PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SGA-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, Trauma Therapy: Psychosis being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Trauma Therapy: Psychosis is the sequel to Trauma Therapy (2019) but essentially stands on its own. At least that was the intention of the writers Tom Malloy (#Screamers 2016) and David Josh Lawrence (The Black Mass 2023), for the audience to be able to come into this film without watching the first, but I’m not sure it works out that way.
Synopsis
Starring Tom Malloy, David Josh Lawrence, Megan Tremethick (The Ghost Crew 2022), Craig J. Seath (The Last Love Letter 2015), Courtney Warner (Ask Me to Dance 2022), Gordon Holliday (Split 2014), Hanna New (Black Sails 2017) and featuring Tom Sizemore (Strange Days 1995) and Vince Lozano (Promising Young Woman 2020). Directed by Lawrie Brewster (but credited on IMDb as a cat named Gary Barth… Me thinks there’s a story there…)
A group of people join an intense self-help style retreat with Tobin Vance (Tom Malloy), who is known to be controversial in his methods. As they progress through the “treatment,” they’re pushed into increasingly dangerous and intentionally messed up situations. The participants think the tests were to build them up to be the best versions of themselves, but it begins to look like there’s an ulterior motive for Vance.
What Works
It’s unique in its story execution. I didn’t really see the typical plot points or story structure that you would in standard screenplays, which can often be disastrous, but this time made the film interesting enough. Trauma Therapy: Psychosis is a clean-looking film, with some interesting things done with color and light.
What Doesn’t Work
I mentioned earlier that the writers intended it to function as a stand-alone film in the series. But by the end of the film, I couldn’t help but wonder why, exactly, Tobin Vance was doing what he was doing. And “because he’s sick” is never a good enough reason for me. There’s sort of a reveal at the end, but it was still like “Okay, but why?”
The actors’ performances are decent. They just felt a bit too put on and inauthentic, so I didn’t fully see them as actual people, just decent actors playing their parts.
I also got they wanted to ramp up the tension and suspense, but it was lacking. It started to wear on me a bit how they’d swing from being calm or processing a moment, then jump right into amped up all the way, “This has suddenly become an intense situation.” The lack of progression through their feelings made it feel forced for me and unserious. There just wasn’t any real build-up of suspense.
Also, in this push for intensity, you have some things that seem to have been thrown in for shock value, maybe? Or maybe it’s just how it was all executed that made it seem that way.
Takeaways
You have these conditions that people struggle through daily, often feeling isolated from others because of those feelings. Many are stoic and don’t share what they’re going through because it leaves them vulnerable. And vulnerability is scary to most people, and often not welcome. Yet so many people are going through the motions of their own deeply personal experiences internally.
We also live in an age where self-help is seemingly on steroids with social media platforms exposing everyone to everyone else’s thoughts, experiences, and perspectives. Self-help gurus have taken to it with influencers. And that’s not always a bad thing. There’s actually some great advice to be found, but they’re right in there with people who couldn’t do, so they teach and monetize… Which potentially could cause harm. Trauma Therapy: Psychosis basically lives in that realm. What happens when a famed self-help guru pushes people too far? Say, to make someone with an eating disorder eat an ear… (mild spoiler)
I try to go into movies without expectations because it makes for a more enjoyable experience. So, I don’t really know what I would’ve liked to see. But Trauma Therapy: Psychosis didn’t really sit well with me. I couldn’t get into it. It’s not bad, the pacing is fine, and the story itself is fairly interesting.
There was enough played to make me curious where it was going to go. But I just wasn’t into it. I will say, the appearance of Nazi symbols and motifs was a little strange, so I’m not sure what that’s all about. Maybe something about Vance that’s revealed in the first film?
You might like Trauma Therapy: Psychosis if you like indie horror and appreciate fresh and different approaches to the horror genre. You can watch in select theaters and on VOD.
