Synopsis
Trailers
Reviews (129)
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K
choose the word or phrase that doesn’t belong in the set 1. do you remember? 2. tell me about yourself 3. i am empty and you are filled with rage 4. human beings are essentially good 1. waves 2. fire 3. air 4. paper 1. a blurred face 2. blood dripping down a sink 3. two men dueling in a room 4. your sanity 1. a happy marriage 2. a fulfilling job 3. a healthy outlook on life 4. a job that asks you to stare straight in the face of evil and tells you that sometimes the cause is… nothing 1. you know nothing 2. you will never know 3. the world is far vaster and more scary than…
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“I was once full, but what was inside me is outside now,” A former psychology student obsessed with mesmerism, turned amnesiac gets a series of totally normal and sane people to commit murder simply by confounding them by not answering their questions, talking in circles, smoking a cigarette and asking them “who are you? Tell me about yourself.” If this was just a movie about serial murder via hypnotism it wouldn’t be one of my all time favorites, but Kurosawa does something far creepier and harder to get a handle on: an epidemiological portrait of the howling void at the center of an entire society and the cauldron of violence simmering beneath the veneer of a compliant politeness. Has one of my favorite last shots in any movie ever.
11,099 27 -
N
A work almost too disquieting: Procedural pushed to obsession pushed to psychosis. Starts as a seeming vision of 90’s Tokyo as a city of corpses and interrogation rooms, but even as it does work on sociological levels, (similar to Pulse, Kurosawa uses genre trappings to have us reflect on present spaces and objects) it’s a film of the psyche first and foremost. I can’t think of a movie that feels more scarring. Even reflections on voyeurism & cinema: by desiring to understand evil we risk getting to close to it, and if we get too close to evil we will become evil. Even as we travese physical spaces we enter psychological ones, like Mamiya’s cell or the abandoned house. And when these spaces intercut, even a cup of water is terrifying.
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BBranson Reese 8 月 22, 2026
Early on you’re like “I would never fall for this shit. I would somehow resist it” and then you’re glued to the scene where he spills the water in the doctor’s office and you’re like “ah shit he’d get me in a second. I’d probably even try to squeeze in a second kill before I got caught.”
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S
we all just want a mysterious quiet man in a calming sweater to tell us it’s ok to want to murder people and give us permission to lose our minds
3,156 7 -
S
MESMERISM AND THE END OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT IN FRANCE This one little stray title on a textbook lying discarded in Mamiya’s room was what tied it all together for me. The Enlightenment was a 17th and 18th century philosophical movement that sought to understand the world through empiricism and rationality. Here, in 1997 when Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure was released, at the end of the 20th century, at the peak of the postmodern era, that search for truth and understanding is over. It has failed. This failure rests at the heart of the film, it is the socio-cultural anxiety that drives the engine of the narrative: the death of knowledge and meaning. It starts out so simple. “People like to think…
3,354 57 -
C
venting to murder suspects about how much of a drag your feeble wife is > therapy
4,296 3 -
P
As I mentioned with Pulse, one of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s best traits as a filmmaker is that his presentation of material has a lack of an emphatic expression to it. The shibui nature of his filmic style, as Bordwell suggests, offers us all the narrative information in the frame necessary, but rarely highlights its relative importance. The rigorousness of this formula thus puts an indelible amount of faith in the spectator to become involved in the narrative, finding horror in commonplace frames that don’t tell us to find horror. Cure’s one mistake comes in its initial moments, a murder that happens indifferent to the frame involving a blunt object, ironically scored to kitschy music that feels like something out of the…
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Y
Cure is the manifestation of malaise, it’s being in the same room with a serial killer, where each sound made is distinctly registered and every tiny action raises an alarm. Cure is pure evil, it makes us jump at the most insignificant details, the flick of a lighter, the tilt of a glass of water, motions of a mere plastic stirrer, the faint, omnipresent static noise, listen to it, that’s our brain trying to shut everything out, a self-defense mechanism against the unknown. Cure is a peaceful death under calm, unwavering hands, violence stripped of impact, blood detached from reality, while the musicians forgot to do their job and the camera unflinchingly stared ahead — but still — the sight…
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A
非常にいい演技がよすぎる ストーリーも素晴らしいし前半のクリーニング屋のトリックを気づいたとき感動した 演出も素晴らしい
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N
Uno dei thriller psicologici più belli che abbia mai visto
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A
whoa
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T
Surprisingly tense considering dr brainwash was moving with 100% hypnotism success rate – I was still at knife’s edge for most of the movie. The film has an underlying unnerving reminder that humans have the potential to do truly awful things (and easily) but the idea that seemingly everyone Mamiya found was just one mini hypnotherapy session away from ripping people’s faces off was a bit of Nihilism that I don’t personally subscribe to (I am aware there’s a bit…
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S
Oscura y desoladora pero profundamente reflexiva. Muy buena
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B
Ragebait in ways that effected me personally
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L
Le tenia muchas ganas a esta peli pero no llego atraparme, quizas algun futuro lejano le de otra oportunidad.
