Happy Sunday, Streamers.
We’re back from the holiday with a piping hot rec in our Rec Room and some other news - your boy is now a self-published AND legitimately published author.
The folks over at Collider loved what we’ve been cooking at The Sunday Stream and asked me to contribute as a film and tv feature writer. If you want to dork out even further over movies and shows, check out some recent pieces I wrote on how Better Call Saul concludes an epic storytelling run and why House of The Dragon should lighten up a little. I’ll be sure to link any future features here, or you can follow me on Twitter.
Now that the shameless self-promo is out of the way, let’s get to it.
Rec Room: The Patient
What It’s About: In this thriller, a psychotherapist (Steve Carrell) finds himself held prisoner by a serial killer (Domhnall Gleeson) with an unusual request: help him curb his homicidal urges.
Why You Should Watch: For creepy thrills
It’s always strange to see Steve Carrell in a serious role after unlimited rerun viewings as him playing our favorite regional office manager. Still, he more than sticks the landing in The Patient as a cardigan-cowled therapist with a slight edge. It’s one of Carrell’s best dramatic performances and a thrill to watch as he uses every therapeutic tool in his arsenal to help (or escape from) his sociopathic patient through an intense series of one-to-ones. It’s a very similar role to that of James Caan (RIP) in Misery, although the task being asked of Carrell by his captor is far more complex: stop a serial killer from killing people. Gleeson plays a great foil as that serial killer, compensating for the unlikely self-awareness of this particular murderer with an endearing empathy and a hilarious passion for ethnic food.
Truthfully though, this show might be the beneficiary of our current TV cultural moment. As I write this, two blockbuster fantasy shows are battling for streaming supremacy. Disney is dropping more and more trailers for future IP-driven blockbuster series by the minute at D23. In comparison, The Patient is the type of tight thriller (that presents thought-provoking questions about faith and parent-child relationships) that is increasingly rare. It’s a refreshing palette cleanser after so much recent time spent with elves, dragons, Jedis, and/or dream lords, and a welcome reprieve if you’re looking for an escape from all that escapist fare.
Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From:
Steve Carell - Obviously as Michael Scott from The Office, but also The Morning Show, Bruce Almighty, The Daily Show, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Despicable Me, and The Big Short. He’s also one of the low-key best straight men of all time, as evidenced in this sketch from Second City’s 50th Anniversary Special:
Domhnall Gleeson - You probably know this nepotism baby (son of Brendan Gleeson) from Ex Machina, Black Mirror, the most recent Star Wars trilogy, the sappy but underrated About Time, or as Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter franchise.
Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done: Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, the duo who also executive produced FX's hit drama, The Americans.
Where You Can Watch: Hulu
Stream It or Skip It?
First, the results from last week. You were firmly not interested in either Pinocchio or the upcoming season of The Handmaid’s Tale, with 86% of you voting to skip the former and 83% voting to skip the latter. 73% of you are interested in White Noise, which suggests that maybe the majority of you live in Brooklyn.
This week we have three pieces of content up for a vote. Let us know in the polls - are you going to Stream It or Skip It?
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Detective Benoit Blanc returns in Rian Johnson’s sequel to Knives Out, with a cast so star-studded it became a meme. Coming soon to Netflix.
Chef’s Table: Pizza
I don’t usually go for Chef’s Table, but… PIZZA. Out on Netflix now.
The Mandalorian (Season 3)
Baby Yoda is jumping into hyperspace and flying back to our screens, baby! Coming to Disney+ next year.