Movies that are named after a mythic object usually depend on having an actual object that lives up to the hype. While The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari may not have needed to show off its secrets to be effective, The Maltese Falcon absolutely showed us the stuff that dreams are made of. So when you see a 2024 movie named The Curse of the Necklace pop up, you’re kind of already primed for a jewelry piece that’s alluring, with horrific consequences.
That’s exactly what director Juan Pablo Arias Munoz delivered in his recent horror movie, as the cool story behind the actual origins of the necklace itself involved the helmer’s own two hands. Even with additional feedback from stars/executive producers Madeleine and Violet McGraw, the final piece was a pleasant surprise that meant something to those sisters, as well as co-stars Violet Lind and Henry Thomas.
How Madeleine And Violet McGraw’s Feedback Helped Shape The Curse Of The Necklace’s Key Prop
In a sense, The Curse of the Necklace’s cursed trinket is like a Rorschach test for all who observe it. That much was true when I sat down for virtual interviews with the cast on behalf of its recent release into theaters and VOD on platforms like Prime Video. When asking about everyone’s first experiences with “The Necklace” that haunts the lives of the fictional Davis family, the answers were varied, covering some very interesting angles.
Which leads to the first portion of reactions, coming from stars and co-executive producers Madeleine McGraw and her younger sister Violet. Upon asking them for reactions to what they thought of their first glimpse of The Curse of the Necklace’s centerpiece, the McGraw sisters shared the following anecdote with CinemaBlend:
Madeleine McGraw: Did not look at all how I expected it to look.
Violet McGraw: Yes. That’s what I was gonna say.
Madeleine: It’s funny, we actually had a three hour call just on what the necklace should look like.
Violet: That’s what happens when you’re your own producer.
Madeleine: Insane. And even then, things still switched around of course.
Madeleine and Violet McGraw certainly know the importance of information, as seen in their previous revelation of keeping Blumhouse spoilers from certain family members. And yet, this story is a case where even being an integral part of the process that forged The Curse of the Necklace’s namesake saw both ladies surprised by the finished product.
Which is perfect, as this relic terrorizes sisters Judith (Violet McGraw) and Ellen Davis (Madeleine McGraw) at a rather difficult time in their family’s life. While they did give Juan Pablo Arias Munoz notes on how it should look, his actual crafting of the piece made all the difference in the final reveal.
The fact that Munoz put together this piece with his own hands is something that shows off the indie spirit that made the picture possible. Even Madeleine McGraw couldn’t believe the resulting piece of menace, which she reflected in these further remarks to CinemaBlend:
But it’s funny, I think I can say this, JP, our director, he actually made the necklace himself. They ordered a bunch of things and stuff on Amazon and stuff like that, and then glued it together with their own hands, like the by themselves. And it turned out so good. I think that necklace looks so cool. But yeah, it was just funny because when JP told me that he was the one that actually made the necklace, I was like, ‘No, you’re lying. Okay, sure.’ Because it looks so good. But now that after, you know, seeing it for the first time, I was like ‘Oh yeah, it works. It fits so perfectly.’ Like that’s exactly how I envisioned it to look like in the movie. … Getting to be so like that hands on is, that’s crazy.
Madeleine McGraw – CinemaBlend
If you can pleasantly surprise your executive producers with your work, you’re definitely doing your job as a director. But the reactions of cast members Henry Thomas and Sarah Lind only further help highlight the Pumpkinhole director’s proficiency in designing the haunted keepsake his movie uses as its nightmare fuel.
Henry Thomas And Sarah Lind’s Reactions To Curse Of The Necklace’s Centerpiece Led To An Even Deeper Discussion
I’d like to return to the notion of classic movie artifacts for a second, because that’s exactly what The Curse of the Necklace star Sarah Lind invoked in her reaction to the piece. Given to her character Laura by estranged husband Frank (Henry Thomas), we see the titular item go from its shady theft from an evidence lock up to being passed off as a gift.
As you can see by what Sarah Lind said to CinemaBlend, that move was not the best tactic to try and win over Laura’s heart. Especially when her reaction painted the following picture:
When I first saw it, I was told that JP had made it himself the night before, and so I was looking at it and was mostly like, you’re kidding, right? But no, this is a joke. What’s the punchline? What’s the punchline for like a good 30 seconds? And they were like, no, he, he bought soldering equipment on Amazon yesterday and put this together last night. I liked the way it looked. I liked that it looks cursed. It looks like it comes straight out of Dracula’s coffin. Like who would just pick that up, you know? Yeah. Yeah. I thought it was really impressive. And it has a nice moody light inside that I thought was spooky.
Sarah Lind, CinemaBlend
While The Curse of the Necklace isn’t selling a cursed device that even dreams of making a person’s life better, it does look pretty intriguing. And if I’m being honest, people would actually pay for a line of jewelry that was named “Dracula’s Coffin.” At least, they would until they realize that the grief that comes from such supernatural fun and games comes at a high cost.
That was something that Henry Thomas’ character Frank Davis didn’t exactly keep in mind, as the law enforcement officer randomly stumbles upon this red menace while going through evidence. Somehow his first thought was ”Gee, maybe my wife deserves something that was found at a grizzly murder scene,” and as we all know, that’s a thought that’ll probably kick off the upcoming horror movies that follow.
I don’t say this to try and put down Frank’s character too hard, Rather, it’s an entry point to Thomas’ own evaluation of the situation, which went quite a bit harder as he provided CinemaBlend with the following reflections:
Well, I thought, ‘Wow, Frank’s really, he’s really desperate if he’s gonna bring this back, and think that it’s gonna do him any favors.’ I mean, it looks like something your great grandmother would wear. It doesn’t look very hip. So, you know, it just shows you how desperate Frank was,and how unimaginative he is as a man, I think. It’s a testament to Frank’s ineptitude.
Henry Thomas, CinemaBlend
Looking back on Henry Thomas’ warm memories of Mike Flanagan and his works, that damning statement is exactly what you want to hear an actor deliver when talking about a movie like The Curse of the Necklace. Digging into the meat of his character, The Fall of the House of Usher cast member plays both the ineptitude and the sweetness of the complicated Frank.
Which, in turn, elevates the performances from Sarah Lind, alongside Madeleine and Violet McGraw, as the family that reckons with the misstep taken by the Davis family patriarch. If you dare to risk taking on The Curse of the Necklace, you can enjoy that picture now both in theaters, and on VOD.