More and more films premiere on Video on Demand — if they don’t simply bypass a theatrical release altogether. Because VOD reviews are often scarce and hard to find, Criticwire created VODetails, a recurring column to help you figure out whether a new VOD release is worth your hard-earned dollar. This time we’re looking at “The Good Doctor,” which — SPOILER ALERT — is about a doctor who is actually kinda not that great.
Director: Lancy Daly
Cast: Orlando Bloom, Riley Keough, Rob Morrow
Official Synopsis: “Martin Blake (Bloom) is an ambitious but anxious young doctor, eager to impress his superiors and colleagues: Chief Resident Waylans (Morrow), self-assured fellow intern Dan (Troy Garity) and no-nonsense nurse Theresa (Taraji P. Henson). But things are not going Martin’s way and he can’t seem to shake off his insecurities. When 18-year-old patient Diane (Keough) is admitted for a kidney infection, Martin steps in, getting the much-needed boost of self-esteem he craves. But things take a dark turn as his enthusiasm begins to become an obsession.”
Trailer:
Reviews:
“Bloom seems to relish [this] opportunity, delivering a solid performance in what proves to be a creepy, darkly funny bit of entertainment.”
“It’s a character study grafted onto a thriller and not only is Bloom game, but he brings with him an unusual group of collaborators that make it unsettling in all the right ways.”
Alan Zilberman, Brightest Young Things/Tiny Mix Tapes:
“Could become a dark-horse favorite for fans of macabre thrillers.”
“Deftly creates a disturbing, Chabrol-like tension that plays on immediate identification with the handsome medico’s lonely, shy vulnerability and slow-building horror at the depths to which his self-delusion can sink.”
“It’s a film stronger in the moment than in the rear-view mirror.”
“The Good Doctor” is now available on VOD, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube. It opens in limited release on August 31st.
