From stunning visuals to haunting scores, film directors incorporate various techniques to create a desired atmosphere in their films. These methods can help filmmakers explore themes and create unique experiences for audiences. However, sometimes that experience feels like one mushroom-induced head trip.
There are particular directors whose entire careers are based on this film genre, known as psychedelic (or sometimes just experimental). No matter how hard audiences try, deciphering the meaning behind some of these movies can be near impossible. Here is a list of movies that will take audiences on a memorable journey that makes them forget they are actually stone-cold sober.
Eraserhead
An experimental film filled with disturbing scenes and dark humor, Eraserhead introduced the world to the bizarre mind of director David Lynch. This black and white film centers on Henry, whose partner gives birth to a lizard-like monster baby who won’t stop crying. After she takes off, Henry must deal with the deformed infant alone. On top of that, there’s another woman who resides in a radiator. Yes, a radiator. It’s quite chaotic but successfully captures a dream-like world…or a nightmare.
Enter the Void
In Gaspar Noe’s Enter the Void, trippy visuals driven by neon lighting help depict Oscar’s journey into the afterlife. Noe uses POV camera shots so that the audience can see the world through Oscar’s eyes as he experiences the hallucinogenic effect of DMT and a metaphysical, out-of-body experience. The captivating dialogue within scenes and the ominous music take the audience on a psychedelic ride as the film explores its life and death motifs. Considering Noe was on mushrooms when he conceptualized this film, it's no wonder it turned out the way it did.
Labyrinth
EMI
Considered a children’s movie, Labyrinth follows the bizarre quest of a young Sarah (Jennifer Connolly) to retrieve her little brother from a baby-stealing monster. Only Jim Henson could create this kind of fanciful world populated by his signature puppet characters. It features a flamboyant David Bowie juggling crystal balls, performing musical numbers, and shape-shifting into an owl. Slow-motion scenes create a dream-like feel which ends up supporting the fact that Sarah was asleep the entire time. In retrospect, Labyrinth is a strange film to show kids but can be used as a traumatizing lesson on what can happen if they wish their little sibling gone.
A Scanner Darkly
A film adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s book, A Scanner Darkly uses the rotoscoping technique to create a unique look that’s not quite animated, but not quite realistic. Undercover agent Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) juggles his duties working in the drug trade busting the bad guys and tail-spinning into the world of drug addiction. Its psychedelic visuals produce an illusory experience as viewers follow Arctor’s emotional journey, never quite knowing what's real in this seeming hallucination of a film from the great director Richard Linklater.
2001: A Space Odyssey
With its surprisingly realistic special effects, the 1960s film 2001: A Space Odyssey was ahead of the curve thanks to the genius of Stanley Kubrick. The plot centers on a world where technology evolves into a literal killing machine, and how humans become prey to their own creation. Kubrick uses rapid abstract images to add a hypnotic element, especially in the last half hour of the film, which is essentially one big psychedelic art piece. Who can forget the main character, David Bowman, shooting past a moving kaleidoscope of colors? That scene would enhance anybody’s acid trip, and has for decades.
Mulholland Drive
In true David Lynch fashion, Mulholland Drive tests the boundaries of realism and fantasy in a mind-bending fashion. The eccentric film explores this theme, which uses Hollywood as a backdrop, employing retro-style colors to lighten the mood with darker elements to bring it down. “Club Silencio” creates a haunting scene that has audiences wondering if the characters are experiencing reality or a false impression of reality. No special effects are needed to feel the hallucinatory vibe that Mulholland Drive, one of Lynch’s best films, delivers.
The Science of Sleep
This highly underrated film also delves into the world of real, make-believe, and the ability to differentiate between the two. Introvert Stephane (played tenderly by Gael Garcia Bernal) struggles to navigate through adulthood because of his childlike mentality. He often escapes to his fantasies as a defense mechanism, becoming more removed from society and regressing even further into a child-like state. The Science of Sleep is an absurd comedy that mixes live-action with animation. This Michel Gondry-directed film featuring a galloping horse and giant hands definitely deserves a high ranking on the list of psychedelic films.
Sorry to Bother You
Focus Features
Sorry to Bother You shines a spotlight on afro-surrealism in a way that's rarely seen, and follows Black telemarketer Cash's (Lakeith Stanfield) ascent into the corporate world after taking on a white identity over the phone. His cartoonish 'white voice' is both funny yet somewhat unsettling, and eventually, the satirical film takes a fantastical turn with a truly hallucinatory ending.
First-time director Boots Riley's offbeat gem has an anti-capitalist sentiment and uses magical realism to drive his point home. This alternate reality integrates odd visuals like Cash's cubicle invading a prospect's home with each call and a naked-horse man to symbolize the manufactured workhorses of corporate America. Although it received slight criticism for being a little messy in its execution, the film earned Riley industry respect for his daring debut.