Review of A Cure for Wellness (2017) by Bryan T — 23 Feb 2017

A Cure For Wellness is unnaturally unbelievable in the most pleasant way possible. Where Shutter Island and similar movies have grounded their story in realism and believability, A Cure For Wellness embraces the unreal and outlandish. Dane DeHaan plays himself as a new age Keanu Reeves--minus the action skills--drearily bland, but subtly emotional. Gore Verbinski lays the right clues to keep you just on the edge of understanding until the final act in which all hell breaks loose. The ending scene itself will need multiple viewings to fully comprehend, but that's the direction this movie was always going for.

Ultimately, the problems with the movie come down to two main points: it's weird AF and it has a slow--purposely and artfully slow, but still slow--second act that kills much of the pacing that the brilliant first act gave to the viewers. The cinematography and direction were top notch, leading to some of the most beautiful shots we've seen in 2017.

Overall, A Cure for Wellness will be a cult classic after some time has passed, but until then, it's a weird movie that is an assumed spin off of Shutter Island.