Cure

Wow! This is an amazing film. It’s so dark and so disturbing and, and, and so good!

Writer and director Kiyoshi Kurosawa pulls the strings perfectly as he paces this film to perfection, developing character and plot just when you need it but also introducing more questions at the same time to keep you guessing. I had only seen one other Kurosawa (not that guy, this one we’re talking about here!) film previously and I thought it was just ok (it was Pulse. Please don’t shoot me……).

What starts as your run of the mill police/crime thriller slowly builds in mystery and even hints at the supernatural as things start to be uncovered and the investigation reaches its conclusion. Digging ever deeper, you are left to guess whether the killer has come out on top here or the detective is the one in control.

Kōji Yakusho is absolutely superb as the solid, overworked Detective Takabe in charge of this case who has come up against the equally impressive (and hugely annoying) Masato Hagiwara as the recall-challenged and serial question-asker Mamiya. All surrounded by the normal day to day life that Takabe tries to live with his wife in their little house. It all is really quite unassuming in its scope but manages to deliver on all fronts.

If you’re after a superior crime thriller then you need look no further than this one!