If you think your worst bouts of cabin fever were bad, wait until you see what’s lurking in Yara’s apartment. Freestyle Digital Media—the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group—has officially locked down the North American VOD rights to The Curse. This psychological folk-horror film gives “staying inside” a terrifying new meaning.
Agoraphobia Meets Ancient Evil
The film follows Yara (Lina El Arabi), a young Moroccan woman who leaves her homeland to study in Paris. Unfortunately, the standard stress of student life is the least of her problems. Severe, lifelong agoraphobia keeps her entirely cloistered inside her apartment. But her reality begins to splinter under the weight of childhood trauma and monstrous, waking visions.
Things go from an unhealthy coping mechanism to absolute madness when a mysterious apparition shows up one evening. Yara is forced into a corner where she must either confront the supernatural forces invading her space or lose her mind entirely.
Tapping into Moroccan Lore
Director Abel Danan, who co-wrote the script with Emma Lacoste, wanted to avoid standard Western haunted-house tropes by injecting the story with the rich, underrepresented traditions of his roots.
“With The Curse, I wanted to film in Morocco, a land of origins and mystery surrounding ghosts and spirits, to tell a story rarely seen and explore it through the lens of folkloric horror,” Danan explained. “I approached it with passion to speak about heritage, but also to captivate and frighten audiences with the significance of Moroccan witches.”
The Team Behind the Haunting
Produced by a collaborative team including Jad Ben Ammar and Thomas Berthon, The Curse features a dedicated international cast to ground its psychological weight: Lina El Arabi (Yara), Ouidad Elma (Djeinaba), Sairi Salma (Young Najiyah), and Souad Labsy (Najiyah’s grandmother).
The movie will be available across digital HD internet, cable, satellite, and—yes, physical media faithfuls—DVD on June 2, 2026.
