‘A Cure For Wellness’ Poster
The blockbuster director returns to his horror roots in this psychologically disturbing film
Gore Verbinski sure has had a topsy-turvy career. The Academy Award-winner has hopscotched between critically acclaimed box office hits to utter commercial failures. Whether it be marketing, scheduling—and perhaps most embarrassingly—racist casting issues, Verbinski is no stranger to seesawing between being beloved and vilified in Hollywood circles.
But it seems that the ninth-highest-grossing director is set to revisit the genre that made it all happen for him: horror. Having directed the ominous and unsettling The Ring, Verbinski is familiar with the tropes, themes, cinematography, and narrative discourse of the horror genre. Combine that with the director’s penchant for including psychosomatic elements that push the envelope of his films, Verbinski seems to have an itch to return to the filmic world of the ominous, eerie and unnerving.
A Cure for Wellness tells the story of Mr. Lockhart, a fledgling, motivated executive (Dane DeHaan) who is sent to a remote spa in the Swiss Alps to retrieve his company’s CEO. While there, the young businessman begins to suspect that not all is as it appears. As Lockhart dives further into the secretive world of the wellness center, he too is diagnosed with the mysterious illness that keeps everyone bound to the seemingly demonic spa. Now a “guest,” Lockhart must fight to maintain his sanity, his free will and his freedom.
Verbinski sat down with star Dane DeHaan to discuss the upcoming film, examining the breathtaking cinematography, the film’s extensive influences and the difficulties endured by the actor.
Polanski is King
Roman Polanski is remembered for his affinity for finely-tuned narratology, disturbingly beautiful camera work, attention to mise-en-scéne and shot composition. On top of that, Polanski has in many ways cemented himself as a bona fide thematic connoisseur when it comes to psychological horror films.
From his darkly unsettling Academy Award-nominated directorial debut to his revered Apartment Trilogy, Polanski’s earlier works seems to have influenced Verbinski’s work in A Cure For Wellness significantly. “I’m a big fan of Polanski’s early stuff” noted the director. As a result, Verbinski suggested DeHaan watch “The Tenant and Don’t Look Now,” so as to prepare for the psychologically provocative film.
“That when I met with Gore” added DeHaan. “He said, ‘You know, this [style] is what I want to achieve,’ which was ambitious, but I really think that the movie kind of achieves that.” Proclaimed the actor.
Horror’s Maleable Stylization
Many director’s stay away from horror or thrillers for they rely heavily on tropes, stylizations and narrative courses that seem predictable, pedantic and unoriginal to many. But not for this seasoned veteran director, who seldom confines his film to the horror genre. “I think you can be more stylized in contemporary gothic. That genre really lets you play with it,” said the director.
The director went on to add that “I think that that genre sort of transcends when you can tap into something, some sort of a zeitgeist. And I think as a society–we’re not well.”
Verbinski ominously added that there’s a “sense we know we’re driving a car into a wall. But we’re not turning the wheel” when speaking of the film’s unnerving cult-like narrative.
The Psychological Duress Is Real
Many films tout having had their actors perform their own stunts, becoming in essence method actors as they undergo the same psychological and physiological duress as their characters. “He was a trooper. He was in every scene,” described Verbinski when asked about DeHaan’s dedication. The actor humorously reflected that he went “through a lot in the movie.” It seemed to have been a difficult shoot, with disturbing levels of commitment from the actor, who the director stated was “freezing, holding his breath, [while] in the tank.”
Speaking of the director’s dedication, DeHaan noted the director’s channeling of his inner-Polanski, wherein “he [would] take his time to get the shot right, and to get the shots he wants. Which means I will stay in a tortured state for a longer period of time.” “My arm popped out of its socket, real quick, and then popped back in,” explained the actor.
With this much devotion, enthusiasm and effort put in by the actor and director, it seems that A Cure for Wellness just might live up to the expectations set by Verbinski’s last horror effort. Check out the trailer below before catching the film February 17, 2017:
