Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer – Review

So… slumping writer Keane O’Hara (Magaro) has been stuck on his novel for the last 4 years. It is based on 40,000 BC neanderthals and homo-sapiens, in the area that is now Slovenia. He was inspired by an article he saw once, and it sparked an idea for him. His distant wife Suzie (Lower) is less than enthusiastic about the work, and in general her husband. At a dinner party, their friends process his plot, and Keane’s drive for the story. It only goes so well.

Suzie is clearly on another wavelength at this point, as she subtly tests her husband on the way home before beginning to think about her future. Now Keane finds himself struggling with both writing and his love life. He is approached by a strange fan named Kollmick (Buscemi), who cannot wait to read his new book. This Kollmick also suggests that he should write about the life of a particular serial killer. Keane knows his agent would love that, as it’s a sexier topic than neanderthal love in 40,000 BC.

Keane brushes this odd encounter off and goes back to his life. The movie then moves into an offbeat combination of dark comedy, love, life, death, misunderstanding, misconceptions, and unexpected therapeutic forces. Will Keane find a better topic that has a better chance of selling? Will his wife lose interest fully well before then? Will Kollmick find a normal way of interacting with people?

The balance of forces in this movie creates a strange energy that runs throughout. It does have some realistic life drama, however in contrast it also features dark and zany comic elements. The main trio of characters are all fairly interesting and wind up having odd dynamics with each other as the plot advances. The dense and pedantic Keane is expertly crafted, and his ice queen wife Suzie is fully believable. The wild card in Kollmick keeps it all fresh.

The movie is fairly slow paced, but never boring. It remains hard to anticipate throughout its full runtime, which is always a nice aspect. Writing, directing and acting are all worthy, and the movie is mostly unique. Mileage may vary based on the sporadic and ever-changing plot, but I found it entertaining.

Comparisons below aren’t quite right, but in the vein.