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Review: ‘A Cure for Wellness’ has gothic style that’s stretched for hours (Includes first-hand account)

Human mortality has always been treated as a malady rather than an inevitability. Each day scientists and doctors work to find cures for disease and a means to repair damaged cells or reverse the effects of aging, all in an effort to prolong life. Legends tell of people dying in search of a “fountain of youth” and immortals going mad due to their longevity; yet we still dream of living forever. It seems many confront their mortality in old age, wishing for some way to turn back the clock; projected advancements may even make this possible one day… for the right price. In A Cure for Wellness, wealthy seniors discover a retreat so invigorating no one ever leaves.

Lockhart (Dane DeHaan) works for a company on the verge of a lucrative merger, but the CEO (Harry Groener) has withdrawn to an isolated resort in the Swiss Alps and refuses to return to complete the deal. Lockhart is appointed by the board of directors to physically retrieve his employer within 48 hours. However, upon arriving, he is prevented from even speaking with Mr. Pembroke by Dr. Volmer (Jason Isaacs). Then, injured in an accident, Lockhart suddenly finds himself the second youngest patient of the exclusive facility. Skulking through the immaculate halls, he meets the youngest resident – a teen girl named Hannah (Mia Goth). It’s obvious there’s something amiss and the benefits of the so-called treatments are only temporary, but the more Lockhart investigates the stranger he finds the explanation.

The problem with a two-hour horror movie is undoubtedly pacing. It’s incredibly difficult to maintain an intense atmosphere for that extended period of time, let alone keep the audience’s attention. These are significant issues in director Gore Verbinski‘s slow thriller, which runs 146 minutes and frequently meanders in the halls of the great building. Lockhart’s doubts about the retreat cause him to lead a one-man resistance as he attempts to avoid falling under the doctor’s spell like the other patients. His investigations include a veterinarian, large eels, spa treatments, trips to the dentist, bike rides and frequent lying. The overall narrative is undoubtedly one great, suspenseful, unsettling, gothic mystery; but a movie cannot run on bizarre and mysterious alone for that long.

Nonetheless, the picture is visually arresting. The sets consist of a lot of white on white as the facility’s interior emanates a sense of tranquility, which is extended to the patients who are also provided colourless attire for the duration of their stay. These fair surroundings are in stark contrast with the areas in which the secrets are kept. The restricted sections of the building and grounds are made eerier by their distinct darkness, while also offering camouflage to Lockhart’s incursion. The location is also breathtaking as it’s presented as a former castle nestled atop a large hill with a shady village at its base.

The acting is excellent from the main group to the supporting players, such as the groundskeeper, nurse, chauffeur and local hooligans. Isaacs is the perfect villain as he delivers every line with absolute confidence and serenity, no matter what horrible thing is about to follow his words. Conversely DeHaan experiences a range of emotions from anger to hysteria to submission, and each feeling can be clearly read in his eyes and on his face. Goth’s character evolves throughout the narrative as she reveals more of herself to Lockhart and begins to desire more than her sheltered life can provide.

All the clues to solve the film’s mystery are in plain view and audiences are given more than ample time to piece it together, consequently taking the thunder away from predictable twists. Tightening it would definitely improve the movie’s effectiveness and allow viewers to become swept up in the story rather than held hostage by the length of it.

Director: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs and Mia Goth

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Sarah Gopaul is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for film news, a member of the Online Film Critics Society and a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved critic.

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