Steve Carell has been hailed for his performance in a new serial killer show on Disney+.
Of course, Carell has shown in the past that he’s more than capable of playing straight roles.
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Despite coming to fame in comedy films like Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, he has given a number of performances that have shown his ability when not playing the funny man.
There were even moments in The Office – the US version of course – that hinted at his straight acting ability, before his turns in films like Foxcatcher and Apple TV show The Morning Show solidified his drama chops in the minds of the viewing public.
Now, he takes on the role of a therapist who is captured by a serial killer patient and taken hostage, chained up in a house.
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The show is called The Patient and it features Domhnall Gleeson giving an equally praised performance as Gene – who later turns out to be called Sam – the aforementioned serial killer.
Sam takes Carell’s character Dr Alan Strauss hostage outside his house one evening, before the doctor awakens to discover he is being kept under lock and key and treated like a live-in therapist tasked with putting an end to Sam’s murderous nature.
The show features 10 episodes running – with the exception of the final one – at around half an hour, meaning that there’s plenty to cram in.
Carell’s Alan is a character with darkness in his past too, having recently lost his beloved wife to cancer, as well as having an estranged son whose conversion to orthodox Judaism led to familial tension.
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In a series of flashbacks and memories, the whole thing plays out.
Anyway, Carell’s performance - as well as Gleeson too - has particularly grabbed the attention of viewers.
One said: “The Patient is the best modern day psychological thriller I have ever seen.
“Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson both gave amazing performance [sic].
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“The directing and writing is just brilliant.”
Another said: “If you have not seen The Patient on Hulu, you need to.
"Steve Carell will blow your mind with his breathtaking performance.
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“And Domhnall Gleeson is truly terrifying.”
A third wrote: “Steve Carell will always be known for The Office but he’s actually so good. Have they announced Emmy noms yet? Because he was unreal in The Patient.”
The Patient has been created by Joe Weisberg, who was previously involved with The Americans, as well as Joel Fields from that same show, among others.
If you want to check it out for yourself, it’s available to watch on Disney+ and Hulu now.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Disney
Tom Wood