With all the depressing, disturbing events happening in the real word, it’s no wonder consumers would look to streaming video for an escape — or perhaps some therapy, as it were.

Easier said than done.

Apart from exceptions along the lines of hidden gems or non-gems, Amazon Prime Video streaming is typically loaded with a lot of direct-to-video schlock that poses a challenge to sort through to find something worthwhile to watch.

Plus, the interface on a smart TV (as opposed to a tablet) is clunky and annoying., which Amazon, so far, seems uninclined to fix.

(Amazon Prime also seems to want to push content that requires an extra charge beyond what is available through the standard Prime membership.)

In any event, a six-episode miniseries included with Prime that is labeled a “gripping psychological thriller” is an exception to the general state of mediocrity.

It’s called Sebastian Fitzek’s Therapy (2023) from Germany, which recently premiered on Amazon Prime.

Fitzek is the author of the 2006 best-selling novel Die Therapie upon which the series is based.

Therapy is a slow paced, and you may initially be wondering whether it’s a soap opera masquerading as a thriller.

But when it’s going, it gets going, and really draws in the viewer — it’s crazy, but in a good way.

[Warning: Some spoilers follow]

As WordStreetJournal summarizes, “Two years after the mysterious disappearance of his daughter, Viktor travels to Parkum, an isolated island, to deal with the tragic aftermath.”

The Victor character is himself a prominent psychiatrist who is surrounded by those whose motivations raise doubts.

To its credit, Therapy has a unpredictable non-linear narrative with a lot of very creative swerves (not all of which, however, are believable).

You’ll wonder, with good reason, if you are watching events unfolding in real time, just in Viktor’s head, or some combination thereof, which is another plus in the storyline.

If you’re a fan of that kind of genre, the series is for you.

As TalkiesCorner.com noted, “Sebastian Fitzek’s Therapy masterfully weaves past and present, creating an intricate web of confusion that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats…The twists and turns are expertly executed, with each episode delivering a new piece of the puzzle.”

Another big plus is that the unpopular, nerdy, passive-aggressive, and socially awkward villain turns out to be anything but — which gives many of us hope.

To gain the full benefit of the performances, especially Stephan Kampwrith’s Victor, it’s best to switch to the original German audio track and watch with subtitles rather than rely on the English dubbing.

Therapy contains a subplot about the use of conventional treatments versus the experimental variety. It would have been a lot more compelling or unique if both approaches didn’t rely entirely on drugs, however.

Also, Victor and his wife Isabell live in an ridiculously huge mansion, which seemed more like a museum than a place where people actually would live. And, central to the the plot resolution, did Victor’s daughter Josy and best friend Mia actually take their trip to Amsterdam before the former’s disappearance?

And in the end, the motivation for the actual villain seems questionable.

But these are relatively minor considerations. As an IMDB user suggested, “there [were] no clichés or any politically correct agenda. It is refreshing that there’s wasn’t any agenda forced on us.”

Sebastian Fitzek’s Therapy