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T
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S
I honestly can’t get over how brilliant and different this film is from any other crime movie I’ve seen. What makes it so terrifying is how incredibly quiet it is. There’s almost no screaming, no cheap scares, and barely anything that should traditionally make you afraid. Yet the brilliant direction, the use of sound, and the Mamiya’s completely cold and detached presence somehow make it more terrifying than most horror films. It’s such a strange and unsettling experience.
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5
واحد من افضل افلام رعب نفسي واتوقع هو الافضل فلم ميزته بالنسبة إلي ما بيه لحظة ملل حوارات الي تصير و تطور بالقصة و شخصيات يشدك دائما تكمل و هاي ميزه الاهم للفلم ناجح الي يميز فلم اكثر الاداء تمثيلي رائع كل ممثل بالفلم ماخذ دور و كانما عبالك انو هاي شخصيته جدآ رائع عدا الأجواء طريقة اختيار ممتازه جدا متناسقه ويا قصته تدخلك جو خاص يتناسب ويا رعب نفسي خاص بيه فلم رغم تقيمه العالي الا انه جدآ underrated ما شفت احد ينصحني بيه غير شخص واحد هاي تحفة مفروض تتقدر اكثر
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A
A fantastic portrayal of psychological meltdown, I felt hypnotized myself at some moments But some of the shots in this film man, my God Tell me about yourself
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P
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C
i see the hype but im not a huge fan.
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A
كميه التفاصيل فالفلم مش عارف ابدا فيها ولا عارف اوصف العظمه الي شفتها مامييا فالفلم هو مشعوذ وعباره عن وعاء ينتقل بحريه أما بالنسبة لنا كمشاهدين؟ مامييا يمثل الشيطان يمشي بالانحاء كشخص طبيعي مسكين بتمشي بين الناس وبالوسوسه يوهم الناس بالحريه المزيفه معتقدين أنهم قادرين على إخراج ضغطهم الداخلي بطريقتهم الخاصه الشيطان الي داخل مامييا يستحوذ على كل شخص بسهوله حتى ساكوما الطبيب النفسي تاكامي كان بنظر الشيطان هو الوعاء المثالي حتى يكمل شعوذته مما لديه من إصرار وصبر وايضا…
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👁👁️🗨️ 8 月 22, 2026
Dicebokin bgt dah ama abang abangan…
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S
Unsettling, and I get and don’t get it
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U
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G
Lowk best thriller/detective I have watched
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Z
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H
this scared the absolute shit out of me. there’s barely any conventional horror here yet every scene is so unsettling. mamiya is one of the creepiest characters i’ve watched in a film recently. definitely made my skin crawl. he remains pretty calm, almost deliberately empty actually, talking to people like he’s slowly pulling them apart without seeming to do much at all the pacing of the film was great and i think the random background static was such a powerful…
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E
serem
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M
Sometimes it’s better to not understand
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D
franz -> unknown scientist = ❎ -> mamiya -> takabe the end
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M
Aynen abi
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D
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F
Maybe I was not ‘receptive’ enough watching this, because I found the story-telling aspect to be weak. Maybe it’s because I don’t find the concept of banality of evil interesting anymore. Very suspenseful movie and great shots. The last scene is haunting. But I couldn’t get into it. Some dialogues, especially those with the psychiatrist, felt very flat.
