Captain Hook – The Cursed Tides (2025) Review
In the aftermath of a devastating defeat by his archnemesis Admiral Smee (Sean Cronin), the notorious Captain James Hook (Richard Rowden) finds refuge in the coastal town of Eldritch Landing, where he forms an unlikely alliance with Silas Blackweather (Munraj Bhachu), a local blacksmith seeking retribution for his sister’s murder.
As they evade Smee’s Redcoat Soldiers in the island’s dense woodland, ruthless sword fights, ancient curses and conflicting motives will challenge their shared quest for revenge. Together, Hook and Silas navigate uncharted waters to confront the treacherous Admiral Smee, embarking on a journey that will redefine Captain Hook’s enduring legacy.
Director Lars Janssen has taken characters from J.M. Barrie’s PETER PAN and given them a fresh spin. Here Captain Hook is effectively our good guy, rather than the ghastly meanie that he usually is, and his former companion Smee is the bad guy for an hour-and-a-half’s worth of cat-and-mouse chases. CAPTAIN HOOK – THE CURSED TIDES is near dialogue-free for some stretches and I found this refreshing as actions do indeed sometimes speak louder than words.
The filming locations add much to the film’s aesthetic and buoys up the visual aspect terrifically. It makes one ache for a return to Guernsey if only to visit the places chosen for this film, for example Castle Cornet which has been used here as a feature film location for the first time since the Seventies. I was also extremely impressed by the footage that used a replica of the 18th-century frigate, Shtandart, as it added that extra oomph that many lower-budget films often lack.
CAPTAIN HOOK – THE CURSED TIDES is an extended chase movie as Smee, and his men do their utmost to find the elusive Hook. Ewen Weatherburn as Ymirskald makes for the intimidating presence that he is intended to be, and the rest of the cast all hit their marks. What I did feel was lacking was any excitement with the film’s tone and pacing pitched at the same level throughout rather than stepping up a gear and enthral its audience more.