Who can you trust? It’s a hard question to face, especially when it comes to those tasked with protecting us. “The Shrink Next Door” tackles one such story of a psychiatrist and his patient. This Apple TV+ project may seem hard to believe but its narrative is rooted in one twisted true story. Originally appearing as a podcast, this tale tackles the dark motives of one person’s quest to control another.
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‘Shrink’ reunites “Anchorman” actors Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell. Rudd plays the charismatic psychiatrist Ike Herschkopf while Ferrell assumes the role of his patient Marty Markowitz. The duo found it easy to choose which parts they would play in this fascinating story. “I don’t think we ever had really much of a discussion other than that seemed like, for whatever reasons, the natural choices,” Ferrell told Entertainment Weekly. I just totally pictured Paul as Ike — and vice versa. So it’s funny; we didn’t really even have a powwow of, “Hold on. Let’s think out loud here. How would it work the other way?” We were just kinda like, “Oh, no, that seems like the right fit.”
Kathryn Hahn and Casey Wilson round out the cast. Hahn is having a great run, having recently appeared on “WandaVision.” Her performance as Agatha Harkness won raves and earned her an Emmy nomination. Wilson is currently appearing on the series “Black Monday.”
Here’s the series official synopsis:
Inspired by true events, “The Shrink Next Door” details the bizarre relationship between psychiatrist to the stars Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf (played by Paul Rudd) and his longtime patient Martin “Marty” Markowitz (played by Will Ferrell). Over the course of their relationship, the all-too-charming Ike slowly inserts himself into Marty’s life, even moving into Marty’s Hamptons home and persuading Marty to name him president of the family business. The series explores how a seemingly normal doctor-patient dynamic morphs into an exploitative relationship filled with manipulation, power grabs, and dysfunction at its finest. The series also stars Kathryn Hahn as Phyllis, Marty’s younger sister, and Casey Wilson as Bonnie, the wife of Dr. Herschkopf.
The relationship between psychiatrist and patient becomes devastating in “The Shrink Next Door.” It premieres November 12th on Apple TV+. Get your first look at the new trailer below.