Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer
Original title: Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer
- 2024
- 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
A struggling writer in the midst of a divorce befriends a retired serial killer who incidentally becomes his marriage counselor by day, and killing counselor for his next book by night.A struggling writer in the midst of a divorce befriends a retired serial killer who incidentally becomes his marriage counselor by day, and killing counselor for his next book by night.A struggling writer in the midst of a divorce befriends a retired serial killer who incidentally becomes his marriage counselor by day, and killing counselor for his next book by night.
- Awards
- 1 win total
Lee Sellars
- Cesna
- (as Lee R. Sellars)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Hilarious and captivating the entire way through the movie. The way the plot develops and the ride they take you through keeps you wanting more. Would definitely recommend this movie to anyone! Great to see Steve buscimi (probably misspelled) been a fan ever since the big Lebowski, and not sure if it was just because of him but kind of got similar vibes from the humor used throughout the film.
If you're looking for something that has a horror aspect while looking to laugh, you don't need to look any further. Now I'm just continuing to ramble because of the minimum required characters for the review.
If you're looking for something that has a horror aspect while looking to laugh, you don't need to look any further. Now I'm just continuing to ramble because of the minimum required characters for the review.
I know that this is a wacky comedy and not a documentary. I get it. Events spin out of control. Things become absurd.
But following the opening dinner-party scene, I didn't believe anything that anyone did in this movie. Not for a minute. And all the actors in it are very capable and give excellent performances.
But nobody's reaction to anything in this arbitrary and unmotivated series of events is remotely like something an actual person might do. Every scene prompts the question, "Why would he/she do that?"
The screenplay is bereft of anything resembling human behavior--homo sapiens or Neanderthals.
But following the opening dinner-party scene, I didn't believe anything that anyone did in this movie. Not for a minute. And all the actors in it are very capable and give excellent performances.
But nobody's reaction to anything in this arbitrary and unmotivated series of events is remotely like something an actual person might do. Every scene prompts the question, "Why would he/she do that?"
The screenplay is bereft of anything resembling human behavior--homo sapiens or Neanderthals.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaBritt Lower and Sydney Cole Alexander both star together on the Apple TV show, Severance.
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer
- Filming locations
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $40,350
- Runtime
- 1h 42m(102 min)
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39:1
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