The Cure Trailer Reveals Sinister Sci-Fi Horror Starring David Dastmalchian
A new trailer has arrived for the sci-fi horror thriller The Cure, a disturbing story about family, control and the terrifying possibilities of modern biotechnology. Starring David Dastmalchian, Ashley Greene and Samantha Cochran, the film will be released on Digital in the UK on April 13 through Signature Entertainment, with a US release expected to be announced soon by Vertical.
At the centre of the story is Ally Braun, played by Samantha Cochran, a sixteen-year-old suffering from a mysterious and worsening illness. Raised by wealthy adoptive parents on a remote island estate, Ally begins to suspect that something far more sinister is happening behind the scenes. Her parents, portrayed by David Dastmalchian and Ashley Greene, are powerful biotech entrepreneurs who appear to be using her condition as part of a deeply unethical medical experiment. As disturbing visions of surgical procedures and twisted scientific research begin to haunt her, Ally realises her own blood may hold the key to a lucrative and terrifying discovery.
Trapped inside a fortified island compound and surrounded by people who claim to care for her, Ally must uncover the truth before her parents’ experiments drain her of everything that makes her human. The premise taps into familiar anxieties about scientific advancement and corporate power, placing a vulnerable teenager at the centre of a chilling conspiracy involving bioengineering and medical exploitation.
The film is directed by Nancy Leopardi from a screenplay by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer, the writing team behind Steven Soderbergh’s psychological thriller Unsane. Leopardi has described the project as drawing inspiration from classic genre films that explore the darker implications of technological progress. She has cited influential science fiction horror titles such as Ex Machina, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome as key tonal touchstones, suggesting the film will blend psychological tension with unsettling speculative ideas about the future of science.
Leading the cast is David Dastmalchian, who has quickly become a familiar presence within modern horror. Genre fans will recognise him from the critically acclaimed possession thriller Late Night with the Devil, where his unsettling performance as a late-night television host helped the film become one of the most talked-about horror releases of recent years. Dastmalchian has also appeared in a wide range of major films including Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, and Marvel’s Ant-Man series, often bringing a distinctive intensity to unusual or morally ambiguous characters.
Ashley Greene, best known worldwide for playing Alice Cullen in the hugely successful Twilight saga, takes on a darker role here as one half of the powerful couple behind the sinister research operation. While Greene first rose to prominence through the vampire franchise, she has since appeared in a variety of genre and thriller projects, including The Apparition, the action thriller Rogue, and the crime drama Bombshell. Her role in The Cure sees her stepping further into psychological horror territory as a mother whose motivations may be far more unsettling than they first appear.
Samantha Cochran leads the film as Ally, bringing the emotional core to a story built around paranoia and survival. Cochran previously appeared in the anthology series V/H/S/ Halloween, which is part of the long-running V/H/S horror franchise known for its found footage storytelling and experimental style. In The Cure, she moves from anthology horror to a central dramatic role that requires both vulnerability and determination as her character slowly uncovers the truth about her adoptive family.
The supporting cast includes Sydney Taylor, known for the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, Tyler Lawrence Gray from the drama series Wolfpack, Dylan Flashner who appeared alongside Oscar Isaac in Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, and Bunny Levine, recognised for roles in television series such as Shameless. Together they populate the mysterious island compound where the story unfolds.
Behind the scenes, Leopardi also serves as a producer alongside Bo Youngblood, John Ierardi, Natalie Marciano and Rock Jacobs. With its mixture of conspiracy thriller elements, body horror and dystopian science fiction, The Cure appears positioned as a tense and unsettling genre entry exploring the ethical limits of biotechnology and the dangers of treating human life as a scientific resource.
The film will have its world premiere at the Manchester Film Festival in England on March 21 ahead of its digital release the following month.
