Moviegoers fortunate enough to be invited to screenings for the upcoming psychological thriller A Cure For Wellness reported high levels of anxiety, and in some cases, full-blown panic attacks upon exiting theaters.
Critics are lauding A Cure For Wellness as an intricate, thrilling cinematic experience with amazing visuals and a suspenseful soundtrack.
Samuel Derringer, a movie columnist for the Sacramento Dispatch said in his review of the film, “The atmosphere created by Benjamin Wallfisch’s music, along with Gore Verbinski’s direction, builds to an incredible fever pitch by act three.”
We spoke with Dan Mayhews, Director Of Motion Picture Test Screening at Regency Enterprises, who described his experience watching the test audience reactions to ‘A Cure For Wellness’.
“We held six rounds of pre-screenings, each with a diverse group of 32 individuals. All of those viewings resulted in at least a quarter of the room being so shaken that they exited before the movie had finished.”
He gave us further details on the appearance of those who participated in the screenings. “Their faces were pallid. Like all the blood had been drained from them. Some of those who stuck it out were visibly trembling, and the sound of chattering teeth could be heard even in our observation area which was separate from the screening room.”
But did the screeners enjoy the film, Sacramento Dispatched, asked Mayhew?
“We hand out a questionnaire that each audience member is required to fill out after the credits roll and the lights come back on. Many people claimed the film was too frightening. Though in all other regards our preliminary screeners felt it had been expertly crafted, and definitely something they could see themselves renting as part of their annual Halloween horror movie marathons.”
The only films to have elicited such a dramatic response from viewers have been The Devil’s Rejects, directed by Rob Zombie, Alexandre Aja’s The Hills Have Eyes, and the infamous Salò, directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. However, many of these films involve copious amounts of visual gore and violence. A Cure For Wellness is different. It plays almost entirely on the psychological, continually warping the viewer’s perception of reality.
A Cure For Wellness is directed by Gore Verbinski of The Ring, Pirates Of The Caribbean, and Rango fame. The film, an epic psychological thriller will air in theaters nationwide on February 17th, 2017. Please contact your local theater ahead of time as it will surely sell out quickly.
The official trailer for the movie can be viewed here:
