As a bit of a sucker for any well-made thriller dealing with serial killers and forensic psychology (David Fincher's Mindhunter is currently scratching that itch), I'm already anticipating that I'll quickly become a fan of TNT's The Alienist. Wrap it all up in a late 19th century setting, and you've absolutely got me on-board. The upcoming eight-part series, based upon the novel of the same name by Caleb Carr, stars Daniel Brühl as criminal psychologist (aka alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, Luke Evans as newspaper illustrator John Moore, and Dakota Fanning as Sara Howard, a secretary aspiring to become the city’s first female police detective.
The Alienist was created by Cary Fukunaga, who was set to direct all eight-episodes before scheduling conflicts forced him away, and the latest trailer for the series, seen above, certainly paints a moody and suspenseful portrait, complete with gruesome murders, lavish production values, and Theodore Roosevelt. That's right.
The official synopsis for The Alienist:
The Alienist opens when a series of haunting, gruesome murders of boy prostitutes grips New York City. Newly appointed police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt (Geraghty) calls upon criminal psychologist (aka alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Brühl) and newspaper illustrator John Moore (Evans) to conduct the investigation in secret. They are joined by Sara Howard (Fanning), a headstrong secretary determined to become the city’s first female police detective. Using the emerging disciplines of psychology and early forensic investigation techniques, this band of social outsiders set out to find and apprehend one of New York City’s first serial killers.
The Alienist will debut on TNT on Monday, January 22, 2018 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.