Ever imagined what it would be like to sit face to face with a mass murderer and have a conversation? Keep dreaming, because the likelihood of that ever happening is slim to none. There’s still a way to settle for the next best thing though. The Iceman and the Psychiatrist is literally a taped sit down between highly regarded psychiatrist Park Dietz and one of the most notorious contract killers who ever lived, the ‘Iceman’ Richard Kuklinsky. The M.D. Hopkins graduate bravely sits across the table from a man who made a living killing people over the course of decades.
The Iceman and the Psychiatrist is literally a taped sit down between highly regarded psychiatrist Park Dietz and one of the most notorious contract killers who ever lived, the ‘Iceman’ Richard Kuklinsky.
The Iceman, for those who don’t know, had a long and profitable career as a professional hit man. His double life fooled his wife and family and everyone else around him, only to finally be captured and later plead guilty to the murders he was charged for. Dietz does an exclusive interview with Kuklinsky, giving much of the floor to him so as to divulge the shocking particulars of his actions unfiltered. Throughout their conversation Kuklinsky discusses his abusive childhood, his methods of killing, how he felt about it, and his attempts to find some understanding as to why it came so easy to him. Park Dietz entertains and observes as they go over riveting details of the Iceman’s life of crime, the discussion offering a rare glimpse inside the mind of a potentially soulless figure.
This special was filmed in simplistic format with still shots of Kuklinsky and Dietz, and additional footage containing old photos, and other evidence from prior investigations edited in to support specific topics of their discussion. Kuklinsky is the obvious compelling factor in this interview. He speaks of his past sins with such candidness that it’s almost at times hard to believe everything he claims. To be honest, it’s probably likely that much of what he says is grossly exaggerated or often even downright untrue. This is actually what makes him so interesting to watch. There’s no real way to know if what he’s saying is fact or fiction, and as he’s obviously not a sane person, it’s not a stretch to assume that if he kills people that he’d probably lie about it too. Dietz plays his role well also. He has the education and skill to speak to his subject without the need to press too hard and in a way, to empathize with Kuklinsky.
The interview doesn’t glorify Kuklinsky, but it also doesn’t push a condemning narrative either. Richard Kuklinsky was obviously in the wrong for everything he was found guilty for, and so the special doesn’t see a need to reiterate that. More so, its purpose seeks to find some understanding as to why people like Kuklinsky do what they do. The interview is gripping, illuminating, and gives the general public a look into the psyche of a person who most mental health professionals would only loosely quantify as ‘human’. This interview can be found no YouTube with charge to view.
