Patient performances deserve a captive audience
STEVE Carell and Domhnall Gleeson make for an effective pairing in Disney+’s latest thriller.
Essentially a two-hander, The Patient unfolds the story of therapist Alan Strauss (Carell) and the young man initially known to him as Gene (Gleeson), over the course of 10 half-hour episodes.
After a couple of months, their sessions have proved rather frustrating – and fruitless – for both parties.
‘‘It’s not working the way it did in your book,’’ hisses Gene, as he repeats his concerns that his dad beat him up as a child and doesn’t have a good social life.
‘‘You have to tell me things – be open, truthful,’’ is Strauss’ exasperated reply.
Now though, the therapist has woken up in strange surroundings and – more troublingly – chained to a bed. After screaming for help elicits no response, he surveys the room and quickly realises it has clearly been set up for a longstaying guest.
It’s a little while later when his host reveals himself.
‘‘I’m so sorry, I know this sucks,’’ Gene mumbles. ‘‘This isn’t as bad as it seems – I need your help. I’m out of options. My name is actually Sam and I have much bigger problems than the rest of your patients – I have a compulsion to kill people. I’ve read all the books, I want to stop and I’m trying so hard. I wish you knew what it’s like to be like this, it’s not like Silence of the
Lambs.’’
Further revealing that he’s the man police have previously named as the John Doe Killer for his penchant for taking his victim’s IDs (‘‘Would you like a watch? They still work – most of them,’’ he asks his captive), Sam isn’t impressed by Strauss’ initial lack of enthusiasm – or response.
‘‘The silent treatment doesn’t seem to be very professional,’’ he chides.
That’s the last straw for Strauss: ‘‘I’m not your therapist any more, I’m your prisoner. Successful therapy requires a safe environment.’’
After some debate and a seemingly endless array of classy takeout meals, they eventually reach a compromise. In return for exploring where his terrible need is coming from – and to address it – Sam promises not to carry out any acts of physical violence without talking to Strauss. It doesn’t take long though for Sam to become infuriated by their process, especially when there are people in his day job as a health inspector who have seriously pissed him off.
Created by the duo behind the brilliant, multi-award-winning period spy series The Americans – Joel Fields and Joseph Weisberg – The Patient works best as a Misery-style psychological thriller.
Playing to Carell’s strengths, there are moments of dark humour as Strauss’ inventive, but flawed, attempts to escape inevitably fail, while Gleeson, virtually unrecognisable at first, is suitably enigmatic as the mysterious Sam.
There is an episodic feel to proceedings which doesn’t feel quite as organic as it should, but with two such thoughtful and impressive performances, it is hard to resist wanting to find out how it will all resolve itself.
The Patient begins streaming on Disney + on Tuesday.