Would you read a romance novel about a blossoming relationship between the last-living Neanderthal caveman and a Homo sapien woman in prehistoric Slovenia?
Probably not, right? Tell that to Keane (September 5’s John Magaro), the struggling New York City author depserately trying to make it the focus of his sophomore book in writer-director Tolga Karacelik’s Psycho Therapy. Or, as the full subtitle reads, The Shallow Tale of Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer.
If any movie could pull off a mouthful like that, it’s this odd, refreshingly original, and oftentimes hilarious dark comedy in which a “retired” serial killer by the name of Kollmick (Boardwalk Empire’s Steve Buscemi) inadvertently becomes a marriage counselor while advising a bestselling, albeit timid and clueless, writer — the aforementioned Keane — on the psychological makeup of career murderers.
This unexpected creative partnership inexorably draws suspicion from Keane’s wife, Suzie (Severance lead Britt Lower), who mistakes the ex-killer for an avant-garde professional who can save her miserable marriage to a man incapable of thinking for himself. Outrageous hijinks invariably ensue from this profound misunderstanding that defines most of the film, which needs to be seen to be believed.
As fate would be have it, I recently had a chance to sit down with Lower to discuss her role in the project (currently playing in New York theaters), viral trumpet performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and more.
***WARNING! The following contains certain spoilers for the film!***
Josh Weiss: What initially attracted you to the project?
Britt Lower: I read this wonderful script that Tolga wrote and I kind of couldn’t look away from Suzie. I was really intrigued. The premise was just really fresh and original — the idea of a serial killer who accidentally becomes a marriage counselor and [turns out to be]
a good one for this particular couple. I thought it was original and from the get-go, I was like, “Wow, I want to step into her perspective and see what’s going on there.”
Weiss: Was the character of Suzie based on anyone in particular? How did you approach the role?
Lower: The approach to Suzie was that onion scene. This is a person who wants to chop onions because she likes the sound. That told me a lot about her. And she’s also a professional home organizer, so there’s a certain amount of control she likes to have in her life. Obviously, the events of this film throw her out of that comfort zone and wake her up to this interesting curiosity about her husband and marriage counselor [when they start] kidnapping people and [kick off] this wild journey.
Weiss: I’m sure everyone you’re talking to today will bring up Severance in one form or another, but this film has the same heightened, almost absurdist vibe at times as the hit Apple TV+ show. Did the experience of making Psycho Therapy feel the same as shooting an episode of Severance?
Lower: It was a very different filmmaking process for this project … We were just filming a lot more swiftly, because this was an independent film. But yeah, there are some elements of absurdity. You’ll see a random llama in a bar, you’ll see me chopping a giant pile of onions with no explanation. I guess there are some absurd elements if you want to draw a parallel.
Weiss: The film is absolutely hilarious. Was it hard to keep yourself from cracking up on-set?
Lower: It’s always hard when you’re working with people who are so funny like John and Steve. It was a great deal of fun. You always try to keep it together, but I’m definitely guilty of breaking from time-to-time.
Weiss: Speaking of John, what kind of conversations (if at all) did you have with him before the shoot?
Lower: John and I have known each other for over a decade. We filmed something [2015’s Don’t Worry Baby] in Brooklyn under that same bridge 10 years prior. So we were kind of having this time-traveling déjà vu a little bit. I just love him. I think he’s so talented. I love his approach to Keane. It’s just wonderfully free and clumsy in a way, but I also wanted to give him a hug all the time.
Weiss: Tell me about working with Steve Buscemi…
Lower: Steve is a true role model of mine. I just love everything he’s ever made. So to get to work with him was a joy. And the three of us in those marriage counseling scenes — plus Ida, the taxidermied cat with a baby doll arm — I mean, Ida was so inspiring in that scene to play off of, honestly.
Weiss: Did you get to keep the Ida prop after filming wrapped?
Lower: I didn’t get to keep the taxidermied cat. I don’t think I would have wanted to. I don’t know where that cat is, but hopefully it’s being taken of [laughs].
Weiss: The ending is a little ambiguous. Do you have a specific interpretation of what happened?
Lower: We go back to the beginning in Slovenia with this Homo sapien woman and Neanderthal man, who find each other against all odds. You see them fighting all day long and then cuddling at night to stay warm. That scene was really fun to film, first of all, and thematically, tying back into this book that Keane has been trying to write, you get a little glimpse into the world of that book in [prehistoric] Slovenia.
Weiss: I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up your viral trumpet performance on The Tonight Show earlier in the week. What was that like?
Lower: Oh my gosh. I was so nervous because I hadn’t played since high school. And if anyone has ever played a brass instrument, [they know they can be] kind of unpredictable when you’re coming in on your first note. So I was like, ‘This could really go so many ways. If I end up failing, I’ll fail gloriously.’ But I was proud that it went pretty okay, and it was really fun to get to play with The Roots, who were so generous. I’m so grateful to Gary Badger on YouTube for putting out the trumpet arrangement, so I could learn it the day before.
Psycho Therapy is now playing in New York theaters, with a nationwide expansion to other locations and VOD planned for this Friday (April 11).
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