Entertainment
‘The Patient’ pits therapist against serial killer in a psychological chess match
The premise sounds easy sufficient, as Gleeson’s Sam, a serial killer, kidnaps his therapist, Dr. Alan Strauss (Carell), to be able to interact in some actually targeted work that he hopes will “remedy” him of his compulsions, or at the very least assist curb them.
Chained to a mattress in a distant visitor room, Alan retains taking part in angles in his head that he hopes will preserve him from changing into complicit in Sam’s avocation — or a sufferer himself — whereas searching for any lapse or weak point which may enable him to flee or persuade Sam to let him go.
There is a contact of Hitchcock in Alan’s everyman predicament, and extra occurring with Sam than initially meets the attention. For starters, there’s the query of whether or not he lives alone, and the way which may play into the psychological chess match that the therapist is grudgingly compelled to play.
Nonetheless, the cat-and-mouse interplay is clearly deemed inadequate to maintain the narrative even with the wrinkles thrown into it, and the story detours right into a collection of flashbacks concerning Strauss’ late spouse (Laura Niemi) and the best way that he grew to become estranged from his grown son (Andrew Leeds), whose flip to a stricter adherence to Judaism triggered a rift along with his mother and father.
The concept Strauss would use this time to ponder his personal life is sensible, however there’s a component of manipulation in each the best way that storyline is offered, and different gadgets used to get contained in the character’s head. On the plus facet, Carell’s portrayal is refreshingly actual by way of the character’s fears on this insane state of affairs, difficult the acquainted apply of remodeling an abnormal particular person right into a superhero beneath perilous circumstances.
At its finest within the opening chapters, which run solely a few half-hour, “The Affected person” cannot totally maintain its promise and would have benefited from paring down the again story; nonetheless, the execution lastly proves unpredictable sufficient to justify the journey and principally keep away from the serial-killer cliches that too typically rear their ugly heads.
Odds usually are not everybody will really feel happy with the place “The Affected person” leads, but it surely does preserve the viewers off steadiness, and pondering the decision a bit past the tip. If that is not the prescription for a completely rewarding consequence, not like some remedy periods, the producers at the very least should not be accused of losing your time.
“The Affected person” premieres Aug. 30 on Hulu.