Episode 172: A Cure for Wellness w/ special guest Caitlin Starling

Watch If You Dare

Film Reviews, Tv & Film, Film History

5.0 • 548 Ratings

🗓️ 21 November 2025

⏱️ 117 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Superstar horror author Caitlin Starling (The Graceview Patient, The Starving Saints, The Death of Jane Lawrence, The Luminous Dead, and many other works) returns to the show to discuss 2016's psychological horror film "A Cure for Wellness" directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Justin Haythe with Aaron and Derek. They get into how this movie thematically pairs well with Caitlin's new book The Graceview Patient, the pacing of gothic horror, and fears of claustrophobia and healthcare. They also talk about Mia Goth's performance vs the writing of her character, what makes this flick both ambitious and messy, the trope of a weird paternalistic doctor antagonist, and many other aspects of the movie. Caitlin wants to know why anybody would want to leave. Derek and Aaron want to know what the cure for the human condition is.Please follow Caitlin on Instagram @authorcstarling and on Bluesky @caitlinstarling.comCheck out her works at her website: www.caitlinstarling.comWe are on PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, Goodpods, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio and CastBox. Please rate, review, subscribe, and share our show. Also, check out our Spotify Music playlist, links on our Twitter and Podbean page. Our socials are on Bluesky and Facebook and Twitter @WatchIfYouDare

Transcript

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0:00.0	Guess what, ghouls and goblins? The spook boys have officially joined Patreon.
0:06.0	That's right, the show as you know it will remain the same, ad-free, but our patrons will have exclusive access to bonus content.
0:14.0	Interviews, franchise deep dives, even are television.
0:17.0	Wait, did you say television?
0:19.0	You heard right, Sally. Becoming a patron means you're not only helping us keep the show running, but that it also
0:24.5	remains available on all platforms, and again, ad-free.
0:27.7	For more details, head on over to patreon.com, where you can become an official member of
0:32.9	the Spoop Troop today.
1:08.2	Thank you. Boop Troop today. Okay, I think we're ready to go.
1:10.4	Caitlin, thank you for joining us again.
1:12.7	We're just waiting on Derek for a minute.
1:30.5	He's not been feeling well. Hey, guys. Wait, you sound fine? Well, what's going on? I figured you weren't going to be on. You said you weren't feeling good. Yeah, the strep throat thing. Yeah, yeah. I went to the Y'R yesterday. the doc was like, hey, we could just put you on a moxill on and knock it out in like 24 hours or so.
1:30.2	But how about we not... to the yard yesterday. The doc was like, hey, we could just put you on a moxillin and knock it out in like 24 hours or so.
1:30.5	But how about we knock it out right now with this brand new treatment that we swear by that
1:35.7	involves just water?
1:37.2	I was like, okay, cool.
1:38.4	Let's try it.
1:39.5	Sure.
1:40.5	Yeah, he pulled out this glass vial and I swear I saw something squiggling in it, like a worm or something, and gave to me, and I just threw it back, and something wiggled down my throat, but lo and behold, I'm feeling okay.
1:52.9	I've always been here.
1:54.2	Look, you've always been here, Jack Torrance.
1:56.2	If it's good enough for RFK Jr., if swallowing the brain worms out of the dirty water works for him, then I don't know.
	...

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