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K
the only guy patrick jane cant beat
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A
Masterpiece!
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L
Slept through 20 – 50%: -0.5 Covid movie day
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𝔊
Unhinged ending
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G
M ha flipado la verdad, la tension el ambiente todo todo. Aun asi siento que se me han escapado cosas tengo q volver a verla
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S
Into the top 4 you go. What a fucking film man.
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C
Forget cheap jump scares and formulaic serial killer tropes. With this hypnotic masterpiece, Kiyoshi Kurosawa turns the procedural genre inside out, delivering a clinical exploration of psychological collapse and metaphysical dread. Koji Yakusho is extraordinary as the unraveling detective caught in an inescapable psychological trap, while the oppressive sound design slowly suffocates the viewer. A slow-burn descent into the darkest corners of human repression that lingers long after the screen goes black. Read our complete technical analysis and behind-the-scenes breakdown on the blog CritiKs MoviZ.
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A
I hate movies that ends badly , at first I thought it was a good ending but I knew something isn’t adding up and I was confused,so as any other person I looked in YouTube for the explanation of the ending and got it (dumbass). It’s brilliantly made but it’s just too brilliant
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P
såg denna uppdelad i 2 dagar en vecka från svar fra och berusad nu andra, fattar lite men kan inte ge ngt betyg innan rewatch, så länge 3!
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W
🩸 🧠 🌫️
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S
Masterpiece.
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O
What if evil is inside all of us? What if evil is an inbuilt trait and as necessary a societal concept as God is within the social unconscious? “Cure” is a hugely gripping inspection of the dark passions and desires underneath the collective social consciousness. Systems of power and systems of thought coalesce to tell an eerie, unnerving story of violence and identity. There’s so many moving parts and so much depth here that it’s very easy to miss crucial ideas. I don’t pretend to understand this movie (at least not yet, anyway), but I do think that this is an incredible piece of art.
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R
didn’t really resonate with me but it was definitely a good movie
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J
Wow. Kiyoshi Kurosawa is where it’s at. Koji Yakusho is fantastic and Masato Hagiwara makes my skin crawl. Stark and beautifully made and disturbing, with some wicked editing. A great, great movie.
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F
“Who are you” One of the best films ever made. Such a unique atmosphere, unlike any other film. Felt so uneasy throughout. Not your ordinary detective film.
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F
Não tava esperando por isso
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S
muy interesante, me gusta que se mueva entre lo real y lo sobrenatural y seas tú el que decida con que versión te quedas
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A
vou pensar muito e um dia eu volto aqui
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J
ts had me a lil tweaked icl. but it was so slow, and the tweak so spread out, that i think i’ll be fine.
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T
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V
maybe it’ll take a few rewatches to understand what the story was about
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E
John Cena if he told himself about himself
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X
I’m not sure if I fully understood this but I enjoyed it. I loved the background details that were sprinkled in.
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WWonah 8 月 21, 2026
I need that fucking sweater man
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𝓜
Definitely need to give this another watch. What starts as a police procedural, slowly develops into an intense and unsettling, psychological thriller.
