Occult detective fiction is a genre that combines elements of the detective story with supernatural and occult themes. It often features a detective protagonist who investigates mysterious and paranormal cases. This subgenre of detective fiction has been popular since the late 19th century and has had a significant influence on the development of both mystery and horror literature. One of the earliest examples of occult detective fiction is "The Haunted Hotel" by Wilkie Collins, published in 1879. This novel follows the investigation of a ghostly presence at a hotel and showcases the blending of detective story conventions with supernatural elements. Another notable early work in this genre is Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" series.

The Bridge Curse- Movie Explained And Review

Recently I saw this film, The Bridge Curse, which was released on 27th August 2020 in Taiwan, China. The film is in Mandarin with English subtitles available on Netflix. I have been always fond of two things, legends and horror and this movie unify both of them.

The Story Explanation (Contains Spoilers)-

The movie is based on a legend of a girl jumping to her death from a bridge on a college campus in Taiwan. The story says that she went up to the bridge ready to elope with her lover, who didn’t come and this led the girl to commit suicide since then she has been haunting the bridge killing anyone who visits there at night. The kills follow a weird tradition of going up 13 steps. There on the top every midnight a 14th step appears and anyone who counts the steps and turns their head back becomes the next victim. This happens every four years, in a leap year.

The movie shows 4 consecutive timelines, 1990, 2012, 2016, 2020. But at the start, two timelines are depicted majorly 2016 and 2020. In 2016, 6 students from the university decided to check out the truth in the legend and set up what they call a “courage test.” In the night while executing the test, they challenge one of their friends to go up the stairs and then come back, but while doing so apparently he starts counting the steps and after the 14th step he disappears. This makes the others paranoid and they run up forgetting the one rule of not looking back. Just then the chair where the first friend was seating starts moving on its own, hinting that the paranormal activity has started and the group rushes back to their dormitory. Two of them, a couple go around the campus to search for their missing friend, where the guy tells his girl the real story which was completely different from the original one. He says the girl went up there to wait for her lover but as soon as she reached the last step she was pulled into the jungle by 5 men and was gang-raped, after which her body was thrown in the river below, to set it up like a suicide. Now that we understood why the spirit is so benevolent, the scene continues showing every student in the group getting killed one by one, including the first friend who was to carry out the ritual but pranked the others by hiding behind a bush, on the top of the steps.

In the 2020 timeline, a journalist is researching the incidents and trying to dig up the truth, when she suddenly realizes that there were 6 students, which makes her question what happened to the sixth one. After this, the timeline jumps back to top 2016, where the spirit seemed to have possessed a girl who was present in the 2012 ritual, and in the end, she made a deal with evil to get five students the next leap year which was 2016. The guy from the former couple makes the same deal and survives, becoming the mysterious sixth student.

After discovering a group photo in 2020, the journalist recognizes the sixth student from a mirror reflection as her camera person. Which even I doubted because in the full movie everyone’s face was shown except the cameraperson’s. The movie ends with the guy having manipulated five people to carry out the ritual, depicting that the same thing is going to happen again, as the guy says “five people must die.”

The Review-

According to me, the movie was a good watch. The jump scares and the melancholy is used in just adequate amounts enough to hook the audience to the screen. The cast acted very well, showing real expressions, and are maximum time shown in a recording frame, which is going to make you question whether it is a movie or true footage. The screen transition times were accurate and smooth. You can watch the movie on moderate screen brightness since it doesn’t have too many dark spots. Out of 10, I rate this movie a solid 8, keeping in mind the unexpected twists in the end.

The Bridge Curse

Four years after five students mysteriously committed suicide after taking part in a courage test on the ghost bridge in Donghu university, a reporter and a cinematographer are back to that place and try to get everything clear.

Cast

Director Director

Producers Producers

Writers Writers

Editor Editor

Cinematography Cinematography

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Stunts Stunts

Composer Composer

Sound Sound

Makeup Makeup

Studios

Country

Language

Alternative Titles

คำสาปสะพานเฮี้ยน, สาปสะพานสยอง, Nu Gui Qiao, El puente maldito, 呪われの橋, 여귀교, A Maldição da Ponte, Проклятый мост, Lời Nguyền Cây Cầu Ma Ám, 女鬼桥

Genres

Releases by Date

Theatrical

27 Feb 2020

• Taiwan 輔12

13 Jul 2020

• Singapore NC16

30 Oct 2020

• Thailand 13

Digital

27 Jun 2020

Releases by Country

Singapore

13 Jul 2020

• Theatrical NC16

Taiwan

27 Feb 2020

• Theatrical 輔12

27 Jun 2020

• Digital Netflix

Thailand

30 Oct 2020

• Theatrical 13

Another notable early work in this genre is Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" series. Although primarily known for his logical and rational approach to crime-solving, Holmes encounters various cases with occult and supernatural elements. For example, in "The Hound of the Baskervilles," Holmes investigates a legendary curse that haunts the Baskerville family.

Popular reviews

It’s honestly kind of iconic that the film relies on its characters being so forgettable and interchangeable to make the twist work! Well played tbh.

I liked this stupid Taiwanese horror. Ghosts in Asian horrors are precisely one billion times scarier than Western ghosts.

