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Cure

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94% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
"Cure" is part atmospheric crime film and part philosophical meditation. Detective Takabe (Koji Yakusho) is tracking a series of identical murders, committed under the same bizarre circumstances. Nothing seems to connect the murders and Takabe becomes increasingly frustrated...
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Cure

Cure

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Critics Consensus

Mesmerizing and psychologically intriguing.

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Critics Reviews

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Jake Cole Slant Magazine It was here that Kurosawa Kiyoshi's distinctive approach to genre film fully bloomed, an oblique form of horror that unsettles precisely for how much exists outside the frame as much as what lies within it. Oct 18, 2022 Full Review Anton Bitel Little White Lies an increasingly hallucinatory piece where murderousness is a disease spreading rapidly through the susceptible Japanese psyche. Apr 23, 2018 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader It's unsatisfying as a story precisely because it aspires to create a mounting sense of dread by enlarging questions rather than answering them. Oct 17, 2011 Full Review Chance Solem-Pfeifer Willamette Week Cure is a master class in using eminently available filmmaking techniques to revolutionize the oldest cop story in the book. Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Julian Singleton Cinapse Cure forces us to reconsider what terrors might be possible underneath the mundanity of everyday life. What’s more, by doing so we must confront our own capability in conjuring such demons from the darkness of our imaginations. Jul 11, 2025 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... the deliberate pace may try the patience of some viewers, but it sets a perfect backdrop for the coldly matter-of-fact killings, which Kurosawa films with the passion of a blasé voyeur. Oct 21, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Joni M. It at least makes you think. Good dread vibes. Good main. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/19/25 Full Review Tyler K. The vibe and atmosphere alone sold beyond this film. This was great. And that subtle ending was perfect. I loved this. 9.7/10 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/14/25 Full Review Helene S really amazing. one of the best films i've seen Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/13/25 Full Review Hao Ian L Cure cements itself as a one-of-its-kind in the vast thriller genre thanks to the unique psychological approach that comes from its subtlety in every corner and just the right amount of exposition, yet it still manages to feel ever so unsettling. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/09/25 Full Review Devin S. A truly special movie. One of the best Japanese movies I’ve ever seen, especially made after 1990. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/15/25 Full Review Mark C Every so often I enjoy a film like this, full of intrigue, but not many answers on the surface level. The movie was shot with a sense of dread and was gripping despite the lack of explicit answers. If done ham fisted way, you get LongLegs. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/11/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Cure

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Cast & Crew

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Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Director

Kôji Yakusho

Ken-ichi Takabe

Tsuyoshi Ujiki

Makoto Sakuma

Anna Nakagawa

Fumie Takabe

Masato Hagiwara

Kunio Mamiya

Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Writer
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Cure

Cure (1997) Scene from the film "Cure." Scene from the film "Cure." Scene from the film "Cure." Scene from the film "Cure." Scene from the film "Cure." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis "Cure" is part atmospheric crime film and part philosophical meditation. Detective Takabe (Koji Yakusho) is tracking a series of identical murders, committed under the same bizarre circumstances. Nothing seems to connect the murders and Takabe becomes increasingly frustrated...
Director
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Producer
Tetsuya Ikeda, Satoshi Kanno, Tsutomu Tsuchikawa, Atsuyuki Shimoda
Screenwriter
Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Distributor
Cowboy Pictures, Criterion Pictures
Production Co
Universal/Universal Int
Genre
Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 7, 2001, Wide
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 9, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA)
$94.6K
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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