‘The cure is just the beginning’
The Cured is a 2017 Irish science fiction horror film written and directed by David Freyne (making his feature debut) developed from his proof of concept short The Third Wave. It stars Ellen Page, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, and Sam Keeley.
A devastating virus has transformed the infected into zombie-like monsters.
In the aftermath, mankind is struggling to rebuild societies deeply divided between the uninfected and those who did succumb to the virus and are still haunted by their violent actions.
In the backdrop, the rise of a terrorist movement threatens to plunge the world into chaos again…
Reviews:
“To Freyne, his film is really about how we treat each other in today’s mixed-up world. It’s a serious movie with serious themes that somehow finds time to deliver the goods when it comes to zombie scares. Freyne’s direction is confident and precise, more so than almost any other movie I saw at the festival this year.” Assholes Watching Movies
” …scares are accompanied by the typical horror musical cues (a little too familiar) and anticipate the third act of the film, when political ambitions are exhausted and exchanged for a fairly rote zombie film with the usual requisite chases and bloodletting. Alas by the time a few predictable double crosses cause the streets to run with blood, the film has overstayed its welcome and many viewers will have already lost interest in the outcome.” Bloody Disgusting
“Although it could have become just another exercise in post-apocalyptic zombie horror, this Irish thriller instead provides a suspenseful and morally complex examination of sociopolitical division and public paranoia.” Cinemalogue
“There’s very little infected action until the last fifteen minutes or so, so don’t come to this one with beer and popcorn in hand. But do stay if you want to see a well-acted drama where a quiet civil war of sorts still rages on the streets, and a country struggles to come to terms with its past and navigate its future.” Dark Eyes of London
“While we do get some nice moments of emotional complexity, the problem with the film’s humanistic approach is that it’s just not all that intriguing. Reading a synopsis or a review would likely pique one’s interest, as it did mine. But when you watch the film itself, you realize that it’s pretty much exactly what you had expected. It doesn’t really bring anything new to the table after that.” Nightmare on Film Street
“The Cured’s bleakness amplifies its strengths because Freyne wants us to extend the circumstances of his well-defined fictional world to the schisms and bogeymen that haunt our reality. The movie is sufficiently disturbing to leave a lasting impression – one that gets stronger as we pinpoint various real-world analogs.” Reel Views
“The Cured works as a political allegory one can interpret in many ways, as its conceptual outline can be read as a commentary on any current worldwide debates about religion, race and immigration, not to mention Ireland’s own longtime Troubles. But mostly it plays as a somber drama about grief, guilt and self-loathing, with both lead figures shell-shocked in their way.” Variety
Release:
The Cured was released in UK cinemas on 11th May 2018 and then on Digital platforms on May 14th.
Main cast:
- Ellen Page (Flatliners; Hard Candy; I Downloaded a Ghost)
- Tom Vaughan-Lawlor
- Sam Keeley (Monsters: Dark Continent)
- Stuart Graham
- Amy De Bhrún
- Patrick Murphy
- Frank Cannon
- Peter Campion
- Chelsea Debo
- Dez McMahon
- Natalia Kostrzewa
- Tj O’Grady Peyton
- Lesley Conroy
- Tadhg Devery
- Alan Moriarty
Filming locations:
Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
Release:
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