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N
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J
First watch kinda boring… need to watch again feel like im missing something deeper
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R
No se si me perdí de algo importante o que, no me hizo click
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E
the things humans do and become when they have no chance but to face the truth within themselves
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E
super well done film go in with nothing known about it
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L
hooooly shit. this was so good its getting a serious review from me. going into this, i didn’t even know it had any horror elements to it but i was literally holding my breath at times. it’s absolutely incredible how much tension it builds with SUCH minimalistic cinematography. there isn’t much dialogue or soundtrack or camera movement, and yet you always get the feeling that something’s about to happen. while watching i was WISHING i had watched this in the…
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U
Mamiya god tier, nunca pensé en ver algo de este estilo, no me convencieron tanto sus convicciones. Increíble como estas al tanto de todos los objetos presentes en las escenas para ver como carajos emplea la hipnosis, yo caería completamente ante este capo. muy buena escena final
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N
me lembrou s7ven em varios aspectos, o Kōji Yakusho ta incrivel nesse filme tambem, preciso mt ver mais filmes dele alem desse e world of kanako que ele é foda tb mas uma coisa desse filme que eu achei engraçada foi que ele apesar de ser até mais lento em ação que o seu “predecessor” conseguiu ter um pacing melhor na minha opiniao, e o mamiya pyong lee foi incrível tb, apesar de eu achar q o kevin spacey como john doe melhor ainda em atuação, o personagem é interessante (e caricato até certo ponto) quero ver mais desse kurosawa tambem
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B
I desperately want to love Cure, I envy everyone who got to be affected by it more then I did. Unfortunately, while this film has pretty much everything I search for in a good movie: visual poetry, questions about the human condition, fantastic acting, gorgeous cinematography and much much more, I unfortunately can’t really bring myself to enjoy it as much as many others and I can’t really put my finger on why that is the case.
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A
Dzieło wybitne. Brutalny, surowy, ciężki ale nie osiada a bardziej przenika, przepływa, napełnia tym wszystkim co robi dobre kino. Mamy tutaj makabrę, nihilizm, bezpośredniość i tajemnicę, która mimo wyjaśnienia, pozostawia nas z wieloma niewiadomymi. (najgorszym horrorem były dla mnie dziury w suficie ☠️)
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R
i too would tell mimiya everything about me 🫣
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G
Si c’est pas la perfection cinématographique, ça doit pas en être loin Parmi le nombre multiple de lectures possibles, c’est celle des fardeaux qui me plaît ÉNORMÉMENT
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A
…oh I genuinely don’t know how to fully articulate what this movie just did to my brain. first off the pacing. this movie takes its time in a way that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. so much of it is just… silence. empty space. detectives walking down hallways that are too long. and somehow that emptiness is scarier than anything jump-scare horror has ever done to me. the whole hypnosis/mesmerism angle is so smartly done because it’s never really explained and…
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C
Mmmm lynchlike
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J
increíble muy buena peli, el método del asesino es muy original. me gustó como esta grabada y los cortes q tiene me fascinaron me comí un re bait en un momento jijo
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S
The fits! The atmosphere! The visions!
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M
Movie has a lot of good qualities but there were some things I was not meshing with much. The shot composition was really well done and very impressive with how small its budget was, especially with all of the one shots it has. Unfortunately though, I had a hard time really connecting with the film as a whole and I was not a huge fan of the ending but I do see the appeal to how others would love this.
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B
Poopy doo doo this was boring as hell
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R
🐒 ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 🐒 ㅤ 🐒 ㅤ 🐒 ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 🐒 ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 🐒 ㅤ 🐒 ㅤ 🐒 ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 🐒
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E
okok no entendi mucho al principio… pero tiene algo… que te atrapa… que te hipnotiza.
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T
Some truly gripping moments of horror in this one.
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A
The type of movie to have several *huge* strengths, with mediocrity in its less notable aspects. Has some of the most harrowing visual sequences I’ve ever seen with unsettling shots defined by moving shadows and flickers in the dark. All the while, it provides a lackluster detective plot that’s a bit too slow for me and a score that isn’t even present outside of a few songs, which, although intentional, could’ve elevated the movie. Executes the genre of subtle horror…
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N
this movie just does so much right in creating an absolutely tense setting without anything tense being in it The scene right after investigating mamiyas home? I held my breath. Insanity This movie is so beautiful but so terrifying Not a “horror” movie but it’s fucking scary Highly recommend to those who like psychological thrillers. I think this outdoes some of the best all time. Now I am so scared I gotta go sit in this hot tub
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L
This is all so fucked, this is a film that sucks any semblance of warmth and happiness out of the room This is one of most hopeless films ever made I fucking love it!!!!!!
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Tthewatcher12345 8 月 21, 2026
ok imma go watch some sensory dancing fruit videos after this one
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K
4.75
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M
One of the most unsettling films I have ever watched. When do you stop trying to understand? “Neither one is the real you. There is no real you.”
