Cure (1997) by Kiyoshi Kurosawa is acclaimed for its disturbing portrayal of human vulnerability and chilling atmospherics. The film follows Kenichi Takabe, a Tokyo police detective, as he investigates a baffling series of murders.
Each crime is committed by an ordinary person, spouses, workers, citizens, who carves a large X into the victim’s neck or chest. There’s no clear motive, and the perpetrators confess without knowing why they acted.
Takabe’s private life is in turmoil due to his wife Fumie’s worsening mental health. She suffers from schizophrenia, sometimes vanishing from home and leaving Takabe stressed and exhausted.
As the number of killings grows, Takabe and his colleague, psychologist Sakuma, search for patterns among the murderers. The only connection: all had encounters with a mysterious man named Kunio Mamiya.
Mamiya is introduced as a wanderer with supposed amnesia, frequently repeating questions and acting vacant. Under police custody, he proves impossible to interrogate.
Instead, he asks personal questions, revealing uncanny knowledge about Takabe’s life and probing into his insecurities. His sly demeanor hints at a calculated manipulator rather than a confused drifter.
As the investigation deepens, it becomes apparent that Mamiya uses hypnotic techniques sparked by repetitive sights like water movement or a lighter’s flame to override people’s free will and implant homicidal commands.
The process is subtle and almost supernatural; his power seems to exploit the hidden cracks in each person’s psyche, bringing their resentment or suppressed rage to the surface.
Peel Back the Layers: Hypnosis, Evil, and the Shattering of Self
Takabe and Sakuma discover that Mamiya has a background in psychology, specifically mesmerism and the history of hypnosis. A crucial clue appears in an old film reel and books found in Mamiya’s possession.
The materials reference a historic mesmerist, Suejiro Bakuro, who performed “spiritual healing” but was rumored to drive patients to homicide. The recurring motif of the X isn’t just a grisly calling card; it’s part of the hypnotic ritual that prompts murder.
As Takabe struggles to break free from Mamiya’s influence, his situation deteriorates. He becomes unable to control his emotions, especially following an apparent vision in which his wife’s fate mirrors the previous victims. In panic, Takabe commits Fumie to a hospital, but by now, the psychological pressure is overwhelming.
Sakuma, meanwhile, succumbs to Mamiya’s insidious reach. After reviewing evidence and a hypnotic videotape, he unconsciously paints an X on his wall, experiences violent hallucinations, and is soon found dead, handcuffed to pipes, another unexplained tragedy attributed to Mamiya’s indirect control.
Mamiya is placed under tighter security following these events, but escapes after hypnotizing a guard to his death. The method of escape remains unclear, but the implication is that Takabe’s latent vulnerability may have played a role, either by accident or subtle compulsion.
Cure (Credit: Prime Video)
The final confrontation occurs in an abandoned mental hospital. Takabe, at his wit’s end, tracks Mamiya down and, after an intense faceoff, shoots him. Before dying, Mamiya wordlessly gestures an X in the air, as if passing a torch.
Takabe explores the setting and finds a creaking phonograph. The device emits a male voice, likely Bakuro delivering hypnotic instructions, confirming that the occult tradition predates Mamiya and hints at something systemic, ancient, and endlessly recurring.
Shortly afterward, Fumie’s body is found bearing the same X, matching the earlier victims. The scene devastates Takabe, blurring the line between victim and perpetrator.
Final Act: The Cycle Continues, Evil Finds a New Vessel
The film closes in a brightly lit restaurant where Takabe sits, finished with his meal. The camera lingers on his serene but empty expression. He answers a phone call, possibly related to a new crime scene.
As Takabe lights a cigarette, the scene subtly shifts perspective: a waitress, previously cheerful and ordinary, is approached by her manager and then glides over to pick up a large kitchen knife.
The film cuts to black as the music swells, letting implications hang in the air. The audience is left with the image of Takabe, calm and composed, yet transformed.
This closing moment suggests a terrifying revelation. Mamiya’s true achievement was not merely causing individual acts of murder through hypnosis; it was to transfer his power and mission to someone new.
The “cure” referenced in the film’s title is a dark, ironic twist: the only way for Takabe to rid himself of anguish was to accept, or inherit, Mamiya’s ability.
The detective, once a seeker of justice, now demonstrates that same sinister, hypnotic influence. When the waitress lifts the knife, it’s clear the killing will continue, and Takabe has become the new missionary for this corrupted force.
Deeper Meanings: Human Potential for Violence and Loss of Identity
On one level, Cure is a complex thriller about crime and detection. On a deeper level, it’s a commentary about the universal fragility of identity.
