‘The Cure’ (2026)

Following the dull everyday life of just turned 16-year-old Ally (Samantha Cochran), the adopted daughter of biotech billionaires Jeff (David Dastmalchian) and Georgia (Ashley Greene), ‘The Cure’ recounts her days as she struggles with a mysterious illness, trapping her in the lavish family home. Wanting to make a connection, Ally sneaks out and wanders down to the nearby beach and meets Brooke (Sydney Taylor). Forming a friendship, the two soon uncover sinister misdeeds involving Ally and her parents.

Depending on whether one has already seen the preview for the film before going to see it, ‘The Cure’ may prove to be a failed effort when it comes to a thrilling twist. Revealing the crux of the story within the 2-minute trailer, the feature contains little beyond what is already revealed in the marketing campaign.

For those unfamiliar with the ads, the film opens on home movie footage, with Jeff and Georgia taking little Ally to her new home. What follows is the girl’s 16^th birthday, with Ally looking a lot worse for wear, with her parents constantly monitoring her. For anyone who’s ever seen a movie or read a book, or even just heard a story before, this already gives away the malicious crimes the Brauns may be hiding. With a compound-like setup, Ally is trapped in her own home, as the health-obsessed Brauns drain her for her ‘golden blood.’

Having an ultra-rare phenotype, Ally is kept medically subdued by Jeff and Georgia as they harvest her blood and sell it to other wealthy people for profit. Also partaking in the miracle cure themselves, Jeff and Georgia maintain a youthful look and a profitable business.

Forming a kinship with Brooke, Ally’s suspicions are raised when Brooke begins to question her mysterious condition and the guard under which she is kept. Causing a rift between the two, but ultimately proving to be right, Ally and Brooke team up to uncover the Brauns’ schemes.

Contrived and very predictable, the film resembles a four-piece puzzle where it takes no time at all to discern the evil goings-on. What may go beyond patronising is the poor dialogue and tropes that accompany the young girl every step of the way, ultimately leading her to a cliché-filled culmination.

Involving an underground facility, a mysterious Russian doctor and a series of clones, ‘The Cure’ seems to want to knock out as many familiar and tired tropes as possible. Ally ultimately decides to do away with her parents and take over the family business. Surprisingly, the only shocking reveal of the movie turns out to be Ally’s sinister turn to the dark side, as she herself kills her parents and decides to keep the ruse and family business going.

Adding to the disappointment, the misuse of Dastmalchian and Greene adds insult to injury as the two more than capable actors are wasted on superficial and facile caricatures rather than wholly developed individuals. With their sole descriptors being ‘malicious’ and ‘secretive,’ the Brauns’ deaths do not resonate as strongly as they could have, as they only served to be two evil people looking out for themselves. Perhaps as a last-ditch effort, the showdown between Dastmalchian’s Jeff and Cochran’s Ally tries to infuse a little humanity in Jeff, but ultimately falls flat as the effort is too little too late.

Not unwatchable but insultingly pedestrian, the film’s offensive lack of originality makes ‘The Cure’ a hollow and unenjoyable experience. With too many obvious turns, tedious characters and tired tropes, the feature amounts to little by way of thrills or even horror. Not the cure for what ails you, the film fails to fulfil its promise and could potentially actively work against having a good time.

Score: 1/4