At the end of it all, this movie is about disappointment. The path taken by both the hopeless alcoholic and the misguided and jaded therapist to achieve their own selfish agendas is flawed and transparent from their first encounter in the parking lot outside of the liquor store.
Roberts' angst in the lead permeates every scene. His body is physically dependent on alcohol, and his withdrawal symptoms take him into delirium. The (excellent) set design of his home is not too far off from what reality would show of an true-life alcoholic's living space if he is near the end (hidden bottles of booze, overall disheveled and wretched conditions). His paranoia and fixation on killing his neighbor has taken over his entire consciousness. He's experiencing a mental breakdown, and his grip on reality starts to disintegrate
The booze, of course, will never solve the problems of his life, or provide a solution for the grief of losing his wife and child. But while under the influence, the fantasy of feeling the euphoria of murdering him in cold blood drives his every move.
The "Alcoholist" (a clever play on words between "alcohol" and "therapist") Gabrielle Wright uses some outside-the-box strategies in an attempt to rehabilitate Roberts - as a sort-of remedy for her own professional grief of losing a patient she thought she had cured. He insists he is ready to quit drinking, yet she still includes booze as part of his therapy, insisting (perhaps correctly from a physiological standpoint) that his "body isn't ready to quit." Most people do not know this, but if a person who is a daily heavy drinker were to quit "cold turkey", as it were, the person could possibly have a withdrawal induced seizure and die.
From a pure diagnostic and therapeutic standpoint, her method is indeed a bit misconceived, but well acted-out. But the premise of the treatment is it's demise. Treachery and doom linger around the film like some kind of trick of the weather. There is a grime to the film that looks to attach itself to the audience - much like the alcohol it depicts. If you're into tragedy, this is way above average. Its not a horror, but it is kind of haunting in the same type of way.