The line separating an ordinary person from an abuser or murderer is distressingly thin under the right set of influences; anyone could be made to act out the darkest impulses, especially when their repressed rage is exposed.
Takabe’s journey is tragic: his attempts to bring rational order to irrational circumstances instead lead him to embody the very evil he sought to eradicate. As the “cure” spreads from one host to another, the film exposes the horror at the core of human nature, the possibility that who we are can disappear in an instant, subjugated by a power we don’t understand.
Kurosawa’s ambiguous storytelling ensures that the film’s meaning remains unsettlingly open. Whether Mamiya’s influence is supernatural, psychological, or both, the results are harrowing: violence infects like a virus, and its hosts can be anyone, even those tasked with stopping it.
New seasons, fresh films, and a couple of fun surprises. This post rounds up everything landing on Apple TV+ across August 2025, organized strictly by date so you can plan your watchlist fast.
How to use this guide
Scroll by date headers (Aug 1 → Aug 30). Each card shows the poster, the title, the genre or season, and the exact release date, plus a quick “Watch on Apple TV+” link that opens the official title page in a new tab.
Films marked “In Theaters” are Apple Original Films with a theatrical window before or alongside streaming. Podcasts listed here publish via Apple TV+ official podcast pages and are included for completeness.
Highlights & key dates
Family favorites and returns kick things off with Stillwater (Season 4, Aug 1, 2025 ) and the historical drama Chief of War ( Aug 1, 2025 ). Comedy returns with Platonic (Season 2, Aug 6, 2025 ), while Apple Original Films brings Highest 2 Lowest ( In Theaters Aug 15, 2025 ) alongside the Peanuts special Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical ( Aug 15, 2025 ).
Mid-month, sci-fi fans get Invasion (Season 3, Aug 22, 2025 ). Late month family picks arrive with Shape Island (Season 2, Aug 29, 2025 ) and the music-world series KPOPPED ( Aug 29, 2025 ). Audio lovers can also catch the new podcast Unicorn Girl ( Aug 18, 2025 ).
August 2025 Releases — Apple TV+
August 1
Stillwater Season 4
Animation/Kids & Family
Watch on Apple TV+
Chief of War
Drama
Watch on Apple TV+
August 2
Cowboy Cartel
Documentary Series
Watch on Apple TV+
Physical Season 3
Comedy
Watch on Apple TV+
August 5
Luck
Animation • Film
Watch on Apple TV+
August 6
Platonic Season 2
Comedy
Watch on Apple TV+
Mr. Corman
Comedy
Watch on Apple TV+
August 9
The Instigators
Action Comedy • Film
Watch on Apple TV+
Strange Planet
Animation/Comedy
Watch on Apple TV+
August 12
Lucy’s School
Kids & Family • Film
Watch on Apple TV+
Five Days at Memorial
Drama
Watch on Apple TV+
August 13
CODA
Drama • Film
Watch on Apple TV+
August 14
Bad Monkey
Comedy
Watch on Apple TV+
Boys State
Documentary • Film
Watch on Apple TV+
August 15
Highest 2 Lowest
Thriller • In Theaters
Watch on Apple TV+
Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical
Kids & Family
Watch on Apple TV+
Missed Fortune
Podcast
Listen on Apple TV+
August 18
Unicorn Girl
Podcast
Listen on Apple TV+
Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie
Kids & Family
Watch on Apple TV+
August 19
Surfside Girls
Kids & Family
Watch on Apple TV+
August 22
Invasion Season 3
Sci-Fi/Drama
Watch on Apple TV+
August 23
Pachinko Season 2
Drama
Watch on Apple TV+
August 25
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn
Documentary
Watch on Apple TV+
August 26
Scamtown
Podcast
Listen on Apple TV+
See Season 3
Drama
Watch on Apple TV+
August 29
Shape Island Season 2
Kids & Family
Watch on Apple TV+
KPOPPED
Series
Watch on Apple TV+
Napoleon: The Director’s Cut
Drama • Film
Watch on Apple TV+
August 30
K-Pop Idols
Documentary Series
Watch on Apple TV+
The Problem With Jon Stewart Podcast
Podcast
Listen on Apple TV+
Where to watch & verify dates
Release timing can vary slightly by region and time zone. If a title is not visible yet, check again after local midnight or visit the title’s press page from the links above.
Spotted an update?
If Apple shifts a premiere date or drops a surprise episode, ping us and we will adjust the schedule. We keep the format consistent every month so you can skim, find your date, and start watching with no clutter.
Enjoy the month, and happy streaming!