The amount of—let's call it "borrowing" that this film does is so egregious that it almost feels like it's trying to outrun its pointlessness by doing so every chance it gets. The struggle to stay awake during this was real. Only in the "scare" scenes did I feel the slightest bit of engagement. I feel like I ordered today's chef's special and what I got was the blandest thing on the menu. I used the word "feel" a lot in this review and I think it may have been subconsciously deliberate because I wish I felt literally anything while watching this film. P.S. Two one-star films in one day! A record! —🏰🧛‍♂️ Spooky Season 2020 Film #31 🧛‍♂️🏰— Scavenger Hunt…

March Around the World 2023 #17 Taiwan I have a bit of a soft spot for urban myth movies but this film does try the patience a little. It seems to do little that we haven't seen many times before. The plot goes absolutely bonkers in the final act. I struggled to make much sense of it. Still, they made use of that dramatic slow motion thing where the music score sort of goes 'dong' (not in Joseph Gordon Levitt's voice, unfortunately). Although it's kinda crappy, The Bridge Curse gets a 2.5 just for being so damned hectic and restless and kinda entertaining, even though I have no idea why.

The movie has an unusual approach to its cinematography, wherein a portion (about 15%, maybe) of the film is shot like found footage while the rest is a regular movie. The found footage style is not of particular benefit because it doesn’t play a major part in the story and the film doesn’t do anything scary with the non-cinematic look of found footage. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity, but the greater problem is with the movie’s ghost. This thing can be woefully inefficient about killing. How many small scares do we need before the ghost actually attacks its victims? It’s clearly powerful enough to kill them with ease, so it would seem these scares are mostly for the…

Please stop screaming every three minutes. A fairly tedious and uninspiring horror from Taiwan. Over the top and predictable jump scares with an extremely familiar story that fails to help it stand out. My brain pretty much switched off halfway through and didn't find the ending impactful nor emotionally satisfying, since the story failed to hook me in to begin with. The Bridge Curse is so obsessed with "scaring" you with the same trick just in a different room, that it struggles to maintain any kind of cohesive narrative. Some moments can be fun and a little harmless stupid entertainment, but it's mostly very, very forgettable.

I found the ending a bit confusing, I don't know if I'm stupid or the movie that didn't explain it right.
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Achei o final meio confuso, não sei se eu que sou burra ou o filme que não explicou direito.

Strictly knockoff recycle style. A news reporter investigates a mysterious incident at a Taiwanese university that killed five students, who were rumored to have been messing around at a haunted bridge on campus. Wonder what happened. Elements of Ju-On and Dark Water are lifted most prominently, with a dash of Gonjiam thrown in for good measure. Scary ghosts contort around with their hair over their face boogedy boo etc. There is a decent scene in a makeup classroom involving the mannequins therein, so I guess there's a little Silent Hill here as well. But the CGI is bargain basement tier so the impact is blunted quite a bit. Embarrassingly hamhanded sequel baiting in the post-credits scene. Skip.

Not so good and not so bad though. There are scenes that successfully makes me scared to death. Actually this film can be explored more deeply but they choose not to do it. It is lack of characters' recognition, so I can't really feel their emotions and didn't show any sympathy for them.

31 Days Of Horror Day Three I got caught up watching a channel on YouTube that I discovered and was really getting into so I only watched this movie today. I intended to watch more than one movie, but it was also nice to take a break from watching more than one on a day off. Anyway, I was kind of looking forward to watching this movie. The plot sounded like it could be something I could get into. While I have watched videos about bridges that are supposed to be haunted or have some curse attached to them, I don't recall a movie that deals with the subject until this one. The story has to do with a bridge…

The Bridge Curse – Netflix Review (3/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Aug 27, 2020 | Read Time 3 min.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, occult detective fiction gained popularity in pulp magazines. Writers like Algernon Blackwood and William Hope Hodgson crafted stories featuring investigators who confront supernatural beings and occult forces. These stories often emphasized atmospheric horror and the psychological aspects of the supernatural. The genre experienced a revival in the late 20th century with authors such as Manly Wade Wellman, Fritz Leiber, and Seabury Quinn. Wellman's "Silver John" series, set in the Appalachian Mountains, follows the adventures of a wandering folk musician who encounters supernatural threats and entities. Leiber's "The Wolf in the White Van" features a private detective investigating a series of murders fueled by an ancient evil. Contemporary authors continue to contribute to the occult detective fiction genre. One notable example is the "Harry Dresden" series by Jim Butcher, which follows the investigations of a modern-day wizard and private investigator. Butcher blends fantasy, mystery, and supernatural elements to create a compelling narrative. Overall, occult detective fiction remains a popular genre that allows authors to explore the intersection of the rational and the supernatural. It continues to captivate readers with its unique blend of mystery, horror, and the occult..

Reviews for "The Occult Detective's Spellbook: Harnessing Magic in Criminal Investigations"

1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I really wanted to like this book because I love mystery and detective novels, but the occult elements just turned me off. I found it hard to suspend my disbelief and get into the story when there were supernatural elements involved. The plot seemed convoluted and the characters were not well-developed. Overall, I was disappointed and would not recommend it to fans of traditional detective fiction.

2. John - 1/5 stars - I couldn't even finish this book. The combination of occult and detective fiction felt forced and unnatural. The author seemed to rely too heavily on supernatural elements to move the plot forward, leaving little room for a coherent storyline. The protagonist lacked depth and the dialogue felt stale. I found it hard to connect with the characters or care about their fates. All in all, a forgettable read for me.

3. Emily - 2/5 stars - As a fan of detective fiction, I was excited to dive into this book. However, the occult elements overshadowed the entire story and made it difficult for me to enjoy. The constant focus on supernatural phenomena took away from the actual detective work, which was disappointing. I found it hard to believe in the plot and became frustrated with the lack of logical explanations. Overall, this book was not what I expected and left me feeling unsatisfied as a reader.

4. Mark - 1/5 stars - I had high hopes for this book, but the occult detective fiction combination didn't work for me. The supernatural elements felt gimmicky and forced, overshadowing any real detective work. The plot was confusing and hard to follow, with little resolution at the end. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth. I was disappointed in this book and would not recommend it to anyone looking for a compelling detective story.

The Occult Detective's Inferno: Confronting Demonic Entities