Is there another respected profession that’s more mistreated and shown in the worst possible light in films and TV series than licensed therapists? As we’ve seen in countless features and episodes, therapists are normally shown to be terrible at their job, possibly psychotic, or just the dullest people on the planet. Sometimes, it’s a mixture of all three. And that seems to be the case in the new comedy, “Bad Therapy.”
The trailer for “Bad Therapy” shows exactly what you expect a film of that title might look like. An unhappy married couple reluctantly goes in for couples counseling and ends up ensnared in a crazy game by their ridiculous therapist, who is trying to seduce the husband while also telling the wife to have an affair. And while this might sound a little dumb, the cast of the film is filled with great comedic actors, so you have to assume that maybe, just maybe, there’s something more to “Bad Therapy” than a fairly typical premise.
The film stars Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Anna Pniowsky, Haley Joel Osment, and David Paymer. “Bad Therapy” is written by Nancy Doyne and directed by Bill Teitler. Though this is his first time directing a feature, Teitler is a veteran producer, with credits that include “Zathura,” “The Polar Express,” and the entire “Jumanji” franchise.
“Bad Therapy” is available on VOD on April 17.
Here’s the synopsis:
Married couple Bob and Susan Howard (Rob Corddry & Alicia Silverstone) decide to see a marriage counselor named Judy Small (Michaela Watkins), who recently relocated close to their home in Los Angeles. When Bob and Susan first meet Judy, she appears competent, intelligent, and trustworthy, with a track record of other couples that she’s treated successfully without incident. But Bob and Susan’s particular emotional dynamic is a trigger for Judy’s dark and conflicted impulses. Suggesting that she see them separately, Judy subtly puts them at odds with one another and brings their marriage to the breaking point in a comically escalating series of manipulations.