“You are in a dream right now.”
Best-selling self-help author and self-styled genius Dr. Mark Healer (William McNamara) is, quite simply, up to no good in this independently produced shocker. He’s using Dream Therapy on the tragic homeless he finds in the streets of Los Angeles. And nothing about what he does rewards his patients.
The film promises to hit the extremes and, in a way, it does exactly that thanks to the actors involved (namely McNamara who knows exactly what kind of B-grade flick he’s in) but, without giving too much away, the by-the-book thriller holds back more than a bit as it turns its attention toward a burned-out detective, Joe Coolridge (Andrew Keegan) who is searching for his daughter.
And he simply won’t give up, especially when it is discovered that Dr. Healer, who encourages his patients to resort to violence, is behind it all. But here’s the rub: the movie needs to stay with the madness and it shifts away from Healer’s bizarro headcases all too soon, ushering in a whole lot of melodrama as our detective turns hero.
McNamara, who has been in Stealing Home (1988), Peter Bogdanovich’s Texasville (1990), and Dennis Hopper’s Chasers (1994), knows the territory and relishes the highs of monster-like behavior in his role as he descends further into madness with each “healing” moment from his patients and he brings a lot of energy to otherwise by-the-numbers police procedural.
And as Coolridge, who simply won’t give up on searching for his daughter, teams up with journalist Julia (Nikki Leigh) to investigate both of their missing persons, including her best friend, they suddenly discover a link between their cases and this unhinged doctor.
Healing Towers has an interesting premise which, arguably, sees its origins (minus all the M&Ms) in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Writer/producer/editor/director Shuja Paul doesn’t acknowledge this with references to this silent gem from Germany but the seeds are sprinkled throughout as the good doctor claims to be revolutionizing mental health treatment.
But with so many poor souls killed how can this be a good thing? It turns out, thanks to the resilience of Coolridge and Carlar, it’s not. But can they put an end to the madness for once and for all?
Healing Towers opens its doors On Demand and Digital from One Tree Entertainment on April 22nd. Focus on healing! It’s your time. See the light with Dr. Healer!
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 86 mins
Director: Shuja Paul
Writer: Shuja Paul
Cast: Andrew Keegan; William McNamara; Nikki Leigh
Genre: Thriller
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "You are in a dream right now."
Distributor: One Tree Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: April 22, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A detective's search for his missing daughter uncovers a horrifying link to a twisted psychiatrist’s dream therapy treatment, where deranged patients are forced to enact their darkest fantasies on innocent victims.
