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A Cure for Wellness - Movie Review

5 starsA Cure for Wellness is not recommended to be a movie you just absentmindedly waltz in and watch.  Its lens is far too encompassing for that.  First we have the spa-based elements to deal with.  Then there is the nod to the fabulous run of Hammer films that went from the classic to the absurd during their heyday.  If that’s not enough, there’s also a condemning spin on this whole anti-immigration feeling that seems to be sweeping through countries.  Whew. 

So, no, A Cure for Wellness will not be everyone’s cup of tea.  However, if some solid stabs at camp and images of the groovy and the grotesque are to your liking, then director Gore Verbinski’s latest slice of hammy horror is exactly what you’ve come looking for.  Just beware of the water.

Starring Dane DeHaan as the aggressive Wall Street stockbroker sent to the stress-relieving castle in the Swiss Alps (say what?!) to find his boss, Verbinski's imagination takes the very idea of vacation to a whole new level.  The horror film co-stars Jason Isaacs (from Harry Potter fame) as our blue-eyed villain and Mia Goth as a mysterious patient caught within the walls and halls of the green-tinged clinic.

Verbinski has assembled a film that - while flawed with several loose ends – can’t help but be masterfully executed.  The clinic-minded script is written by Justin Haythe and is too long for the genre, but locked inside it is an enthusiastic appreciation for all things camp and spooky.

Throughout the madness of Dr. Volmer’s clinic, Verbinski and cinematographer Bojan Bazelli’s attention to detail is stirring and passionate.  For me, it is everything that is missing in some of today’s “lofty” entertainment.  It never takes itself seriously, yet manages to make a statement that is both effective and a healthy reminder of how B-movies should work.  Me?  I’m in love with it.

From writhing eels in sensory deprivation tanks to strange illnesses, A Cure for Wellness has graphic starts and stalls throughout its running time.  There is a bizarre occult origin hinted at by the script, but that largely goes unexplored – at least in conventional means.  We are told of unrest in the village below and, sure as shit, Dr. Volmer is engaged in some not-so natural experiments there in the castle.  It's a maddening film, yes, but it echoes so far into horror's past that it is easily forgiven of its sins.

For all its bloated B-movie mindfulness, the only thing missing in A Cure for Wellness is a cameo from the late and the GREAT Vincent Price.  Consider yourself warned, Normies, you aren’t going to dig this one. 

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A Cure for Wellness - Movie Review

MPAA Rating: R for disturbing violent content and images, sexual content including an assault, graphic nudity, and language.
Runtime:
146 mins
Director
: Gore Verbinski
Writer:
Justin Haythe
Cast:
Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth
Genre
: Mystery | thriller
Tagline:
ACure for Wellness.
Memorable Movie Quote: "There is a sickness inside us."
Theatrical Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Official Site: https://www.facebook.com/CureForWellness/
Release Date:
February 17, 2017
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
No details available.
Synopsis: An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa's miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests here longing for the cure.

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A Cure for Wellness - Movie Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Available on Blu-ray - June 6, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Malay, Mandarin (Simplified), Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1; Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1; Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1; Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1; Urdu: Dolby Digital 5.1; Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1; Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1; Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD-50, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; iTunes digital copy; Google Play digital copy; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Region-free playback

The 1080p MPEG-4 AVC from Twentieth Century Fox is a darkly saturated delight. There is a green hue to the opening shot of New York City and its buildings and greenish blue hue does NOT go away. Bold and expressive in its visual canvas, this is a detailed production of gonzo greatness. Black levels are solid and defined. Shadows have layers and layered hues. Colors are solid and gripping. Just know that the ENTIRE production is dark, dark, dark and that’s by design. The awesome sound field is presented in an immersive 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track.

Supplements:

Commentary:

None

Special Features:

Well perhaps due to its unsuccessful performance at the box office, the supplemental items are a bit slight. We do get a deleted scene, some featurettes about the making of the movie that is divided into three separate parts . The soundtrack is included and so is the red band trailer. The release comes in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack.

  • Deleted Scene: It’s Wonderful Here (5 min)
  • Mediations: Water is the Cure, Air is the Cure, Earth is the Cure (9 min)
  • The Score (4 min)
  • Trailers (5 min)

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[tab title="Art"]A Cure for Wellness - Movie Review

 

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