IMDB, 6.6/10. Metacritic, 47% positive. Rotten Tomatoes, 40% positive.

Just from a glance, “A Cure For Wellness” looks to be another blockbuster disappointment. However, there’s more to tell than what the numbers have to show.

“A Cure For Wellness” follows the business venture of Lockhart (Dane DeHaan), a cold, heartless Wall Street businessman sent to Switzerland to retrieve the recently departed CEO of his company. The corporation is currently in financial troubles, and the board needs someone to pin the blame on. Hence, the ambitious Lockhart travels to a wellness institute in order to fulfill their request and receive a promotion.

From the beginning, it’s clear that Lockhart is only interested in himself and his personal gain. He presumably learned from his father, who had the same mindset before committing suicide after becoming a scapegoat for the same company his son currently works for. However, as the movie progresses and Lockhart’s values are constantly tested, his priorities morph with his desire to leave the sanitarium that isn’t exactly what it seems.

Every single scene was expertly shot, and I expected no less from the visionary Gore Verbinski, whose resume includes box office hits such as “The Ring” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy. The setting of filming didn’t hurt either, as the wellness institute is located in the Swiss Alps, an absolutely beautiful and majestic location.

The concept of the film was also fascinating to me. Being trapped in a mental facility is a bit of a horror movie cliche, but the flick was able to transform it into an exciting and uncommon take with the twists added along the way (although I can’t say too much without spoiling anything).

Having said that, not everything about this movie was perfect. DeHaan’s performance during the first half of the movie was emotionless and bland, and even if that was by intention, his personality and overall rudeness made it hard to identify and sympathize with him. On the other hand, wellness institute patient Hannah (Mia Goth) was both off-putting yet intriguing, and some of the shots of her from afar sent chills down my spine. Jason Isaacs as Dr. Heinrich Volmer was delightfully creepy and sinister, and had me slinking back in my chair. Even some of the lesser-credited patients put on extremely convincing performances.

My biggest issue was with the plot. While the atmosphere was carefully planned and well thought out, the same can’t be said about the storyline. Without spoiling anything, several plot holes jumped out at me; luckily, I was still enraptured by the mood the movie sets. While most horror movies aren’t judged by the story they tell, Verbinski without a doubt tried to defy this stereotype– unfortunately for him, it was to no avail.

All in all, I still loved this weird production, plot holes and all. There was enough visually to keep me engaged, and the wide spectrum of emotions I experienced alone made the movie worth seeing. While the movie is longer than most, clocking in at nearly two and a half hours, I thought that every minute was well spent; not a single scene felt out of place or prolonged.

I shivered. I shuddered. I squirmed. Although the plot ran thin, I’m a fan of any movie that can provoke such a reaction out of me.

OVERALL: 6.5/10