The Full Treatment

Plot

An English racing driver, Alan Colby, and his wife, Denise, were involved in a bad accident a year ago. Though they are both physically well, Alan struggles with mood swings and is increasingly violent. The couple go to the Cote D'Azur on vacation where they meet Dr. Prade, a psychiatrist who also hails from London. Prade and Denise talk about her troubled marriage, which angers Alan. After a fight, the couple reconcile and return to London.

Once back home, Alan attempts to strangle Denise and is horrified by his dark impulses. She begs him to seek help from Prade and he reluctantly agrees. In an early session, Prade presses Alan to reveal how he would kill Denise. Alan confesses all the details of his fantasy, which includes strangling Denise in bed, dismembering her body and dropping the pieces down a disposal chute in their apartment building.

After many sessions, Prade concludes that Alan thought, in the moment of the car crash, he had killed Denise and has been reliving those feelings ever since. Alan is ecstatic when Prade declares him cured.

Alan awakes the next morning and is surprised to find Prade in his apartment. He returns a key that Denise gave him when Alan was at his most dangerous. The men realize that Denise is gone. Prade pieces together clues, all of which resemble Alan's murderous fantasy, and they fear that he killed Denise while in a psychotic fugue state. Prade attempts to take Alan to a clinic, but gets in a car accident on the way there. In the confusion, Alan escapes back to southern France. While lying low, he spots Denise and Prade on a yacht.

Prade has deceived Denise into taking a vacation while believing that Alan is under intense psychiatric care. Alan appears with a gun at Prade's house, believing that Prade and Denise conspired against him. Prade tells Alan that he has been in a clinic for ten days, causing Alan to question his sanity once again. Denise, however, finds an estimate for repairs to Prade's car and realizes that he slaughtered his own cat to stage the murder scene to decieve Alan. When she confronts Prade, he reveals his love for Denise and attempts to escape on an old gondola lift. The cable snaps and Prade is killed.

Alan and Denise are reunited, but solemn after their ordeal.

Cast

Critical reception