The Remedy – Movie Review (3/5)

THE REMEDY is a horror movie that utilizes a supernatural plot and a character suffering from a mental illness. The result is a movie that plays with its audience, not to trick us, but to show us the events from several angles. Bonus: Doug Jones has a small key role in it. Read our full The Remedy movie review here!

THE REMEDY is the kind of horror movie that you can’t place in one particular subgenre. At times, it feels like a horror movie full of mind games that are fueled by a character with a mental illness. At other times, it builds on superstition and folklore that evolves into a story about a supernatural entity.

Playing a key role in this horror movie is the iconic Doug Jones. I always get happy when I see him in a genre movie. With this one, he doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but you will see him several times as the story evolves and progresses. Also, the entire plot speeds up once he “enters the stage,” so to speak. The runtime is 90 minutes, and it does get very brutal.

Continue reading our The Remedy movie review below. The movie had its world premiere at SXSW London.

Heartbreak and human flesh

Jason (Timothy Granaderos) is the sole caregiver for his terminally ill mother, Maria (Jenny O’Hara), and his mentally ill sister, Rachel (London Thor). In an attempt to help his mom avoid her death sentence, he turns to increasingly desperate alternative methods. The kind where a character portrayed by Doug Jones is involved.

Seeing Doug Jones (The Shape of Water, What We Do in the Shadows, Hellboy) in such a key role should be a clear warning, but Jason gives it a shot. The “cure” may end up being worse than the disease as his mom starts perking up, but quickly needs unexpected sustenance to stay that way.

And yes, it does get very bloody and violent. There is a lot of love and care driving the story forward, which often makes a bigger gut punch.

After all, when you’re rooting for the characters, it’s more difficult to see them struggle than when an annoying character suffers from their own mistakes. Or when movies have such irritating characters that you’re hoping they’ll get killed soon. Sorry, but anyone who watches many horror movies will know the feeling of “Good riddance; it was about time they got killed”.

Great to see Timothy Granaderos in the lead

After having enjoyed Timothy Granaderos in movies such as Devil’s Workshop (2022) and Who Invited Them? (2022), I was excited to see him star in The Remedy. He made such an awesome impression in Who Invited Them that I was excited to see him truly carry this movie. Fortunately, he once again delivered a fierce portrayal of a troubled character.

We must root for Timothy Granaderos’ “Jason” if the plot of The Remedy is to work. With his portrayal of Jason, we see a young man struggling to keep his mother pain-free and his sister safe from herself.

His increasing desperation is palpable, and you can’t help but wish that he could get some help. It’s clearly all too much for one person, which medical professionals also state when they realize how much of a burden he has taken on all by himself. With hardly any sleep, things are bound to get a little strange in this house as he starts utilizing very alternative methods!

This is not your average monster og exorcism horror movie. It’s very much its own creature based on much more relatable circumstances.

Watch The Remedy when you get the chance

The Remedy comes from director Alex Kahuam, who previously wrote and directed the 2023 genre-hybrid movie Failure! starring Ted Raimi. With The Remedy, Alex Kahuam managed to craft a horror movie that looks gorgeous while packing an emotional punch.

The screenplay for his latest movie as a director was written by Daniel Kuhlman. You’ll also get to see screenwriter Daniel Kuhlman on the screen as he plays the neighbor, Dave. That character is quite the creep, so you can’t help but notice him in this movie.

With its core story about a terminally-ill parent and mentally-ill sibling, it’s an uphill battle for the main character. One that works perfectly for a horror movie, but may also feel very familiar to anyone watching it. For me, this made the horror movie more intense and the psychological horror hit harder, while the bloody and violent elements almost offered relief.

As a horror movie, The Remedy works extremely efficiently, so you can easily watch it as a “classic” horror movie. However, it’s the added element of emotional and psychological trauma that ensures its lasting impact. That was what made this movie rumble around in the back of my mind even after the end credits.

The Remedy is playing film festivals worldwide. We’re covering this as it’s screening at SXSW London 2026.

Details

Director: Alex Kahuam
Writer: Daniel Kuhlman
Cast: Tim Granaderos, London Thor, Jenny O’Hara, Doug Jones, Chris Mulkey, Katie Baker, Daniel Kuhlman