We all saw "Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep" and drooled when the bikini clad marine biologist, played by Victoria Pratt, went on and on about squids. Ms. Pratt has starred in many monster movies including "Mongolian Death Worm," and has always been very pleasing to the eye. Many of you remember her from the gratuitous TV show "Cleopatra 2525." So today, we have her in a film that is largely set in offices and more offices, so will we get Victoria Pratt in gratuitous bikini scenes? YES!!! A sensual bath scene, some cleavage friendly beachwear, some smart but form fitting office wear, and more bikinis? Do bikinis advance the plot? Honestly, I don't understand that question. Let us look at the 2014 hypnotherapy thriller, "Patient Killer," directed by Casper Van Dien! Yep, that Casper Van Dien.
Eek! The film begins with a well dressed guy, Dylan (David Chokachi), committing suicide. Blows his own brains out. Relevant? Yes! See, he was the patient of Dr. Victoria Wrightmar (Pratt), a renown psychologist and hypnotist. Yep, she used hypnotherapy on Dylan even after her mentor Dr. Sylvan (Richard Burgi) warned her against it. Victoria felt bad about it but is in denial that hypnotherapy may be dangerous. She just wrote a book called Mental Control Food and is doing book signings. The book is about hypnotherapy and her success stories. Sure, this tome would sell better if it were called Slave Vixens of the Tentacled Beasts, but that would be gratuitous. Enter another patient, the obsessive compulsive Derek (Patrick Muldoon). Who can blame him, he falls in love with Victoria...though she doesn't with him. Victoria has a beau, Jason (Van Dien)...and he gets to paw her as she wears bikinis...lucky sap.
Uh oh...a mysterious new patient, the beautiful Blaire (Barbie Castro). She is not sleeping because of mysterious nightmares and Victoria hypnotizes her. Does she get better? Apparently. Now someone is terrorizing Victoria, bagging her office, stealing files, and busting into her luxury apartment. Derek becomes bolder and is fixated on conquering Victoria and making her his love slave. Blaire apparently is getting better. Mental Control Food is selling well (though not as well as it would if it had my aforementioned title). So what's the problem? Derek, who had been getting better is now all psycho and Jason is pummeled nearly to death. Even worse the cops on the cases are centering their investigations on Victoria. More mysterious deaths occur.
Is Victoria coming unwound, and is she the real psycho here? How about Blaire, is she really getting better? Mental Control Food...seriously? What lunatic thought up that title. Gratuitous and thrilling. The mystery presents itself as everyone in the film is a suspect. Fear not, there will not be a drought of scenes featuring Victoria Pratt in a bikini or demonstrating some impressive cleavage. See "Patient Killer," and just hope they change the title of this film to "Dr. Bikini and the Nympho-Psychos."
