Gore Verbinski’s new movie A Cure For Wellness, hitherto a big ol’ mystery only a few have been privy to, has a first trailer to share with the world. It’s still a mysterious beast, even after two minutes of footage, but some flavour of what the filmmaker has in store can be gleaned from this moody tease. Take a closer look below.
The first thing to note is that it’s a major change of pace from the director's recent blockbuster output – a psychological piece more in keeping with his take on The Ring. The trailer has gothic overtones and sinister goings-on galore. Dane DeHaan is an ambitious young Wall Street type checked into a remote health retreat – or “wellness centre” – where he finds himself diagnosed with a mystery illness and prescribed a cure that seems to involve quite a lot of eels.
There’s not too much sign of Jason Isaacs’ facility director here, but plenty of the otherworldly Mia Goth as the longtime patient DeHaan’s newbie soon encounters.
What else can be deduced from all these murky mountainous shenanigans? The train journey to the schloss-like spa in the Swiss Alps calls to mind Jonathan Harker’s journey to Dracula’s castle, while DeHaan’s descent into its belly has echoes of Jack Torrance in The Shining. But, the story seems to be asking, who’s really sick in this scenario: the spa’s inhabitants or everyone else.
Check back later for more from Verbinski. With a screenplay by The Lone Ranger co-writer Justin Haythe, A Cure For Wellness arrives in our cinemas next year.