The Cured (Review)
Despite An Interesting Premise, The Cured Lacks Any Real Bite.
I always love getting a chance to see new takes on horror tropes, and The Cured looks to be one of the more unique takes on the zombie genre in years. While it might not be a completely original idea (Ava’s Possession dealt with similar themes), the way that director David Freyne presents a new interpretation of the underlying message behind early zombie movies seems more relevant than ever today. That being said, don’t expect to see too many zombies in this film. In fact, it’s kind of hard to call The Cured a zombie movie at all.
The Cured deals with exactly what the title implies. A zombie virus hit causing all-out chaos until a cure was eventually found. The problem is that the cure doesn’t erase the memories of the horrors that happened while the infected roamed the streets. This goes for those who were brain-munching zombies and those trying desperately to prevent said munching. Sam Keeley stars as one of the former zombies trying desperately to get his life back together and forget the nightmarish existence he was forced to endure. Needless to say, he suffers from a great deal of post-traumatic stress and is having a difficult time coping with it. His nights are plagued by horrible flashbacks and his days are filled with constant reminders of what he once was. Despite there being a cure for the virus that changed him, tensions between the cured and those that were never infected still run high.
Zombie movies traditionally have always had some sort of social commentary at their heart. The Cured focuses on the disadvantages many face through no fault of their own. Those that once had the virus are treated like second-class citizens, looked down upon by others and treated like criminals for their actions while they were out of control. One character, in particular, was a former barrister preparing to run for parliament before he was infected. Once cured, he finds himself demoted to garbage man. Basically, the lives of those that were once zombies are essentially over. Even though they might be human again, they’re never coming back from the disease that took everything from them.
The Cured is a slow film that focuses on the raising tensions between those that were once zombies and the humans that survived the outbreak. Its glacial pacing sets up an inevitable clash between these two classes and all-out war becomes unavoidable. After all, if the cured are going to be treated like monsters, why shouldn’t they act like monsters? As this inevitability becomes clear, the film switches from a horror film to a melancholic tale about people trying desperately to find redemption that will never come. No one understands the horrors of the zombie apocalypse more than those that have to live with the memories of the brutal things they did, but that doesn’t matter to the rest of society.
Oddly enough, Ellen Page is cast as Keeley’s sister in law. Odd, because the film takes place in Ireland and Page is very much an American. It’s not that she does a bad job with her part, it just feels strange that she’s in this film. It’s almost as if the studio was trying to insert a recognizable name into the cast so that Americans would be more willing to see it. Her presence just makes the whole movie feel a little bit off. Especially when there were plenty of other Irish actors that could have been cast in this film.
Despite its interesting premise, The Cured fizzles towards the end. It’s a rather melancholic tale wrapped in the cloak of a horror film. This just makes the violent third act feel a bit out of place. While the chaos was inevitable given the premise of the film and the escalating tension, the violent rebellion is a bit jarring, but not in a good way. Instead, it feels very much like the film is trying to get back to its horror roots by inserting carnage and mayhem.
While The Cured might offer an intriguing take on the zombie genre, it doesn’t quite feel like it manages to live up the philosophical implications of the questions it’s asking. Instead, it focuses on the remorse of those that have returned to being human which makes it feel a bit like a pity party at times. In fact, the whole movie is kind of a downer. Still, it’s one that does offer some food for thought on a number of different levels. It just never manages to define itself as a truly great zombie movie.