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I
Cure is a gripping thriller that leaves more questions than answers. What starts out as a cat and mouse game between a hardened detective and a criminal using unknown methods morphs into the breakdown of Takeba and him going over the edge, and it all makes for very a appealing watch. I’m not averse to stories which leave a lot of room for interpretation and this was one such drama. The movie demonstrating how everyone has dark thoughts and is…
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B
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C
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B
#chile #tavolaouija #leavemealone
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A
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D
Calling this a crime thriller is false advertising. There were quiet moments in this movie that put chills through my spine in a way no horror movie with jump scares ever could . I loved it.
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T
Je me répète mais tout le travail du son, des plans, des lumières etc ça fait de ce film un des films les plus captivants que j’ai jamais vu c’est juste trop fort
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J
Im alr hypnotized by that sweater boy u dont need to do anything else
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K
Throughout the movie I felt at moments there were times I could feel slowed down or slightly out of it and never in my life did I think hypnosis would work on me even through a movie it sounds insane but there were moments like that water spilling scene I just can’t explain into words. This movie is that, it’s something that can’t be explained but just felt. Brilliant all around.
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C
i like the open ending
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T
im so mesmerrizzed rn…. do nawtt look at water or fire blud
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Y
Maybe the scariest thing isn’t being controlled by someone else, but discovering what’s already inside you. Cure turns hypnosis into something deeply unsettling.
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Y
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E
Rara, tiene algo que me hizo quedarme una hora leyendo boludeces para entenderla, es bastante unica. El lado VISUAL de la peli es increible, que tenga un ritmo lento pero que a la vez atrapa es una bomba. Me gusta mucho todo lo que rodea al antagonista, me hace acordar mucho a johan y el prota me hace acordar a tenma si se hubiera corrompido pa la mierda
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J
Kiyoshi Kurosawa agarra el esqueleto de Seven, le mete una dosis de tila y lo deja hervir a un fuego tan lento que roza la tortura china. La película es un triunfo absoluto de la fotografía y el espacio. La cosa arranca con un vago amnésico que hipnotiza a cuatro pardillos para que degüellen a sus familias, pero termina metiéndote de lleno en una nebulosa de demencia de la que no se sale limpio. Es verdad que el ritmo es…
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D
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E
What if evil doesn’t need to be taught? What if it only needs to be awakened?
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D
Me gusta mucho el concepto de la pelicula pero no me atrapo como esperaba
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M
movie so good that i almost had a panic attack watching it. the anxiety and anticipation in this is built in a very intense and interesting way, its not a easy job to make me scared in the way that i got scared of him, when it clicked every time he was speaking to someone i was agonizing in my mind thinking “please stop talking to him” every time he asked about them i was scared of the next step. This is good, really good.
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W
It gets better every time
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S
quem é você?
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H
The atmosphere is bleak and perfect could use better soundtrack. Sound design was good though
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L
Mesmer was here
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Z
God, what a film. While I think on what the movie was about, let me sing the praises of how incredible this film is. There are two main things. I really wanna draw attention to about this movie. The first is the sheer amount of long takes. There’s easily 20, to 25 different scenes of a camera in one position, panning across the room, or staying on a character among period of time, which well I always find this impressive,…
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I
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T
wondering if this inspired Se7en
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B
Siento que hay ciertas películas que me cuestan entender, por eso me suelo guiar por lo que sentí viendolas. Una de las cosas que mas me llamo la atención sobre esta es que hablan de que a la gente le gusta pensar que los crímenes tienen algo detrás, tienen un significado o una razón de ser pero la mayoría de veces no es asi. Sentí miedo, la manipulación e hipnotismo que hagan que exteriorices tu maldad, el estar tan cerca de cometer actos desagradables, el ser un perfecto blanco para el “malo”.
