A Genteel Black Hole

_{Day 29 of Project Glowing Rectangle, in which I try to divert some of my daily doomscrolling time back towards a more nourishing oblong: Cinema.}

Title: Cure
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Writer: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Year: 1997
Country: Japan

Format: 4K Blu-ray
Seen: 29 December 2025
First viewing

Back in August I started Project Glowing Rectangle — basically a conscious effort to watch more films. I’ve been neglecting my love of cinema for the past few years, and wasting too much time staring at The Bad Oblong (my phone). Project Glowing Rectangle is an attempt to correct both of these problems. Last year I watched a grand total of 16 films. This year it’s up to 38, of which 29 were between August and now. So far so good!

Today’s film was Cure (1997), a psychological horror film written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa — no relation to Akira Kurosawa.

Koji Yakusho stars as a police detective investigating a spate of inexplicable killings around Tokyo. The perpetrators are unconnected, and each seems unable to explain their motives. And every victim is found with an X carved into their neck.

I was very impressed by this film. Koji Yakusho (who I also loved in Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days) is excellent in the lead role, as is the whole supporting cast. It’s an extremely dark film, and the bleak atmosphere lingers long after the end credits have rolled.

The question is, did I enjoy the experience? I think so. But it’s not one I’d want to repeat too often!