A serial killer kidnaps his therapist in this thoughtful and intriguing 10-part drama that avoids typical thriller tropes.

Disney Plus’s new series The Patient takes a well-worn serial killer narrative and twists it into something much more engaging and unconventional. While the premise of a murderer seeking therapy to fight his deadly urges could have easily fallen into familiar thriller territory, this series challenges expectations and delivers a smart, character-driven story.

Domhnall Gleeson stars as Sam, a serial killer known to the authorities as the John Doe killer. In an attempt to curb his compulsions, he seeks therapy with Dr. Alan Strauss (played by Steve Carell), a recently widowed psychotherapist. However, Sam is too terrified of being caught to be open, so he takes extreme measures and kidnaps Alan, locking him in his basement for a prolonged, one-on-one session.

The tension between Sam and Alan forms the crux of the show, which becomes a psychological battle where both men attempt to navigate Sam’s violent impulses and Alan’s struggle to manage the situation. The atmosphere is sometimes absurd, but The Patient makes up for this by diving into the complex minds of its characters.

One of the more unexpected aspects of the show is Sam’s relationship with his overbearing mother, Candace (Linda Emond), who, despite knowing about her son’s dark secret, supports his decision to pursue therapy. Sam’s initial resistance to the process is rooted in a dismissal of psychological introspection, but the show balances this with more serious themes, such as Alan’s own family struggles.

While The Patient could easily have descended into a series of near-escapes and wild chases, it instead opts for a quieter, more reflective approach. Alan’s captivity is marked not just by tension but also by rumination on his Jewish identity and strained family dynamics, particularly with his son, Ezra (Andrew Leeds), who converted to orthodox Judaism and became estranged from Alan during his wife’s final years. These deeper themes, combined with Alan’s paranoia and disturbing visions of the Holocaust, give the series a haunting, meditative quality.

However, the show falters in its portrayal of Sam. Gleeson’s performance, though gentle and enigmatic, fails to fully imbue the character with the charisma necessary to make him captivating. Sam comes across as somewhat bland—eating takeaways, sipping massive coffees, and listening to country music. While the show avoids the trap of making Sam an overtly dramatic or morally ambiguous figure, his character feels a bit underdeveloped, especially in comparison to Alan’s much richer storyline.

Nevertheless, The Patient is an intelligent and absorbing watch. With Steve Carell’s strong performance grounding the show, the series takes an unconventional path for a thriller, leaning more into character studies and philosophical musings than typical plot-driven suspense. While some might see this as a missed opportunity to explore the darker side of its premise, the show ultimately proves that a killer concept doesn’t need to be exploited through cheap thrills—it can be turned into something more thoughtful and complex.