Set in Japan, a detective investigates a string of deaths committed by murderers who have no memory of their actions. The Premise I’m referring to is none other than “Cure.” Released in 1997 (same year Perfect Blue came out) at the Tokyo International Film Festival. It received huge praise from critics and movie goers alike. Four Years Later, it was given a theatrical release in America. Cure’s considered as a pioneer of modern J-Horror alongside “Ring.”
Anyway, it’s Halloween Month. I’ll be watching and reviewing a few horror films throughout October.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS. I’m giving you a chance to see this gem.
Innocent & Guilty Qualities
Innocent: Koji Yakusho did a fantastic job for his performance.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa did a splendid job directing. No relation with Akira Kurosawa. I’ll check out Kiyoshi’s work some other time.
Scare Factor heavily relies on a psychological atmosphere. Doesn’t contain a single Jump Scare. Like “Silence of the Lambs” & “Red Dragon,” Cure effectively worked.
Cinematography captures a creepy feeling within main character’s psyche.
Sound Design borrows actual sound like pouring water, ocean waves and appliances reflect the film’s tone. Certain sounds serve a purpose building up tension.
Hypnotized killers carve an X on a victim’s body. A calling card.
The villain’s well-written. Can’t give away his identity.
Character Development involving main protagonist, Kenichi Takabe.
Primary Themes are Manipulation, Memory Loss, Identity & Apathy. Each one’s handled maturely.
The Ending will blow your mind. I refuse to give away crucial details. You’ll have to experience it yourself.
Upon watching for the first time, a rewatch changes your perspective in terms of subtle hints of foreshadowing.
Fun Facts
- The Criterion Collection digitally restored Cure on Blu-Ray in 2022 as spine number 1155.
- Martin Scorsese said Cure as the “most terrifying movie.” Cue his two words, “Absolute Cinema.”
- Koji Yausho himself visited the Criterion Closest. He took home a Blu-Ray copy of Cure and other flicks such as “Ikiru,” “Red Beard” & “Harakiri.”
Random Thoughts
- First time I heard about Cure was from Chris Stuckmann. He uploaded a review on YouTube.
- I think most of the grimy interior sets might’ve inspired Silent Hill’s interior designs.
- I’ve mentioned a couple times. I prefer ‘90s to modern horror films over old horror such as Universal Monsters & Hammer Horror. I find the latter two unscary.
- Besides American ‘90s to modern horror, I’m into J-Horror.
Guilty: Pacing’s a slow burn. A few scenes feel like wearing glass underneath your shoes walking slowly to prevent a shard from sticking to your skin.
The Final Verdict: A-
Even though it takes a while to transition from one scene to another, I really enjoyed Cure for its unique detective story combined with psychological horror. Thank goodness it wasn’t a borefest as in Hammer Horror films like “The Curse of Frankenstein.” If I’m gonna enjoy a movie, I have to care a out the main character, a cohesive narrative, well-written villain, tension among many other core elements needed for worth your spare time approval. If you’re a Criterion loyalist, I highly recommend Cure.
Which J-Horror films should I watch and review next? Please leave a comment and don’t forget to subscribe.
