Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer

Dark comedy done right.

I cannot stress this enough, but I have seen countless films who come with intent to depict dark comedy in its full glory but end up making a tonal mess of the tale. They either fail to execute humor or struggle with dramatic parts of the storyline.

This movie, however, balances all aspects quite competently.

Not only does it make you laugh when you are least expecting it, but the way it builds and then nurtures tension is also pretty commendable.

From quirky characters to their respective plot-lines, all things are conveyed well, though I did wish for more elaboration and a couple of twists and turns in the third act, felt like they cut it off prematurely.

The term point of view can have two meanings. First a point of view is literally a place of observation, a stationary or moving vantage from where the audience is invited to look. The other meaning of point of view is an attitude or mental perspective. Both are used to tell the vantage points and states of mind of the shows three main psychos. Poor Keane meant well for everyone, but his inability to read a room or shut-up has strip mined the love from his marriage. Kollmick, despite being a (retired) serial killer, also means well; he has a lot of respect for his nemeses at the Office of the Medical Examiners. Susie is the only one who means terrible.

I'll get my gripe with 'Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer' out of the way first. Stop starting your film with a scene from the end! I feel like I'm saying this in every second review at the moment (thank you 'The White Lotus'). Trust me, your movie doesn't need it.

This is a really odd little film. It has no business being as entertaining and watchable as it was. It has these characters who should be really unlikable, but because they're so well cast, they somehow work.

The plot is all over the place, but its dry humour often works and the "mix-up" comedy angle works better than I thought it was going to. There's also a very funny scene towards the end that raised it from a 6.5 to a 7/10.

A three-character story centered on a creatively blocked, soon-to-be-divorced writer who encounters a "retired" serial killer sounds like a killer concept, on paper. Unfortunately, this film squanders that premise with lackluster execution and a frustrating tonal imbalance.

Steve Buscemi and Britt Lower are the film's saving grace, doing their best to carry an off-kilter black comedy that never commits to being either dark enough or funny enough. The premise begs for something wild and twisted, but what we get feels muted and safe. The score stands out for its uniqueness.

The character of Kollmick (Buscemi) is woefully underdeveloped. We learn almost nothing about his past, and his interactions with the writer make no sense. Meanwhile, John Magaro's portrayal of Keane, the meek, indecisive writer, is not convincing.

The movie stumbles toward an anticlimactic ending that fails to resolve the story and ends on an unearned cliffhanger-clearly intentional, but entirely pointless.

This film unavoidably draws comparisons to Seven Psychopaths, watch it instead.

From the casting of Mystery Train alum Steve Buscemi to the obligatory Tom Waits song to the deadpan deliveries and the minimalist stream-of-consciousness slice-of-life narrative, it's a fairly familiar formula. And it works for the most part.

Of course, it develops slowly and unfolds at its own unpredictable leisure but the cast is so honestly up for the ride. Suzie can be a little too much at first. But I enjoyed her arc most of all. And the number of clever little things like Ada session, the llama, burn ointment and the chloroform bit, definitely make this fun. Keane's nebbish neuroses and Kollmick's earnest but ineffectual mentoring are delightfully authentic.

Some of the misunderstandings didn't quite click in the comedic way they should have. But a good deal of the film is quirky and interesting enough to keep one entertained.

And every time, she talked to her friend Zoe, my dog with the same name perked her ears up, making the movie quite interactive.

I liked it.