The first trailer for the Steve Buscemi-led black comedy Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer has been released. Directed by Turkish filmmaker Tolga Karaçelik in his English-language debut, the film follows John Magaro (Past Lives) as Keane, a writer whose crumbling marriage to Suzie (Britt Lower) is further complicated by his years-long struggle to complete a book about serial killers. His luck takes a bizarre turn when he meets Kollmick (Buscemi), an ex-murderer who offers to mentor him in the finer points of homicide.
The newly released trailer for Psycho Therapy shows things spiral further out of control when Suzie mistakes reformed serial killer Kollmick for their new marriage counselor (via Brainstorm Media). Psycho Therapy is set to premiere in New York theaters on April 4. The film will also star Ward Harton, Olli Haaskivi, and Lower’s Severance co-star Sydney Cole Alexander. Watch the full trailer below:
What This Means For Psycho Therapy
Murder, Marriage, And Mayhem Collide
Premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, Psycho Therapy quickly became a critical darling, winning an Audience Award. The film appears to take a surrealist approach to a failing marriage, reframing it as an offbeat cat-and-mouse game between Suzie and Keane. During a faux therapy session, Buscemi’s Kollmick posits, “Marriage is a living organism.” While a retired murderer seems like the least likely person to nurture such an organism, Kollmick may not be Keane’s biggest problem—especially as tensions between him and Suzie escalate.
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Karaçelik’s absurdly comedic touch continues after his family drama Butterflies won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2018. Karaçelik’s Psycho Therapy will be Lower’s first leading role since Apple TV+’s Severance. Meanwhile, Buscemi remains a force in both film and television, with recent appearances in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Transformers One, and Monsters at Work. Before Past Lives, Magaro was nominated for a 2020 Gotham Award for the critically acclaimed First Cow. Put together, Psycho Therapy has an impressive creative team that can help it draw more attention upon release.
Our Take On Psycho Therapy
Britt Lower & Steve Buscemi Bring Their A-Game
Psycho Therapy is shaping up to be a wildly unpredictable ride with a marriage story unlike any other. Lower, fresh from her critically acclaimed role in Severance, seems like the perfect fit for a manic wife whose unraveling psyche could make for a gripping performance. Buscemi’s Kollmick looks to be another classic addition to his long list of eccentric, unsettling characters from Fargo to The Big Lebowski. Ultimately, Karaçelik’s genre-bending indie darling Psycho Therapy looks ready to deliver on its thrilling absurdity while keeping its characters grounded and compelling.
Source: Brainstorm Media