Pleased and Yet Unsettled in A Cure For Wellness

There is so much beauty throughout this film, even in the moments of horror.

To be well. A desire we all have had. A huge portion of the population of the world struggle everyday with their health in some way or another. If somebody was to have a magic solution to all of these ailments it would be quite something, wouldn't it? A Cure For Wellness (2016) is a truly bizarre film. Thankfully, I am a huge fan of the weird and wonderful.

Mostly, this will be a visual review of the film. Although that's not to say there isn't plenty of interesting psychology in the story of Lockhart (played by Dane DeHaan) getting stuck in a suspiciously eery 'spa retreat' institution that claimed to have this cure while trying to retrieve his company's CEO. Lockhart meets the ever-whimsical Hannah (played by the incredible Mia Goff) and is drawn into an uneasy spiral of story that is hooked on the 'is it real or is he crazy' trope of horror.

The good and the bad are equally beautiful in this film - and that is what is truly unsettling.

Visually, this film is full of serene shots of beautiful landscapes in the Swiss mountains. These work almost like a brochure for the institution in hand, and cunningly trick the audience into a sense of calm and safety that is exactly what the 'spa' does to its inhabitants. There is so much beauty throughout this film, even in the moments of horror. The positioning of the shots throughout the film - full of symetry and frames that are well spaced and satisfying - are made to be awe-inspiring and, dare I say it, too good to be true.

Alongside these grazing wide shots of beautiful landscapes, the film balances out with a series of highly controlled closeup shots. Above, you can see the incredible Jason Isaacs (who despite being a piece of work in this film is in fact one of my favourite actors ever to exist) which shows a precision in cinematography. The juxtaposition of light and dark, the highly focused facial features against the soft focus of the foreground light. Being able to so beautifully put forward both these wide shots and the closup shots makes this film a truly rounded piece of cinematography that makes you feel rounded, calm, some might say - well.

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So, if this film is so perfectly put together, what is so uneasy about it? Above is the perfect shot comparison of two separate moments from the film that are perfectly mirrored in their aesthetics to show the whimsically wellness of the 'good' alongside the equally put together 'bad'. You don't even need to know what's happening plot-wise to see the beautifully dark turn the film takes. The thing is, the good and the bad are equally beautiful in this film - and that is what is truly unsettling.

The story should spark horror and outrage, but it doesn't. It leaves you feeling pleased by way of visuals, but unsettled by way of experience.

Mia Goff's character, Hannah, is the perfect epitomisation of this blurring between the beautiful and the horrific in A Cure For Wellness. Above, she is potrayed forefront of a light, soft, flowing curtain. She cradles a doll, wearing a childlike smock dress. This is half of her character - she is innocent and peaceful, calm and quiet. Hannah floats in her beautiful white dress through the entire film, an image of the perfect aesthetic that is so vital to the eery institution at the heart of this film.

There is a beautiful chose made in the creation of this film whereby the blurring of reality and dream is put forefront. The story itself is full of strange goings on, the dreams versus reality is a key theme. But to support this arguably overdone 'is he crazy or is it real' trope of psychological horror, is a blurring of aesthetics. The depiction of uncomfortable things under the guise of stylised aesthetics allows the audience to remain under the same calm that Lockhart finds himself in during his stay at the wellness spa.

The story should spark horror and outrage, but it doesn't. It leaves you feeling pleased by way of visuals, but unsettled by way of experience. Honestly, this film left a mark on me. I'm a Wes Anderson fan for a reason - I like things to be visually pleasing. But I also love a true satirical horror, and this film really does manage both. If you haven't seen it already, give it a watch and see if you come out feeling 'cured', or just entirely unsettled.

[This essay was written for a previous version of the Girl Horror website]