PSYCHO THERAPY: THE SHALLOW TALE OF A WRITER WHO DECIDED TO WRITE ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER
Starring: Britt Lower, Sydney Cole Alexander, John Magaro, and Steve Buscemi
Director: Tolga Karaçelik
KATIE
Psycho Therapy is full of good ideas and has the talent of its incredible cast at its disposal, but it ultimately doesn’t utilise either to their full potential. John Magaro (Keane) and Steve Buscemi (Kollmick) are a genuinely hilarious comedic pairing, but good ideas are abandoned in favour of a contrived plot that is far less interesting. I was also elated when Britt Lower came onto the screen, and she proves to be fantastic at dark comedy, but I was so let down when it ended right after introducing one of its most interesting and compelling ideas.
QUENTIN
As a massive fan of The Coen Brothers, it’s kinda wild how much I didn’t care for Psycho Therapy since it has major Coen vibes. It’s billed as a black comedy thriller, but almost none of the dry and absurdist humor works, especially when it comes to Keane (John Magaro), who is extremely annoying throughout. With the comedy not hitting, one would hope the thriller aspect would pick up the slack, but nope. The clunky story, almost sleep-inducing indie tone, and abrupt ending make for a movie that also lacks thrills. Steve Buscemi does good work, as usual, but that just isn’t enough, unfortunately.
ADRIANO
If you want a movie with squandered potential, look no further than Psycho Therapy, because although it starts very intriguing with its weird concept and domestic turmoil plot, it very quickly spirals. I laughed a lot, and the performances from John Magaro, Britt Lower, and Steve Buscemi are amazing; however, I don't like when a movie just confuses me, even when I can follow what's happening. I also don't like character decisions that progressively make less sense, resulting in a plot that is almost entirely lost – not lost enough to make the movie not worthwhile, but enough to drown out its impact.
