THE CURED (2017)

Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi
Director: David Freyne
Cast: Ellen Page, Sam Keeley, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Stuart Graham, Hilda Fay
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Mature Content and Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 22 March 2018

Synopsis:  Years after Europe was ravaged by the Maze virus, transforming people into cannibalistic monsters, a cure is finally found. Senan Browne (Sam Keeley) is haunted by what he did while infected. As he returns to the home of his brother's widow, Abbie (Ellen Page), fear and suspicion threaten to plunge the world back into chaos.

Movie Review:

The premise of the film is an intriguing twist to zombie genre films that gain quite a lot of attention these days. The devastating Maze Virus that infected the European continent has finally found itself a remedy, and the next big question to ask is: What does it mean to be an ex-zombie?  

We find ourselves in Ireland, where 75 percent of the population have been cured, and there is a need for these rehabilitated individuals to be reintegrated into society after a lengthy stay in quarantine. Senan (Sam Keeley) is among the 75 percent and appears at the door of his sister-in-law Abbie’s (Ellen Page) apartment. Abbie is an widowed immigrant who has unfortunately lost her husband to the outbreak and works as a journalist, documenting Ireland’s transition into a post-zombie society. 

To me, The Cured is a special film because it is more than just a story of people eating people. Very much treated like an ex-criminal, those who were cured became hardly employable and often stigmatized – because they were remembered for their horrifying actions when they were monsters. The first half of the movie sets up its characters with immense tension and there is a healthy fusion of suspense and drama. We feel for the guilt-ridden Senan as he fears he may pose danger and harm to Abbie and her infant son Cillian (Oscar Nolan). Like many other ex-zombies, Sean deals with shame and nightmares from the memories they retained on what they have horrifyingly done during the infection. 

Another interesting character we see is Senan’s friend Connor (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), who does not favor his new life as a shunned lower-class citizen as he sees the injustices facing him as the Cured. He gets a job no better than a janitor despite his former political aspirations, and just like many others of the Cured who show resentment towards the local government for their plans to kill all zombies, Connor starts an underground resistance movement that forms the main crux of the film. Tom’s acting here is remarkable as he negotiates finely between a disturbing villain and a character that is also pitiable. This makes Connor a compelling character in the film and Tom surely has delivered a solid performance.

While acting of other talents is commendably decent, one of the letdowns of the film was the jump scares that we are pretty familiar with, littered throughout the film. And expectedly, music cues us to the third, final act of the film where we get a spectacular horror of how Connor’s resistance movement eventually plays out. Having said that, The Cured is nonetheless extremely successful in creating a tense atmosphere and there are also moments in the film that tug at your heartstrings.   

The Cured is more than just about fleshing-eating people. It is a message of people who are marginalized by society and the film can be interpreted as a potent sociopolitical allegory of many world’s issues today – from issues of immigration and xenophobia to terrorism and war, as well as the Northern Ireland conflict itself. Instead of being a zombie-horror film, The Cured is closer to a psychological drama-thriller that delves into these pressing issues we see on the news everyday and the concept of zombies is a mere façade that represents the marginalized individuals we see across societies. Perhaps the only horrifying element retained in the film is the subtle hint that evil is in the nature of human beings as themes of love, forgiveness and atonement surfaces. 

Movie Rating:

(Interesting twist to the recent slate of zombie films that set you thinking about pressing, real-world issues. Sometimes, it may not be zombies that kill; it could be the people)

Review by Jason Lee