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Film: NFT: Cursed Images
Year: 2026
Director: Jonas Odenheimer
Writer: Jonas Odenheimer
Starring: David Wayman, Mariah Nonnemacher and Durassie Kiangangu
Review:
This was a film that I got the chance to see via screener thanks to Justin Cook. I vaguely remember when NFTs were a thing. I’m shocked that this hasn’t been made into a horror film as of yet. It might have been and I just didn’t realize it, so I digress. Other than figuring out that this was a horror film and that it would more than likely be ‘ghostly’, I did come into this one blind. It did help to round out my 2026 horror list with independent films.
Synopsis: A group of crypto savvy friends begin experiencing strange occurrences after buying into a cursed NFT collection.
We start this with Sue (Najarra Townsend) who is uneasy. She sees a creepy image on her phone and her boyfriend, Mark (Charlie Rich) comes up behind her. This spooks her. Something then happens to them.
This then shifts over to a small get together in an apartment. It belongs to Kit (Patrick Shearer). Hanging out is his ex-girlfriend, Sarah (Amelie Edwards), along with James (David Wayman), Dan (Durassie Kiangangu) and Nes (Nobuse Jnr Uwaifo). They’re debating about cryptocurrency and how it is the way of the future. Dan is annoyed because he wasn’t patient and sold his. It sounds like the rest of the group, minus James, got rich. James moved out of London for a bit and missed out on this fad due to his work.
Things then get awkward. Nes’ girlfriend, Julia (Jasmine Clark), shows up with Cas (Mariah Nonnemacher). She’s part of this friend group, but she is James’ ex. They haven’t seen each other since the breakup. Despite it being odd, everyone tries to get along. The subject then changes to NFTs. It seems like everyone here but Dan and James have got into this fad. The rest are able to convince them to get into it.
As things start to wind down on the night, Kit receives seven creepy NFTs. Sarah brings up how she heard rumors about ‘crypto horrors’. The story is that these will randomly get Airdropped to you and if you keep them, you are haunted. He decides to send one to each of his friends. They all show which ones they received.
Everyone then decides to head home. Julia and Nes get into a tiff. Kit, who is drunk, tries to convince Sarah to stay. She declines his offer. Nes and James text to where he claims that Cas is still interested in him. The evening takes a darker turn though. Multiple people get a feeling that they’re being followed. We even see there could be someone in Kit’s apartment. Cass forgot her phone so she needs to retrieve it but can’t get ahold of him. This turns into a night of terror to figure out what is happening before it is too late.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is by saying that I did a search to see if there have been horror films using this idea of NFTs. Surprisingly, the only other hit was something that director Kevin Smith did where you needed to buy a certain number of NFTs. It wasn’t necessarily centered around it in the work that he did. Credit to writer/director Jonas Odenheimer for bringing this concept to the screen.
Now that I’ve set it up, I do like elements of what we get. This idea that an NFT could be Airdropped, or a similar program, to your phone and then you are cursed is terrifying. What adds to the tension is that you don’t know who sent it. Since there isn’t an explanation until later which works. We also see this group split up, making them more vulnerable. Being alone is another good element. What I also like, even though a way to defeat them is discovered, it isn’t necessarily a catch all. These were things that I appreciated.
I do need to shift over to a negative though. Although I do enjoy this idea that we don’t get a large information dump, this then causes the film to not truly have any stakes. Part of my issue is that I didn’t connect with any of the characters or truly care. Now I’m a millennial. Dan is the only character who intrigued me. He is correct about the overeducated and underpaid thing. The problem then becomes that the rest of the group comes off as ‘crypto bros’. Anything that happens to them, even though they don’t deserve it, doesn’t move my gauge of care.
Let me then shift over to the acting performances. The film is forgivable due to its amateur production. Townsend and Rich effectively set the stage. Wayman and Nonnemacher are solid leads, and the depiction of a couple's lingering awkwardness and the need to move on is a highlight. Kiangangu stands out as the one resisting the group's flaws, though his portrayal as whiny detracts. The rest of the cast, Edwards, Uwaifo, Shearer, and Clark, complete the necessary roles. The women are attractive so something that was a perk for me.
I’ll also say that this is made well enough. The cinematography and framing are solid. Using the whole frame is something that I appreciate. When an entity is lingering behind them, that is something that makes me uncomfortable. I think the look of the creatures was good. I like seeing this pixelated version and then what they did to bring them to life. Credit there. The soundtrack also fits what was needed. My problem though was investment. This doesn’t build enough story and I don’t truly care what happens to the characters causing my interest to wane.
In conclusion, this is a technically sound independent horror film with a uniquely modern concept. While Odenheimer deserves praise for crafting a horror narrative around the untapped potential of cursed NFTs and for the effective visual design of the entities, the film struggles with character connection. The "crypto bro" archetype makes it difficult to invest fully in their plight, which ultimately hinders the overall tension. Despite this lack of emotional investment, the film is a commendable effort in merging contemporary technological anxieties with classic ghost story tropes, making it worth a look for those seeking innovative premises in the horror genre.
My Rating: 5.5 out of 10