THE PATIENT on HULU is a new FX series about a serial killer seeking help in a very unorthodox way. The thriller series stars Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson. The two first 30-minute episodes are out on FX on Hulu now. Read our full The Patient series review here!

THE PATIENT is a new FX on Hulu thriller series with 30-minute episodes. In this new FX on Hulu series, we meet a serial killer (Domnhall Gleeson) who seeks therapy to stop killing. To be “cured” he forces a therapist (Steve Carell) to work with him.

The entire season has 10 episodes and the two first can be seen on Hulu now. The series is off to a very strong start and episode two ends on a wild cliffhanger, which should make sure to tune back in next week.

Continue reading our The Patient series review below. The series premiered on Hulu on August 30, 2022.

A simple and intense premise

A serial killer seeking help to stop killing is commendable, of course. However, kidnapping a therapist is a very unorthodox way of going about seeking help. To put it mildly. On the other hand, any other way would mean turning yourself in and the serial killer in The Patient is not ready for this.

Instead, he just wants to stop killing. Again, a very commendable desire, but not one that makes for optimal working conditions. And yet, once the therapist hears just a bit more, he does seem intrigued enough to want to try. Of course, it’s not really like he has a choice, anyway. Also, he is clearly haunted by his own past demons and needs the distraction.

While a direct comparison is not – in any real way – applicable, The Patient on Hulu did give me a The Black Phone vibe. The whole “being trapped in a basement by someone who has serial killer inclinations” is certainly one thing the two stories have in common.

The Patient (2022) – Review | Hulu Thriller Series

Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson star

The two absolute stars of the FX on Hulu thriller series The Patient are Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson. While I have always enjoyed Steve Carell doing comedy, he absolutely shines when taking on these darker roles. In The Patient, he plays the therapist who is working with a patient in his office at first.

The patient is portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson (Black Mirror), who has done both the lighter comedic roles and the dark portrayals. In this series, he is definitely the dark character as a serial killer. And yet, you will probably relate to the things he feels and comments on. You just won’t want to kill people that irritate you. Or certainly not act on it. I hope!

In The Patient, the serial killer claims that he has indeed acted on it. And will again, unless he is helped. Since we only really see Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson in these scenes – apart from flashbacks that include other characters – their interaction and chemistry is paramount for the story. Fortunately, they work very well together.

Start watching The Patient on Hulu now!

The creators of The Patient are Joel Fields and Joseph Weisberg, who are also the only writers on the series. Both also wrote on The Americans which was created by Joseph Weisberg. The episodes are directed by Chris Long (The Americans, Amazing Stories), Kevin Bray (Succession), and Gwyneth Horder-Payton (The Walking Dead, American Horror Story).

Apart from Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson, we have several familiar faces in the supporting roles. These include Laura Niemi (This Is Us, Stranger Things), Andrew Leeds (Bones), Linda Emond (The Bite), and Alex Rich (True Detective season 1).

The series will be released with weekly episodes which means the finale will be released on October 25, 2022. Sure, you could wait until then and just binge-watch it. Personally, I don’t want to be spoiled, so I’ll be checking in weekly to see how this evolves.

The first two episodes of The Patient mini-series premiered on FX on Hulu on August 30, 2022.  

Details

Creators: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Steve Carell, Andrew Leeds

Plot

The Patient is a psychological thriller from the minds of Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg (The Americans) about a therapist, “Alan Strauss” (Steve Carell), who’s held prisoner by a patient, “Sam Fortner” (Domhnall Gleeson), who reveals himself to be a serial killer. Sam has an unusual therapeutic demand for Alan: curb his homicidal urges.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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