Cure (1997)

In January and February, the new Uitkijk series focuses on Invisible Forces. In this series, the films’ characters confront intangible, all-encompassing forces that each control their lives in their own way. The titles veer between horror, magical realism, and existential nightmares, showing how people struggle, falter, and sometimes break under the weight of the unknown.

A series of gruesome murders by perpetrators who have no memory of anything. Detective Takabe (Koji Yakusho) investigates the possibility that the perpetrators were hypnotized by the same suspect, who is still at large. During his mission to stop the terror, Takabe discovers how disturbingly close the force behind the killings actually is. His colleague, psychologist Sakuma (Tsuyoshi Ujiki), argues that no one can be forced to kill without actually wanting to. Together they uncover a grim psychological phenomenon that even infiltrates Takabe’s own life and marriage. Is there a Cure?

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a master of the J-horror genre, known for films like Pulse (2001). In Cure, his fascination with silent dread, menacing atmosphere, and hypnotic mysticism reaches a tantalizing climax. The long shots are almost clinical, focusing on what happens in the background, or out of sight. The use of sound and silence can also transform the mundane into something deeply unsettling. Kurosawa’s Cure is an underseen and rarely seen masterpiece of psychological suspense. A hallucinatory journey into the darkest corners of the human mind.

The people at De Uitkijk have kindly offered a limited amount of free tickets for Subbacultcha members. Please make a reservation by sending an email to mailinglist@subbacultcha.nl with ‘Cure (1997)’ in the subject line + your name in the email.

Registrations are open until 12.00 PM on weekdays.