The Cured — A Review

4th August, 2019.



Right … 

You can possibly tell I’m having a quiet set of evenings.

You hadn’t?



The simple fact I’m out of work, and seen a lot of movies, recently?

Could possibly be a clue, couldn’t it … ?

Yes, it could … … … … … … …



Hmmm … 



I’m … possibly going sideways, there, aren’t I … ?



At any rate, it’s a quiet Sunday night, and I fancied a movie.



Annabelle was interesting … but left me cold.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse … ?

Great stuff: but just a trifle too long.

I fancied something with a touch of meat: that wasn’t so heavy on the hours.

I think I found it in the shape of The Cured.

Yes, I think I found what I was after … 

~≈§≈~

The Cured* opens with simple white on black titles, telling us of the Maze virus that had hit Ireland especially hard.   Of how some seventy-five percent of the virus were ‘cured,’ whilst the remaining cannibalistic zombie like people?



Are the Resistant.

We’re introduced to Senan (Sam Keeley): one of the Cured who is let out of treatment, after the outbreak, into the care of his sister-in-law, Abbie (Ellen Page†) … 

And still troubled by his actions during the outbreak.

Released at the same time?

We’re introduced to Conor (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), another of the Cured.

But one who’s not happy at he and Senan’s treatment from the soldiers running their rehabilitation.

That rehab … ?

Causes trouble.

Conor’s reaction to that?   Whilst living in the community?   And dealing with the unprocessed guilt about his actions during the Maze Outbreak … ?

Don’t give Senan an easy time.

So when Conor suggests firebombing some empty houses, as a form of protest at how the Cured are treated … ?

Only seems reasonable: especially as the government is talking about euthanasia … 

Things can only get worse …



~≈§≈~



Now, to be honest … ?

I was thinking of watching Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.



But had had The Cured sitting in my collection for quite some time.

Both films?   Had been loaded into my iTunes library, tonight: so I could make a decision at the last minute.

I went for The Cured.

I’m glad I did.

There’s possibly better movies around.



There’s certainly lesser movies: I think Annabelle is proof of that.



In choosing The Cured, though?

I’ve seen a movie that’s very much in the vein of 28 Days Later …

But a version of 28 Days Later viewed through the eyes of someone who’s lived through The Troubles: with Conor standing in for various shades of paramilitary hard man‡, the Cured, and the Cured Alliance, a metaphor for the likes of both the IRA and the UDA: showing us the violent tendencies of both, and the way either side colludes with official forces.

And that either side will invade a family home to attack ‘the enemy’.

On a day when a Dublin man has been caught trying to smuggle weapons through the UK: weapons that potentially get to the New IRA, an organisation that really doesn’t want a hard border between the Republic and Northern Island?

Am I glad to have seen The Cured?

Yes.



The Cured reminds us Ireland — north and south of the border — is a creative powerhouse

Reminds us zombie apocalypses need meat on its bones: bones that warn us of restarted Troubles, unless we’re careful.

Reminds us the only monsters we find are human.

The Cured is a film we need to see.

The Cured

★★★★

*        Styled as The Ȼured.



†        Debbi, if you’re reading this, didn’t you say you were watching Umbrella Academy?   Ellen Page is in that, according to her Wikipedia entry … 

‡        The likes of IRA man, Martin McGuinness, or UDA member, Johnny Adair.