The Alienist

In the grimy, opulent New York City of 1896, a series of gruesome murders targeting young male prostitutes sends shockwaves through society. Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a pioneering and controversial psychologist known as an 'alienist,' believes the key to catching the killer lies not in traditional detective work, but in understanding the murderer's twisted mind. He enlists the aid of newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore and police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt to form a clandestine team. This revolutionary group, including the city's first female police employee, Sara Howard, embarks on a dangerous quest to develop a psychological profile of the perpetrator, delving into the darkest corners of human behavior and the city's underbelly. Their investigation challenges prevailing societal beliefs about crime and madness, exposing corruption, class disparities, and the brutal realities of the Gilded Age, all while racing against time to prevent the killer from striking again.