PATIENT KILLER

US, 2015, 89 minutes, Colour.
Victoria Pratt, Barbie Castro, Casper van Dien, Richard Burgi, Patrick Muldoon.
Directed by Casper van Dien.

Patient Killer is a psychological thriller, focusing on the psychotherapist and her clients. One of them is obsessive, wanting everything to be tidy, who is rather infatuated with the psychotherapist – and, at her book launch, she signed his book saying that he is her favourite patient (Patrick Muldoon).

At the launch a woman approaches her and later comes for a session, talking about bad dreams (which have been visualised at the beginning of the film) and undergoes therapy, noting her dreams, talking about a killing.

This has an effect on the psychotherapist who consults her own doctor and remembers her past with someone she loved dying. He turns out to be the woman’s brother. She starts disrupting the psychotherapist’s life, assaulting the therapist’s boyfriend (Casper van Dien, the director of the film). With the help of the detective, the case is resolved.

The scenes of psychotherapy are quite interesting – but the film moves to ultimate melodrama.

1. A psychological thriller, the focus on the psychological, the therapy sessions, the effects on the clients? Then moving towards the thriller aspects with the touch of melodrama?

2. The title, the ambiguity of patients, patience, and the revelation of the killer?

3. The American city, apartments, offices, bookshops, doctor’s waiting rooms, police precincts? Musical score?

4. Victoria’s story, a competent psychotherapist, seeing her sessions with Derek, his finger mannerisms, obsessions, wanting things tidy, the steps in her treatment, the book signing and his being her favourite patient, his return, lapses, infatuation with her? Her personal life, relationship with Jason? Her own fears, the experience in the past with the boyfriend, his death? Her consultations with her doctor?

5. The woman at the launch, just wanting to meet Victoria, coming for therapy, Victoria recording the sessions, the talk about the dreams, the woman taking notes on her dreams, bringing the stories, the killer?

6. Jason, love for Victoria, her being very busy, their finding time to be together, the meal? His being attacked, hospital, sitting by his bedside? Recovery?

7. Blaire, her personality, her attachment to her brother, the opening nightmare and his death, the visit to the launch, seeking therapy, the various sessions, her dreams, taking notes, her breaking out, attacking Jason, attacking Victoria?

8. Audience interest in psychological dimensions of crime stories?