A “masterpiece” psychological horror thriller film with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score is hailed by fans for its “perfect” ending. Cure (1997) is set in Tokyo and follows Detective Takabe (played Koji Yakusho) as he investigates a string of uncannily similar murders, each carried out by a different person.

But it’s far from a conventional crime drama, with The Criterion Collection describing as awash in “hushed, hypnotic dread”, a “tour de force of psychological tension and a hallucinatory journey into the darkest recesses of the human mind”. The film was directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa and is held up as a classic of Japanese cinema. 

One fan on Rotten Tomatoes wrote called it an “eerie, spine chilling experience with a ending that’s perfect in every aspect”.

A third called the film “atmospheric” and “mesmerising”. “The true genius of this film is that it serves to sort of hypnotise its audience.

“It puts you in a trance with its surreal imagery and mysterious plot. I love Kōji Yakusho in this film. He gave a tremendous performance.

“I love the ambiguous ending as well. Cure is my kind of film. A true masterpiece in Japanese cinema. I highly recommend”, they added.

A fourth called it haunting and compared it to the 1995 crime/horror film Seven, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.

But they added that Cure is “somewhat more disturbing because it doesn’t offer any easy answers, but rather raises several interesting questions”.

“Ones that leave you thinking long after the credits roll.”

It’s Certified Fresh on the review aggregator website, with a 94% Tomatometer score (reflecting the percentage of approved critics who have given it a positive review).

However, the film has a fifteen certificate and contains some upsetting themes, including violence, suicide, and mental distress, so may not be for everyone. 

Cure is available to stream on The Criterion Channel now.

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