Have you ever been in group therapy? I have not, and my only experience even tangentially related is the hilarious group featured in the old “Bob Newhart Show” from the 1970s. This is very different.
Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy where therapists treat a small group of clients simultaneously. It provides a supportive environment for individuals to share experiences, learn coping skills, and gain feedback from peers. Sessions of one to two hours are typically held in a circle, with the flow of conversation guided by the therapist through prompting questions.
Dr. Ezra Hertzfeldt (Elliot Zeisel) is holding his first “in person” group session after the covid pandemic. During the pandemic sessions were held via zoom, and the clients are eager, and anxious, about getting back together face to face. However, there is someone new in the room – Alexis (Thomas Sadoski – “John Wick”). Alexis is a film maker, who is planning to make a TV series about what happens in Group Therapy. This immediately sets off alarms within the group, some of whom welcome Alexis, but some – one in particular, Karina (Gabriela Kohen) – feel threatened. This leads to a long discussion, sometimes quite pointed, among the group members.
Director Alexis Lloyd has created a three-part film loosely based on the 2005 book “The Schopenhauer Cure” by Irvin D. Yalom. The three parts consist of three group sessions and mirror three of the stages of therapy:
• Storming Different opinions emerge. members must work through challenges to develop deeper trust
• Working The group becomes more cohesive, productive, and comfortable with self-disclosure, focusing on achieving goals, collaborating, and implementing strategies for change.
• Termination The group wraps up, reflecting on progress, and dealing with feelings of loss or separation anxiety.
Issues that Hertzfeldt’s group deals with include the addition of Alexis, the doctor’s heart issues, the pregnancy of one of its members and her fraternization with another member (a breach of the rules), the possibility that Hertzfeldt might be part of the TV program being developed, and the possible return to zoom meetings. All these are beautifully presented and worked out by the director and her accomplished cast.
If you have read the Yalom novel, you will find this interpretation of it very different and much more along the lines of conventional group therapy. As such it is a fascinating look into the process and the relationships that develop thereby. Virtually all the action takes place in one room (except for a few shots at the beginning and end) and the camera is constantly on the move from one client to another, capturing not only their verbal expressions but the nonverbal ones as well. This must have been an extraordinary editing project! There is very strong language used to express opinions and emotion throughout.
Runtime: One hour, 59 minutes
Availability: Currently only in NYC.
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