Rent A Cure for Wellness on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Justin Haythe (screenplay by), Justin Haythe & Gore Verbinski (story by)
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
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, but soon suspects that the spa's treatments are not what they seem.
Verdict
An atmospheric thriller with plenty of unsettling scenes. You can see where the story is going even if you're not sure how it gets there, but this is about mood over mystery. Due to that this is a bit long for the premise. I was more than ready to get the conclusion and see if my predictions were correct long before the end actually occurs.
It depends.
Review
The first hour is moody and this wellness center is intriguing. The second half of the movie becomes long with some unnecessary convolutions. DeHaan feels too young for this role, much like he did in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. While his acting is fine, I never quite get away from the idea that he's a teen playing dress up as an c-suite executive.
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| Dane DeHaan plays Lockhart. |
This is more horror movie that I expected, and that's clarified early on with a child drawing a horned stick figure on a foggy window. Eels are part of the story and there are more than a few scenes with eels that might make you squirm.
The first scene has very little to do with the movie as a whole but it sets a dark and foreboding tone. A lone salesman still at work has a heart attack.
Lockhart is sent to a wellness center, and everything seems a little off. It's clear there's a secret here. There's also something about water, from people frequently drinking it to seeing condensation run down the exterior of a glass.
Lockhart ends up stuck in the center for longer than planned. The doctor is finding a way to keep him there. There has to be something in the water to trigger the episodes Lockhart experiences. These surreal episodes end up being misdirection. You might could explain it away, but the real purpose seems to be to set the mood or make this seem supernatural when it's not. The question remains, what's in the water?
This is too long. I had a good guess what the vitamins do and where the plot was going long before the reveal. The general ending is easy to guess, it's just a question of how it connects. Shortening the movie would definitely help the pace. It creates a great atmosphere, but the length is indulgent. This could achieve the exact same affect and be much shorter.
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