When Lockhart makes his way to the facility at the beginning of A Cure for Wellness, he enters a surreal world. It’s a placid hilltop resort that harkens back to the days of the creepy sanitoriums in which treatments resembled methods of torture. The new film from director Gore Verbinksi, staring Mia Goth and Dane DeHaan is being released today in theaters and we suggest a visit. HorrorBuzz recently had a chance to sit with Director Verbinski and his stars, Goth and DeHaan about this beautiful yet surreal new horror film.

Much like its sedated setting, Wellness takes a measured pace in its storytelling. “When he arrives he is in this sort of waking state of dreams and nightmares.” Says Verbinksi of his leading character Lockhart, played by DeHaan. “In that type of story you can prey on the audiences need to discover” Using what he describes as a breadcrumb approach, Verbinksi aims to get into your head with a need to solve and understand the puzzling atmosphere. “You are watching Lockhart slowly become a patient in this facility but you ARE the patient.” Verbinski said. DeHaan added, “We wanted to keep the lid rattling on the pot and never blow it off.” 

Certainly one of the more audacious major releases in recent years, Wellness was made by Regency Pictures, distributed by 20th Century Fox. Going against the grain of the more watered down, PG-13 scares, Regency allowed Verbinski and his team to deliver a hard-R horror film that moved at its own measured pace. “Regency Pictures was hugely supportive of what we were doing.” Verbinski said. “I have always been a fan of this movies from the 70’s that took a little more time. When the camera feels as if its being pulled down a corridor as the protagonist makes his discoveries.” 

In preparation for the 5 month shoot in Germany, DeHaan was asked to revisit films to get a sense of what Verbinski would be going for. DeHaan explained, “There were movies that Gore had me watch for tonality like The Shining, Rosemary’s Baby, The Tennant, The Omen, Rear Window.” Viewers of the movie will be able to catch visual references and homages in style to these classics.

The film puts its lead, Lockhart, played Dane DeHaan through a battery of treatments as he searches for the CEO of his company in the creepy wellness center. Deprivation chambers, bathtubs filled with eels, and a nasty trip to the dentist are just a few of the hair-raising moments in the film. Said DeHaan of his scenes, “They were all kind of challenging in their own way. The deprivation tank was probably the most physically challenging scene while the dentist chair was probably the most psychologically challenging. They all presented challenges but it was fun. I mean, it may not be your textbook definition of fun, but I love pushing myself.”

In what plays out as a coming of age story, Mia Goth had a particularly challenging role with the part of Hannah. This young wisp in a powder blue dress flits about the grounds in youthful contrast to the clientele. “Actually that was something that I really connected to. I was able to find a lot of parallels in my life and her life. She has this curiosity about her, like a child that keeps asking ‘why?’ because she has been so sheltered. ” Goth said “ The way she sees people and situations is very peculiar at times. It’s quite a journey for her.” 

“I was never in a bath with eels. No, that was all CGI.” Goth explains of one of the film’s more iconic visuals. “I had to be in this body cast for 4 hours to make the mold for that scene actually and I couldn’t move or twitch my nose, and they put Good Will Hunting on and I was able to drink Coca-Cola through a straw.” 

Of her co-star Dane DeHaan, Goth said, “It was a big deal to work with Dane. I have been a huge fan of his work. I think he is a great actor, I really do. He is very dedicated, very concentrated, and he gives you a lot too, as an actor. That is always nice to have.” DeHaan also loved working with Goth stating “She’ so present and there in the scenes. She’s there talking and listening. and that is really all that you could ask for in an acting partner.”

So if there is a cure for supposed wellness, then what is the sickness? “For Lockhart, he’s so blindly stepping on other people to get to the top and he’s consumed by that quest. He’s a slave to his company and his corporation but that IS the sickness. He’s a person that thinks he is in control.” said DeHaan. “But there’s this underlying part of him that knows he’s not. Really he has the sickness. Deep down he knows that he’s not well, that he’s not good in a way. He doesn’t even have a relationship with his own mother.” 

The facility, whose clients are oligarchs and heads of industry have done anything that it takes to succeed. But as Verbinksi points out, ‘That’s not really wellness” “These people have been handpicked to come to this place because it offers absolution.” Verbinksi explains. “They are looking for that ‘note from doctor.’” 

Where is horror headed? With the zombie craze showing a slow down, and easy micro-budget horror movies in every multiplex, it seems that horror is looking for the next big thing. Verbinski mused on the future of horror saying, “We’ve really distilled it to the pop-out scare in many ways. You can see some great work out right now in refining that moment. There is great potential to use narrative. To slip into a dream logic, into sort of a waking state. I think that it’s headed into the direction of being refined and distilled.”

“It’s very hard to make movies these days and have people go, not knowing what they are seeing.” Verbinksi said. “It’s a big ask together people to get in their car, pay $20 for a ticket and then popcorn.” To compete with the growing convenience of simply staying in with Netflix and some take out, Hollywood is trying new tricks to draw people out to theaters. “Hollywood is trying to eventize movies.” Said Verbinksi, “But what happens now is that all of the good writers are running to TV.” What A Cure for Wellness is attempting to do is to pull more people out with an exquisitely produced film and paced story. “We spent a lot of time on the visuals and sound on this movie.” Verbinksi said. “I really hope people get out to see it on the big screen.”