--- title: "A Cure for Wellness: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-cure-for-wellness/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-cure-for-wellness" critics_score: 51 critics_reviews: 22 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Cure for Wellness (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 51 from 22 reviews: 6 positive, 7 mixed, 9 negative. The reviews lean mixed to negative, but most critics agree on one thing: the film looks remarkable. Nearly every review, including the harshest, praises Verbinski’s craft, in particular the cinematography and production design that turn the spa into a place of sustained dread, and several admire how long the film holds its atmosphere of suspicion before explaining anything. Even The Hollywood Reporter, which dismisses the film as foolish, counts the photography and design as achievements. Where they part is on whether that surface is enough. The common complaints are length, a muddled plot and a final act that many find disappointing or absurd. The spread is wide, from warm approval at Little White Lies and Consequence to outright pans at The New Yorker, which objects to the sexualised treatment of the young Hannah. The film’s defenders, at The AV Club and The Ringer, argue its strangeness is the point and worth the longueurs. ## Little White Lies — Anton Bitel Rating 4/4/4. 22 February 2017. The review finds the film an intoxicating blend of mystery, surrealism and gothic asylum thrills. It praises the exquisite gothic trappings and the way the setting reflects modern anxieties about money, status and mortality. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/a-cure-for-wellness) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 16 February 2017. Dowd finds the film too long and narratively unsatisfying, but praises its singular, excessive weirdness. He singles out Verbinski’s fantastical visual style and atmospheric spectacle as the film’s lasting pleasures. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-cure-for-wellness-is-about-as-weird-as-modern-hollywo-1798190494) ## Slant Magazine — Carson Lund Rating 3/4. 7 February 2017. Lund finds the film visually inventive and ultimately worthwhile, though its themes are muddled and its story more conventional than its influences. He especially praises the anticipation of Verbinski’s camera movements and the film’s striking set pieces. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/a-cure-for-wellness/) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2017. The visible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst describes the film as an extended Gothic psycho-horror, but offers no specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/a-cure-for-wellness-review/5114651.article) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2017. The review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be identified from the page provided. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/movies/a-cure-for-wellness-review.html) ## The Guardian — Wendy Ide Rating 3/5. 26 February 2017. Ide finds the film weirdly impressive but says its lack of pacing and focus undermines its atmosphere. She praises the production design and sound, while criticizing the plot’s incoherence and excessive length. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/26/a-cure-for-wellness-review-slick-horror-gore-verbinski) ## The i Paper — Matthew Turner Rating ★★★. 23 February 2017. Turner finds the film flawed but ultimately worth seeking out for its sheer weirdness. He praises its escalating atmosphere and eccentric final half hour, while criticizing its excessive length and muddled plot. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/a-cure-for-wellness-review-48929) ## Empire — Phil de Semlyen Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 February 2017. The review finds the film an inventive, dread-filled horror that ultimately falters with a thin plot and a disappointing final act. It praises Verbinski’s tension-building and the film’s craft, but faults its pacing and convoluted turns. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cure-wellness-review/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 2/5. 22 November 2017. O'Sullivan finds the film visually stylish and initially intriguing, but ultimately judges it a failure that betrays the viewer's trust. She praises the Gothic atmosphere and striking location, while criticizing the illogical, overfocused third act. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/a-cure-for-wellness-film-review-it-will-flop-because-it-betrays-the-viewers-trust-a3680126.html) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2017. Debruge finds the film overlong and unwieldy, with an underdeveloped lead and a disappointing explanation for its mystery. He praises its atmospheric setting and sustained sense of suspicion and dread. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/a-cure-for-wellness-review-1201976099/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2017. Chang finds the film visually striking but overlong, undisciplined and ultimately tedious. He praises its vivid atmosphere and visual craft, while faulting its protracted second half and arbitrary shocks. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-cure-for-wellness-review-20170213-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2017. McCarthy finds the film overlong, foolish, and devoid of satisfying genre pleasures or thematic resonance. He praises the bold cinematography and resourceful production design as its two strong achievements. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-cure-wellness-review-971733/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2017. Brody pans the film as a tasteless, self-indulgent failure whose parts never cohere. He criticizes its elaborate visual style as empty virtuosity and singles out its sexualized depiction of the young Hannah as especially disturbing. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-tasteless-intricacies-of-a-cure-for-wellness) ## Consequence — Blake Goble Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2017. Goble finds the film an inventive, high-art horror thriller and a return to form for Verbinski, despite some loose ends. He especially praises its richly staged visuals, eerie atmosphere, and bold cinematic flair. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2017/02/film-review-a-cure-for-wellness/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film an absorbing, contemporary horror that sustains its mystery and unease. They single out Verbinski’s visceral sensory detail and the discomfort created by Lockhart’s vulnerability. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/a-cure-for-wellness-review/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 20 February 2017. Nayman argues that the film’s commercial failure matters less than its unapologetically strange vision. He praises its spectral cinematography and audacious, grotesque imagery, even as he notes the story’s predictability. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/02/20/movies/a-cure-for-wellness-was-way-too-weird-to-succeed-dd6ebd9fe688) ## Paste — Anthony Salveggi Rating 6.6. 13 February 2017. Salveggi finds the film uneven but intriguing, with its excessive length and false climaxes weakening the impact. He praises its creeping atmosphere, mesmerizing visuals, and horror that builds suspense without relying on shock scares. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/a-cure-for-wellness) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2017. The URL identifies this as a review of the 2017 film. The article text is unavailable, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be determined. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/cure-wellness-never-wildly-weird-wants-review-dane-dehaan-20170207/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C+. 16 February 2017. Goldberg finds the film an enjoyable, wildly imaginative ride, despite its overstuffed story and unsatisfying ending. He especially praises its gorgeous look, highlighting the cinematography and production design that create a waking-nightmare atmosphere. [Read the review](https://collider.com/a-cure-for-wellness-review/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 2/5. 24 February 2017. Lambie finds the film visually sumptuous but overlong, self-indulgent, and ultimately disappointing. He praises the eerie castle setting and occasional suspense, while criticizing the flat lead character and the film’s obvious, distasteful ending. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-cure-for-wellness-review-2/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2017. The critic finds the film overlong and increasingly ludicrous, with predictable twists that arrive after viewers have stopped caring. The art direction and cinematography earn praise for making the sinister spa visually handsome. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/a-cure-for-wellness-review-dane-dehaan-gore-verbinski/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2017. Hammond finds the film overlong, confused, and poorly executed. He praises its lavish visuals, production design, and especially its gorgeously creepy score. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2017/02/a-cure-for-wellness-review-dane-dehaan-gore-verbinski-jason-isaacs-1201915262/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-cure-for-wellness.md