Psycho Therapy The Shallow Tale Of A Writer Who Decided To Write About A Serial Killer

Director: Tolga Karaçelik

Cast: Steve Buscemi, Britt Lower, John Magaro, Ward Horton, Olli Haaskivi

Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer is a 2025 Turkish-American dark comedy-drama directed by Tolga Karaçelik, starring Steve Buscemi. The film blends deadpan humor with unsettling psychology as a desperate writer finds an unlikely mentor in a retired murderer.

What is Psycho Therapy The Shallow Tale Of A Writer Who Decided To Write About A Serial Killer about?

Marcus, a novelist whose literary career has stalled as badly as his marriage, is deep in the wreckage of an impending divorce when he crosses paths with an older, quietly unnerving neighbor. The neighbor turns out to have a very particular past — decades spent as a serial killer, now apparently retired. As Marcus begins mining this man's experience for his next book, the relationship twists into something stranger: the supposed killer starts dispensing surprisingly lucid advice about Marcus's crumbling relationship, while expecting Marcus to absorb lessons of a far darker variety in return. The film tracks this odd-couple arrangement across a single fraying autumn, using the absurdity of the setup to expose the lengths a person will go to avoid looking honestly at their own life.

Cast & crew

Director Tolga Karaçelik, known for blending social observation with deadpan wit, brings a precise, unhurried tone to the material. Steve Buscemi leads as the quietly menacing neighbor, drawing on decades of character-actor expertise to make the role both comic and genuinely unsettling. Britt Lower and John Magaro round out the central triangle with grounded, naturalistic performances.

Context & significance

For Persian-speaking viewers in the diaspora, dark comedies that poke at the absurdity of modern relationships land with particular force — the genre has long been popular across Iranian cinema clubs and streaming habits alike. This Turkish-American co-production carries the dry, socially observant sensibility familiar from contemporary Turkish film, a cinema with deep ties to Persian-speaking audiences. The film is available on K-Time with Persian dubbing, making it fully accessible without subtitles, so family watch sessions require no reading along. Its 102-minute runtime and self-contained story make it an easy single-evening commitment.

Where & how to watch

Psycho Therapy is available now on K-Time with both Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles. Watch on the web browser, your TV, or your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, no extra download required. Subscribe and cancel anytime.