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K
The first film in a while to genuinely stump me so much I’m super excited to rewatch this once I get my hands on a 4k copy of it. Fucking amazing
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M
The jackets dear lord
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G
“This film is an tough watch at times… it unsettling nature of brutal killings and long drawn out tense shots that make you just feel a bit off… This film is extremely strange, it preys on our inclination for reason and an explanation for things unexplainable. We desire an answer as to why these people are killing these people around them but we are given little to the fact, we are shown the concept of hypnosis as the way the…
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T
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S
Such an atmospheric detective thriller and so carefully crafted. Kiyoshi Kurosawa combines moments of horror land leaves enough bread crumbs for the story’s events to be interpreted. It was great to see Koji Yakusho again after watching him in Perfect Days. Takabe is a worn down detective struggling with his own malaise while also trying confront the evil that is spreading in the city from the sinister Mamiya. Mamiya is such a creepy character and really gets under your skin.…
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N
“Who are you?” is the question which Kunio Mamiya poises to his victims and it’s a question which the film poises to the viewer. Cure (1997) is a masterclass in telling a non-conclusive story, the events of the story can be perceived through numerous perspectives all reflective of the individual viewer. Kunio Mamiya is a masterclass in metafictional storytelling acting as a reflection of the viewers perception. “All the things that used to be inside of me. Now they’re all…
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N
dense, slow building, cerebral, & horrific in a way i wasn’t anticipating when going into it. the scene when he’s in his friend’s apartment, and the sudden light switched on illuminates the X on the wall, chilllllls. the whole film unfolds like it’s creeping up on u, which i loved i wish i saw it not so late in the evening since i was too sleepy (which is just a great reason to rewatch again so soon), but getting to watch in a theater was such a treat!
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A
A perfect film
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C
Cure is going to require a rewatch for me. The film is hypnotic in and of itself. Kurosawa plants you into a scene as an observer with cold, distant shots and jolts you with weird cuts or a few loud, mundane noises. As scenes unfurl, they tend to lull you into greater discomfort with their calculation. There’s a loud hum you want to stop, and then, silence—and neither are comfortable. The silence is actually worse. It feels like a bit of…
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B
The atmosphere in this movie is just incredible – I legitimately felt a little bit grimy the whole way through. I kind of thought this was going to be somewhat of a high-tension thriller, but it’s much more of a slow burn and there isn’t really actually that much going on in the sense of the plot – the procedural elements here are arguably secondary. Rather, the function of the various occurrences of death and murder that happen throughout seem…
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R
This one just didn’t hit for me. Wanted to like it but I felt no stakes and just wasn’t drawn into the world at all. could just be because of the cultural and language barrier, idk. I liked the acting a bit but the plot was forgettable and ending was meh. Just didn’t grab me at all I was lowkey bored. Also no longer really remember anything about the film which is never a good sign.
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D
I’m reviewing this movie in the middle of my YEARLY letterboxd audit. THis is fucking absurd that I have to do this, when MY letterboxd is a 40/40. ANyways lets continue to the movie, this is a movie best watched without knowing anything about it, as any trailer, any video essay, and even this review might lead you astray, or might give away too much. A horror, thriller, a classic ? What a banger. Everyone should watch this. Do you remember when [spoiler] in broad daylight? banger.
- Synopsis
- A wave of gruesome murders sweeps Tokyo, and the only link is a bloody X carved into the victims' necks. In each case, the murderer is found nearby and recalls nothing of the crime. Detective Takabe and psychologist Sakuma are called in to figure out the connection, but their investigation goes nowhere. An odd young man, arrested near the latest murder, has a strange effect on everyone with whom he comes into contact. Takabe starts a series of interrogations to determine the man's connection with the killings.
- Director
- Kiyoshi Kurosawa
- Writer
- Kiyoshi Kurosawa
- Studio
- Daiei Film, Twins Japan
- Country
- Japan
- Language
- Japanese
- Year
- 1997
- Runtime
- 111 mins
- Japan06 Nov 1997
- France15 Nov 1997
- Netherlands01 Feb 1998
- USA25 Apr 1998
- Australia16 Jun 1998
- Canada14 Sep 1998
- Denmark23 Jul 2003
- Germany23 Aug 1998
- Greece05 Sep 2024
- Japan27 Dec 1997
- France10 Nov 1999
- USA03 Jun 2001
- South Korea06 Jul 2022
- Italy03 Apr 2025
- Netherlands09 Mar 2003
- UK23 Apr 2018
- USA18 Oct 2022
- UK12 May 2025
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