A disease that turns people into zombies has been cured. The once-infected zombies are discriminated against by society and their own families, which causes social issues to arise. This leads to militant government interference.

We know the zombie outbreak is coming. Second generation zombie movies like 28 Days Later and shows like The Walking Dead have shown that time and again. Writer-director David Freyne‘s new post-zombie apocalypse movie The Cured goes a step further and explores a world in which the zombie or “Maze” virus has been cured, mostly, and civilization is trying to recover.

The disease has been almost totally eradicated, save for 25% of the infected that still crave human flesh and are contained in hopes of developing a cure for these few. The 75% who have recovered from the virus are being carefully reintegrated into society. The interesting twist is that they have retained full memory of what they did while infected. Senan (Sam Keeley) is one of the recovered and, as the film begins, he is returning home to live with his sister-in-law, Abbie (Ellen Page), and her son.

Treated as monsters, despite being fully cured, those returning to normal life are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Instead, they are looked at with incredulity and suspicion. One such individual is Conor (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor). A lawyer before the outbreak, he is lucky to pick up jobs as a janitor. Being rejected by his family, Connor turns to leading a movement among those shunned by society.

During their time in recovery, Senan and Connor supported one another. However, as Senan is contrite, living in constant regret and humiliation, Connor demands acceptance and equality from society and attempts to tackle the issue with a militant approach. Meanwhile, Abbie works as a reporter attempting to uncover the mysterious terrorist ring that has spawned from the survivors of the zombie virus.

A thought-provoking horror/drama The Cured exploits the unique virtues of horror and the zombie sub-genre by becoming a not-too-thinly-veiled allegory. Can the wrongdoer be re-integrated into society? How does one overlook sins of the past in order to find virtue in the future?

Freyne‘s take on the zombie apocalypse is original and thought-provoking. By taking the zombie idea beyond the basic tropes it has lived in for the past decade or so, we get to explore new ideas that are both compelling and provocative. Horror and gore fanatics may complain about an apparent lack of blood and guts, much less the typical double tap to the skull, but this movie has a lot more to say that aim for the head.

Page’s performance is solid with her particular talent for genuine honesty and vulnerability shining once more. Keely’s Senan is the scene-stealer as the burdened survivor. His kind face and sheepish demeanor illicit a painful sympathy.

I do have to say that I am impressed. To pull off an original take on the zombie genre is no small feat. yet  Freyne pulls it off. As a horror film, it is a bit lacking with its preference for lingering on the social subtext as opposed to just leaning into the sheer terror of it all. The pacing, while consistent, is measured. Still, despite that, The Cured is bracingly entertaining and surprisingly heartfelt.

The Cured hits theaters on February 23, 2018 via IFC Films