The scariest of stories end up hitting very close to home. Whether it be a stalker in the streets or a life-threatening scenario, usually the spookiest of things is something that everyone can easily relate to. This very idea is what The Consultant is trying to capitalize on as it centers around the idea that your boss is not so secretly trying to utterly ruin your life.

The miniseries will be based on the book of the same name by veteran author Bentley Little. This will be his first major adaptation as his work has only seen one minor mention in 2007 as an episode of Masters of Horror. The series is going to be a brief eight episodes long and there’s still plenty to be excited about now. Here’s everything revealed about the show so far.

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The Consultant: The Plot

The synopsis has him joining the company innocently enough, but it would seem that his methods will quickly turn more sinister as the runtime continues. In addition to the creepy smiles and weird mannerisms the teaser has him doing, he also is seen smelling the employees to determine their talent. His goal here remains unclear, but his character appears to be taking a cue from The Office if Michael (Steve Carell) were evil instead of just socially awkward. Someone with no real idea of how to be a good boss and no humor to lighten the mood whatsoever.

The Consultant: The Cast & Crew

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Christoph Waltz delights in playing some creepy roles; everything from Hans Landa of Inglorious Basterds to Ernst Blofeld in Spectre. While most remember him for that first role as a Machiavellian mastermind, he has a new role. This one may be far more terrifying than what’s come before in The Consultant as a consultant for a company. The role appears to cast him as cutthroat psychopath Regus Patoff who will do whatever it takes to improve employee effectiveness.

Waltz is joined though by main character Brittany O’Grady as Elaine, who appeared early on in The White Lotus as Paula, and Nat Wolff as Craig who also starred in Joe vs Carole as Travis Maldonado. Also appearing are Aimee Carrero, Sloane Avery, Sydney Mae Diaz, and Michael Charles Vaccaro. As of right now, only four or so characters are set to appear in all eight episodes, so you can be fairly confident that there are going to be a fair few employees who will not be surviving this consultation.

The show has been adapted for television by Tony Basgallop, who has headed up all 40 episodes of Apple TV+’s Servant. One other noteworthy credit here is the director of two episodes Daniel Attias, who won the Drama DGA in 2002 for an episode of The Wire and has also been nominated three other times for episodes of The Sopranos, so it would seem that the series is in some pretty capable hands.

Release Date

With a release date of February 24, this one is going to fit right in with all the other oddball horror movies that come out right in time for Valentine’s Day.

Everything Else We Know

There isn’t a ton more info on this one at the moment, but a synopsis of the book says that no one is safe as Patoff assumes power. Even the families of the workers may be in serious trouble as the episodes go on. This one is definitely aimed at being an unnerving story that will make you wince at the mere mention of a consultant coming in to “improve the business."

This seemingly innocent remark is juxtaposed with quick flashes of kidnappings and life-threatening scenarios that the employees of the unfortunate software company have been put in. It seems a little bit like Saw in a weird way in that the antagonist is someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the results he wants to achieve. There are also animal masks that the kidnapers wear.

With just over a month to go, this one should be something to keep a close watch on. The book will certainly be a pretty good reason to look twice if a consultant passes by your desk, claiming to have the business’s best interests at heart.