Dr Death review: A distressing podcast-turned-TV series showcasing the depravity of a killer surgeon

As is common among many true-life stories, there are a bunch of facts and trivia presented right at the end of the first season of Dr Death, to shed additional light on some of the themes, people and stories covered in the eight episodes of the show. One factoid among them is rather unsettling, because it puts the seemingly irrational fear that so many people have of visiting a doctor, into perspective.   This particular nugget of information states that, after cancer and heart disease, medical errors are a leading cause of patient deaths in the US. Let that sink in. The fear of hospitals and doctors doesn’t seem so irrational after all, does it? Even the ones that seem kind, the ones who are able to instil a degree of confidence in those under their care - who knows what they’re like at their actual job? That uneasy feeling is a constant feature of Dr Death, a series adapted from a true crime podcast of the same name, for NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock. (The show streams in India on Lionsgate Play). Dr Death has been created by Patrick Macmanus, with three different directors helming individual episodes from the eight that make up the first season. The doctor referred to in the title is Texas-based Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who was responsible for maiming dozens of patients in the Dallas-Fort Worth area over a two-year period. A few of them even lost their lives because of his errant behaviour on the operating table.   [caption id=“attachment_9903661” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Joshua Jackson in Dr Death[/caption] Largely focussing on how Duntsch was able to continue operating with impunity because of individual, institutional and systemic failures, the show attempts to paint the portrait of an overzealous, narcissistic man who seemed oddly intent on actively ruining lives. Alongside, it also takes a hard look at the structures that enabled such a man to flourish, but that eventually managed to bring him to account as well (albeit far later than it should have).   [caption id=“attachment_9903641” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin[/caption] Thus, the show shuttles between the past and present in an effort to trace the killer doctor’s journey. Simultaneously, it follows two other doctors who notice the pattern in Duntsch’s track record and dedicate themselves to ensuring he is brought to justice for his assault on individuals as well as the medical system itself. It culminates in a trial where he has to face the very people and families whose lives he ruined. Despite its rather troublesome feel and a few important aspects of the story that have been overlooked, there is much to appreciate in the mood that the show creates.   For starters, the cast of the show is top-notch. Joshua Jackson plays the titular doctor Chris Duntsch with a cocky, sociopathic vibe that sees him switch from ambitious, to charming, to downright deplorable, as we look at various chapters and moments of his life. Jackson manages to distinguish the older and younger versions of the character with aplomb, while bridging one phase of life to other as he goes about his grotesque business. His skilful portrayal of Duntsch’s startling persona is a key factor that helps retain one’s borderline perverse interest in the goings-on in the show.   [caption id=“attachment_9903671” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] AnnaSophia Robb[/caption] The supporting cast does an impressive job as well – Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater as doctors Henderson and Kirby, Grace Gummer as Kim Morgan, a woman who was in a relationship with Duntsch, and AnnaSophia Robb as Michelle, the Assistant District Attorney who is committed to bring Duntsch to justice.       However – and this has more to do with the writing more than anything else – you only get a sense of what Duntsch did and how he was as a person. The why of the matter is conspicuously missing, leaving you wondering what could possibly have turned a regular American bloke into an irresponsible lunatic, a real-life person who effortlessly puts fiction to shame. Because of that, the film ends up more as a procedural – first in hospitals, and then in the courtroom – than a true character study. The craft on display is another significant facet of the show, specifically the sound design. While I haven’t actually heard the podcast the show is based on, I imagine it manages to create a similarly sordid feel purely through the use of sound.   [caption id=“attachment_9903651” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Hubert Point-Du Jour and Alec Baldwin[/caption] It’s rather intriguing, how the film eschews graphic visuals of Duntsch’s surgical strikes in favour of embellishing how they sound.   You don’t need blood and gore to cause discomfort, when you can clearly hear the sound of metal grating through bone, spine and sinew. The background score of the show, by Atticus & Leopold Ross and Nick Chuba, is equally effective in building the eerie yet outlandish mood and vibe the show was clearly gunning for. (The eponymous podcast itself has been immensely popular, with its third season releasing recently.)   Dr Death isn’t really a show in a hurry. It takes its time unfolding, particularly towards the end of the season. While the story itself might seem unevenly paced, it is actually far more about atmosphere than information. What you can clearly sense is the significant effort that has gone into giving Dr Death precisely the kind of vibe that might eliminate viewers that aren’t big on feeling queasy while binge-watching; one does get the feeling that the podcast is likely a lot more gripping than the TV show. Dr Death is streaming on Lionsgate Play.