A Cure For Wellness (2016) Dir: Gore Verbinski
Instagram post:
My immediate thoughts upon finishing this mystery thriller, is that it feels very reminiscent of films like 'Shutter Island' and creations of that ilk. Visually, the film is somewhat dull, but I guess that tends to be the form of horror movies; filters that strip the saturation down and create a murky, plain feel.
Storywise, Justin Haythe and Gore Verbinski create an intriguing but relatively predictable plot that does well to create suspense, but could arguably have reached its destination 10 or 15 minutes sooner.
Verbinksi, who also directed the piece, manages to craft the tension and mystery of the film well for the most part, but, as illuded to, fails to effectively hide the story's twist - allowing the audience to reach the film's climax before the actual story does.
Dane DeHaan stars, and while I genuinely enjoyed his performance, I could not help but draw comparisons to Leonardo DiCaprio in the aforementioned 'Shutter Island' - and unfortunately for DeHaan, he fails to match that performance.
Mia Goth also has a substantial role, and has some really strong scenes, she has a very consistent performance and works well with DeHaan.
Jason Isaacs has a masterful control of his accents, and his performance here is further evidence of that. He provides an immensely sinister antagonist, and uses his facial expressions expertly to illicit audience anxiety.
Celia Imrie may only have a relatively small role in this, but she still managed to display some of her acting pedigree in her few scenes.
Finally, I'll mention Harry Groener, who is another who had limited minutes, but still provided a decent performance when he was onscreen.
Overall, this was a solid, if not exceptional thriller that manages to create some genuinely uncomfortable and suspenseful moments, but fails to make its big twist as shocking or unpredictable as it could've been with better writing.
Still, fans of horrors and thrillers will still find a lot to enjoy here.
Comments