Christoph Waltz delivers a brilliant performance in bizarre horror comedy ‘The Consultant’

Starring: Christoph Waltz, Brittany O’Grady, Nat Wolff, Aimee Carrero 

Ever felt that you have a horrible boss? Are you living with the anxiety of losing your job or suffering from the consequences of a global mass tech industry slowdown? The Consultant, a timely new series on Amazon Prime Video, is both mysterious and surprising, and rides on these prevalent conversations. 

Like its sleeper success Homecoming, a two-season series on the same OTT that had a heightened mysterious tone around the controversial happenings at a biotech firm, this series by Tony Basgallop counts on the bizarre to wallop the viewer with odd, engrossing events at a gaming tech company. 

When the CEO of a Comp Ware, a gaming company, dies under shocking circumstances, the company faces an all-round mess. A consultant named Regus Patoff (Christoph Waltz) turns up to manage the company without any prior notice. With zero social media presence and no background online, he is almost a ghost. He pulls crazy, downright horrid stunts to keep his employees on the edge, testing their loyalty and fighter spirit. Some of the things that he does point at hyper conservatism, like a typical nagging boss; others point towards his criminal leanings.

As people in the company and its work culture takes a twisted turn under Patoff’s chilly control and voyeuristic management style, two employees take it upon themselves to uncover the mysterious consultant’s motives. Everything that occurs in this story as it progresses is laced with fear and worry as Patoff leaves everyone second guessing. 

Elaine (Brittany O’Grady) happens to be the personal assistant of the dead founder, who gives herself a promotion, but uses her leverage with Patoff to protect vulnerable employees. O’Grady, who delivered a winning performance in the White Lotus Season 1, brings vulnerability, nervousness, and sharp presence of mind to her character. Over time, she adapts herself to the changing work culture and protects her professional interests. Payoff’s influence, although not overwhelming, has altered Elaine’s personality. Her friend Craig (Nat Wolff) is a gaming techie aspiring to become a creator. 

Once the consultant takes charge, his professional life soars only to dismember in a crumbling mess along with his strained relationship with his fiance Patti (Aimee Carrero). As Craig and Elaine uncover shocking facts about Patoff’s past doings, matters come to a bloody head. The series concludes in a dramatic finale that leaves the viewer with lots of unanswered questions, perhaps by design (to lead on to a second season). 

Adapted from Bentley Little’s book by the same name, creator and writer Basgallop has weaved in a series of whacky events throwing employees off balance. Basgallop’s prior credits include The Servant on Apple TV+, a similarly creepy urban horror series that lingers in your mind. This series underlines the need for ethical and rational limits to human experimentation. It also plays up the trope of over the top, imbalanced people functioning in positions of control at tech companies. Each episode is directed by a different director, thereby bringing in fresh twists and turns to its plot. Each actor has aced their performance. 

But the immersive element of this series rests entirely on the shoulders of Christoph Waltz. He plays the consultant with an elegant, erudite, and menacing touch. He makes you worry with his unexpected humour, crazy jokes, barely concealed conservatism, and his tendency to trigger people with improper remarks. He is enigmatic and aggravating, almost pointing towards him being a devilish avatar of sorts. The series’ conversational dialogues help in making its unbelievable occurrences convincing. 

The Consultant is a binge-worthy horror comedy. With right episodes timed at less than 40 minutes, it is an acquired taste, but it will keep you hooked if you take a bite. 

Rating: 3.5/5