buckikris
When I first watched this movie, I really didn't care for it. Then I gave it a second try, and loved it. I thought it was creepy and made me think twice about a spa vacation. When a senior CEO, Pembrook( Harry Groener) goes to a wellness center in Switzerland, and doesn't come back he writes a letter explaining why. The letter is disturbing and it gets the attention of the other senior heads. A young CEO, Lockhart ( Dane Dehaan) is called into a meeting. There he is given the letter to read; and clearing believes Pembrook has lost his mind. When it is discovered Lockhart has been cooking the books, he is threatened. He is ordered to go to Switzerland, and Pembrook back. Since Pembrook is not sane, they want to put the blame on him. If Lockhart fails, he will face prison time, and be ruined.Lockhart is on his way to Switzerland by a train, the wellness center is high atop the Swiss Alps; and the view is gorgeous. When he arrives he is met by Enrico( The Driver), who takes individuals to and from the center. On the way up Lockhart makes small talk with Enrico. Enrico tells him about the history of the castle where the wellness center is located. Enrico goes on to tell him about the baron and his wife. The baron was so obsessed with a pure bloodline, he realized the only one pure enough to carry his child was his sister. when she was found to be barren, he started to conduct barbaric experiments on the townspeople. One night the people had enough, and came up to the castle. They hung the barren, burnt the barrenness alive, and threw her child in an aquifer. Yes, the baroness was pregnant at the time, the child survived. He goes on to say the story is about 200 years old. When Lockhart arrives, he reports to the nurses station. There he meets this bizarre nurse( Natalia Bobrich). She tells him visiting hours have ended at 3p.m.. He is five minutes late, and demands to see a manager. He meet the Deputy Director ( Adrian Schiller). Lockhart notices these blue bottles with liquid in them. The director puts a few drops on his tongue, before talking to him. He tells Lockhart they are vitamins. Lockhart explains that he is here to bring Pembrook back on a red eye flight back to N.Y.. The director tells him Pembrook isn't well enough to travel; but Lockhart says his coming regardless. Then he leaves and tells Lockhart to take him back down the mountain. It's not long after they leave they are involved in an accident with a deer.When Lockhart wakes, he is met by Dr. Vollmer ( Jason Isaacs). He soon realizes he has been there for three days. He tries to get up and realizes his leg is in a cast. Vollmer tells him he isn't a patient, but a guest until he gets well. While there he makes friend with some of the patients, especially Victoria Watkins (Celia Imrie). She loves puzzles, and has a book on the history of the castle. It has pictures that show the castle back in the day, and extensive information on the baron. She continues to tell him about the hanging of the baron, what happens to the bareness, and the child. While there he checks out the center. He comes to a steam room and finds Pembrook. Pembrook has changed and tells him he isn't returning until he is completely well. Lockhart also meets Hanna ( Mia Goth). Hanna is a young girl who is there, until her father is able to come and get her. Her doctor is Vollmer who treats her like his daughter, she goes on to tell Lockhart she is a special case.Vollmer checks up on Lockhart and asks if he is drinking plenty of water, supposedly water is part of the cure. Lockhart notices that all the patients there drink huge amounts of water. During this time Lockhart starts to experience some hallucinations, Vollmer checks him out and orders some test on him. One is putting Lockhart in an isolation tank. This is when Lockhart starts to experience hallucinations of eels. He is then asked to provide a urine sample. When he returns he notices other samples with blood in them. He finds it shocking, does some snooping and finds Pembrook's record. We he sees the dental X-Rays, as well as other infor, he finds it alarming. He keeps the record until he is able to find someone who can translate the finding who is not associated with the center.One night Lockhart see an orderly take a covered patient to the far part of the center; and wonders what is going on. He believes something bizarre is going on at the wellness center. When he sees Victoria the next day she warns him to be careful, a dark presence is all around there. When she tell him this, it gets the attention of the orderly.One Day he asks Hanna if she wants to go into town, just to get away. When they get to a bar, he asks if there is a doctor in town. He find a vet ( Magnus Krepper), Lockhart gives him Pembrooks chart. The vet tells him, Pembrook is not a well man. He says that he, and probably others are suffering from constant dehydration. Lockhart finds this weird, because all the patients there is drink a lot of water. When he and Hanna are found in town they are quickly returned.when he returns he continues to snoop around, he discovered that he is starting to lose teeth. He is able to to get into a restricted part of the wing. He finds disturbing revelations. There are people submerged in water tanks; including Penbrook. there are bodies that are dried up like mummies, then disposed of in an aquifer.He is discovered by Vollmer, and has become a Guinea Pig. Lockhart discovers that the water is actually toxic unless it is filtered properly. Vollmer has him in a filtration tank. he tells Lockhart that the only way to drink the water and survive is having it filtered with the help of eels. The eels are naturally found in the aquifer. They are inserted into the bodies of the patients there. Through them the water is no longer toxic, plus it hold special properties. It gives one a longer lifespan, The blue bottles the staff uses; and those that work close with the wellness center.Near the end of the movie Hanna has her first period. Vollmer notices this and he wants to marry her. A bizarre wedding ceremony takes place, and Vollmer tells Hanna about her mother the baroness. Hanna is the daughter who survived that night and Vollmer is the baron, her father. Vollmer plans to do the same thing to Hanna as he did to his sister( the baroness). When Vollmer ties her up to the bed he tries to rape her. During this time Lockhart discovers Vollmer's little shop of horrors. Hanna is able to get loose with the help of Lockhart; and smacks him good in the face. Vollmer removes whats left of his face and his true face is shown. In the end Lockhart saves Hanna, the wellness center catches fire and the two escape riding down the hill on her bicycle.This movie will give you chills and make your skin craw. The only disturbing part was the incest scene. It was really disturbing, and shocking to watch. A creepy little film that is well made; and will make you think twice about going to a health spa retreat.
