Watchable, yet a three-hour runtime may deter most viewers.
An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps, but soon suspects that the spa's treatments are not what they seem.
Hollywood has a current obsession with art-house films, yet the whole point of the genre is they aren't big-budget or glamorous. This new horror film, while horrific tries too hard to be an art-house movie, yet it has many Hollywood cliches. The result is something weird and unsettling.
Jason Isaacs performance is admirable, but his role is barely more than a stock character. I won't spoilt the ending, but it is laughable. A really good horror movie doesn't have to be overly graphic to scare you, it should create a sense of terror and dread and that should be enough to frighten you (think Shutter Island). However this film has gratuitous, long held disgusting shots, that even made someone like me shut my eyes.
Overall it definitely had promise, but the Hollywood intervention has destroyed what could've been a strong movie.
2 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of Palace Nova Cinemas