The Cured Blu-ray Review

Many years ago, the Maze virus spread across Europe as a sort of plague, with Ireland hit especially hard. The infected became pack-travelling cannibalistic zombies. A cure was recently discovered and three-quarters of the sick were successfully returned to normal, the main side effect being that they have full memory of their actions while carrying the virus. Senan and Conor are recently cured Irishmen who are trying to fit back in to society. The immune locals are against the “Cured Scum” and want nothing to do with them. Senan’s sister-in-law, Abbie, agrees to take him in and accepts him as is. He finds the adaptation difficult but is determined to try his best not to slip up. Tensions continue to grow between the cured and the community and stoking the fire is a resistance group terrorizing the city. Senan wants peace, but holds a terrible secret that can destroy his family. Once things reach a boiling point, can he keep his loved ones safe as the city tears itself apart?

The Cured breathes new life into an old classic: the zombie film. Writer/director David Freyne makes a strong debut with his tale of regret, heartache and depression. He mostly succeeds until the plot goes a little sideways in the third act. The movie works best in its smaller, quiet moments that focus on what it means to be human. He builds strong characters with real problems that make them accessible to the audience. Abbie practices acceptance by inviting Senan into her home over the objections of her neighbors. Senan is suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress as he relives the horror of his actions while infected, shown here through a series of flashbacks. Conor and Abbie share a reflective moment in a park together, which does a lot to help Conor with his own troubles. These tender scenes are some of the strongest but are largely erased by the mayhem that overtakes the third act.

Ellen Page (Hard Candy) stars as Abbie, a widow raising her young son on her own. She is empathetic and decent and genuinely wants the best for everyone in her life. She learns some hard truths along the way and fights her own demons, but always keeps her son’s safety a top priority. Sam Keeley (Anthropoid) is Senan, the haunted man cured of infection but plagued by memory. He desperately wants to fit in to society, but there is too much turmoil in the streets for his kind. He is torn between the happiness he feels at home and the sadness he feels for the other cured who do not share the same. His friend Conor (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, The Infiltrator) is the disaffected man who tries to fit in to a society that doesn’t want him. He turns to violence as a catharsis, leading a group of cured individuals who feel the same.

The Cured has a great idea at its heart and Freyne deserves credit for discovering a new angle to this familiar trope. The zombie market remains oversaturated at the moment, but he keeps things fresh here. Once the finale erupts into total chaos, the tone of the picture shifts and it becomes something different, something more traditional. While these infected beings share more in common with those in 28 Days Later than the Night of the Living Dead variety, they contain enough menace to increase the danger factor tenfold. If you lower your expectations and avoid watching the trailer ahead of time, I think you will find this picture enjoyable, as I did. I’m not sure I can recommend you buy this movie sight unseen, so you may want to rent it.