The Maze Virus has ravaged the world for years, turning people into flesh eating, mindless zombies. Then, a cure is developed and 75% of the infected are cured and return to humanity. Unfortunately, the cured aren't accepted with open arms. The people hold them responsible for their actions under influence of the virus and refuse to let them reintegrate into society as they once did. The cured have to check in weekly with abusive military men like criminals and are allotted the most unskilled, lowest paid labor no matter what they did before. The other 25% of thei nfected are on the verged of being outright killed and relations between the cured and humans threaten to explode into violence as tensions rise.
The Cured is an emotional film that also reflects Ireland's political history. This is the first film I've seen that involves cured zombies. A cure is often an unattainable goal in zombie stories that we never get to see. Would you welcome ex-zombies who tried to eat your face or ate a loved one in front of you? Probably not. The vast majority of Irish society rejects the cured, disowning their cured family members and treating them as second class citizens. The cured no longer have the opportunities they had, little choices for housing and jobs, and the military roughing them up periodically for no other reason than being cured. They also still have every memory of being a zombie including every person they've killed with most having horrific nightmares and flashbacks as well as guilt and shame.
The characters are fleshed out and well acted. Senan is one of the only cured welcomed back his widowed sister in law Abbie and her young son. He harbors a devastating secret that threatens his relationship with his family, who has bonded with over time. Nightmares plague him from his zombie days and he feels crushing guilt while he tries to keep his head down and keep out of trouble. Abbie is trapped in Ireland because her son isn't a US citizen in addition to reeling from the world falling apart and her husband's death. Her strength in accepting Senan and staying positive iin the face of so much negativity, bigotry, and pressure to reject all zombies makes her the most symapthic and interesting character in the movie. Our zombie villain comes in Cantor, a former lawyer rejected by his family. I felt for him at the beginning when he struggled against bigotry, but he took advantage of it for his own ends and relishes in the violence he caused as a zombie.
The violence and oppression of the cured naturally makes them scared and outraged. Cantor uses it to intensify the tension between the cured and humans with terrorism. The zombies first have secret meetings and then start bombing humans (unbeknownst to some zombies like Senan). The last third of the film is much more action based than the rest, but no less impactful. The ending is a little too open ended and obviously open for a sequel. The Cured is a logical step forward in the zombie genre tht focuses less on action and more on drama and emotional repercussions.
My rating: 4/5 fishmuffins
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