was a radio in the pirates’ cabin which they have looted some forty years ago. Michael, being experienced with boats, knew how to operate them. He used it to contact another ship and request a helicopter to save them, as they had no idea where they were sailing. Michael was really the savior! But Jacob found out about their plans and killed Michael from behind. Elena had tried to keep her cool all along, but not anymore. She took a knife and stabbed Jacob. Meanwhile, the helicopter arrived, spotted their ship, and somehow Elena managed to escape from the ship.
After reaching the shore, Elena remembered something Garrick had said: those who have been on the ship might be cursed because once they are on the ship, they can never truly come out. She thought she had escaped the curse, but perhaps not entirely. I think, physically, she was free, but mentally, she was still trapped. Why? We saw Elena sharing her dreadful experience on the ship and how she lost Michael right before her eyes. As she talked to her best friend, Charlie, we noticed Elena looking at Charlie and the knife that was kept on the table right beside her. Could it be that her time on the cannibal pirate ship had turned her into a cannibal herself? Had she been cursed by their mannerisms? Maybe her best friend would be her first prey!
