The English language debut of Turkish director Tolga Karaçelik, Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer is a challenging film to classify.
In simple terms, this is a dark comedy whose premise is based around a supposedly retired serial killer keen to narrate the story of his life to a struggling writer as inspiration for a book. What Karaçelik has actually created is a film delivering uncomfortably relevant life lessons via the prism of dysfunctional marital harmony and existential dread. And it’s a fascinating, engaging one at that.
Keane (John Magaro) is a writer whose idea for a new book is, as everyone tells him, terrible. His wife, Suzie (Britt Lower), is barely interested in anything her husband has to say and wants a divorce, while his agent could not be any less supportive. Then he meets Steve Buscemi’s Kollmick, who decides to show Keane how a serial killer works, in a very practical sense.
Psycho Therapy… is initially a considered, almost ponderous film, but as the various layers are exposed, it reveals itself to be an intriguing, enjoyable farce-like affair full of crossed wires and confused intent. The three leads deliver strong performances, with Lower the standout as her story arcs toward a surprising yet satisfying conclusion. The off-kilter tone ensures you’re never quite on a firm footing, unsure of where the film is going or how it’s going to get there.
In short, an impressive, often absurd, darkly comedic film that just about delivers on its ambitions.
