The Shrink Next Door

What a time to be alive. A tech company, best known for making computers, then smartphones and computers, now has their own streaming service, making a TV show based upon a podcast. And The Shrink Next Door from Apple TV+ is actually extremely appetising.  

After a fleeting introduction in a scene set in 2010, the action jumps back to New York, 1982. Marty (Will Ferrell) is becoming increasingly aware of his own self-determined failures. His last relationship has come to a nagging end, and he has yet to make a success of the fabric company he inherited after the death of his parents. At the urging of his sister, Phyllis (Kathryn Hahn), he schedules an appointment with Dr Issac Herschkopf (Paul Rudd) – a psychiatrist whose professional boundaries are extremely elastic.

Rather incredibly based on a true story, Isaac’s control over Marty begins apparently benevolently, and unfolds in a convincing depiction of indoctrination. 

All three leads are impeccable. Rudd’s cheery disposition is underscored with hints of his coming malevolence – there’s something truly unsettling about his Isaac. Ferrell, always proficient at playing men at the end of their tether, dials back his usual po-faced jester routine while still being endearing and funny. The standout is Hahn, riding high on her recent WandaVision acclaim, and who should be cast in absolutely everything. She strikes an accomplished balance between acidity and warmth, with styling, an accent, and a general demeanour seemingly inspired by Michelle Visage from RuPaul’s Drag Race. 

It’s all very intriguing – increasingly so as the show progresses and the darkness of this dark comedy begins to take centre stage. Although little on display is inherently funny, there are a great deal of laughs to be found in the dialogue. It’s practically inevitable that many of Hahn’s zingers will become memes in the coming months. The output from Apple TV+ has been of erratic quality thus far, so The Shrink Next Door is a confidently pleasing step in the right direction.

Oliver Johnston

The Shrink Next Door is released on Apple TV+ on 12^th November 2021.

Watch the trailer for The Shrink Next Door here: