Mike Flanagan Names This 94%-Rated Japanese Horror Gem "Truly Hunting"

J-horror is a phenomenon that challenges the entire horror genre. The main turning points in genre revolutions, in terms of both narrative and audio-visual style, are taking place within J-horror films.

Japanese horror films are authentic – they depict the terrible as beautiful and saturate stories with cultural background, turning to legends and myths.

Mike Flanagan Praises Kiyoshi Kurosawa's J-Horror 'Cure'

Mike Flanagan, one of the genre's leading filmmakers, is a connoisseur of Japanese horror. On his Letterboxd account, Flanagan shared his impressions of the film Cure:

“I've seen this half a dozen times in my life, and each time have felt like it was me who was hypnotized. [...] I often come out of this a bit dazed, feeling it fading like a half-remembered dream. But I always come back. There is something truly haunting about it.”

The movie is part of an unusual series of detective films that influenced each other: Seven, Cure, Memories of Murder, and Zodiac. However, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's movie is the only one that has been criminally overlooked.

What Is 'Cure' About?

Detective Takabe is investigating a series of mysterious deaths. Several people were killed by strangers in similar circumstances using the same method. Then, the killers carved the letter X into the victims' bodies.

The criminals did not try to hide from justice, but they could not explain their motives. As Takabe becomes increasingly immersed in these inexplicable events, he becomes convinced of Kunio's involvement – a young man who has completely lost his memory.

'Cure' Is a Hypnotic Slow-Burner That Turns from a Detective Story Into a Gripping Thriller

Kiyoshi Kurosawa and his Cure were among the forerunners of the horror movement that influenced all modern authors of slow-burners and A24 films.

Unlike other horrors, Cure does not shock viewers with infernal nightmares or naturalistic violence. Cure is more like a psychological horror film in which the source of evil is not supernatural forces but a man who imagines himself a god.

At first, Cure seems like a classic detective story about a police hunt for a maniac. However, the tale of hypnotic madness quickly gains momentum, turning into an unpredictable thriller where it is difficult to distinguish dark fantasies from harsh reality.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Cure'?

• Cure has 94% from critics and 85% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.5/10.