A mind-boggling psycho thriller

CEBU, Philippines - From visionary director Gore Verbinski, “A Cure for Wellness” is a chilling and mind-bending psychological thriller.

Embarking on the movie, Verbinski wanted to make a thriller with the depth, insight and power of classics in the genre that he admired, such as “The Shining” (Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film), “Don’t Look Now” (Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 film) and “Rosemary’s Baby” (Roman Polanski’s 1968 film).

The idea of a quick fix cure, together with society’s malaise and the obsession with perfect health were topics that fascinated Verbinski, whose films include the hugely successful “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise and the Academy Award winning animated film, “Rango.”

Dane DeHaan stars as Lockhart in “A Cure for Wellness,” a driven Wall Street stockbroker who is sent by his firm to a remote alpine medical spa. Lockhart is on a mission to retrieve the company’s CEO, Pembroke (Harry Groener), a patient at the spa, who has told his staff that he has no intention of returning to New York. Lockhart arrives at the tranquil sanitarium where the residents are supposedly receiving a miracle cure.

In fact though, they seem to be getting sicker. As he investigates the dark and baffling secrets behind the spa, he meets a young woman, the hauntingly beautiful Hannah (Mia Goth), a patient herself. He also gets to know another patient, the eccentric Mrs. Watkins, played by Celia Imrie, who has done some detective work of her own.

Soon, Lockhart is diagnosed with the same condition as the other patients by the institution’s director, the ominous Dr. Volmer (Jason Isaacs), and finds that he is trapped in the alpine retreat. Lockhart begins to lose his grip on reality and has to endure unimaginable ordeals during the course of his own ‘treatment.’

“We started exploring the notion of a health spa in the Alps, a wellness center that doesn’t actually make you well,” says Verbinski, “and it slowly evolved from there. It became pretty clear to us that this was going to be a genre piece, and we started playing around with the concept of inevitability. It’s the sense that there is a sickness, a sort of black spot on your x-ray that won’t go away!”

One of Hollywood’s most exciting young actors, the gifted and charismatic DeHaan (“Kill Your Darlings,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” “Life”) was thrilled about taking on the role of  Lockhart and working with Verbinski.

“To listen to Gore’s vision and hear how passionate he was about it, and then to read the script and understand what a challenging role it was — that was irresistible,” says DeHaan.

“My character goes through so much in this film, it’s crazy. And this was an opportunity to work with a great filmmaker.”

The evocative world created by Gore and his gifted team, the treatments that the patients undergo at Volmer’s spa, and the dramatic tension throughout the film, combine to create a gripping and terrifying cinematic experience.

Like the best films in the genre, “A Cure for Wellness” leaves the audience unsettled and unnerved, questioning the darker side of human nature. It’s the kind of unease that lingers long after the closing credits have rolled.

“It’s like people telling ghost stories around a campfire,” says Verbinski, explaining why moviegoers enjoy watching an engrossing psychological thriller.

“It’s almost like a huge roller coaster, but the film is also asking a lot of important questions,” comments DeHaan.

“At times, you are really feeling terrified. But if you are in a communal setting like a theater, you know you are safe and you know that what is happening on screen is completely removed from reality.”

“A Cure For Wellness,” rated R-16 by MTRCB, is currently showing in cinemas. (FREEMAN)