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Altered States
1980 103 min United States of America R 16+
★7.3
Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
Director: Ken Russell
Trailers
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Description
A research scientist explores the boundaries and frontiers of human consciousness. Using sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic mixtures from Native American shamans, he explores these altered states of cognizance and finds that memory, time, and reality itself are states of mind.
Budget:
$15M
US Gross:
$19.85M
Worldwide:
$19.85M
Starring
William Hurt
Actor
Blair Brown
Actor
Bob Balaban
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1981
— Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Saturn Awards 1981
— Best Director
Saturn Awards 1981
— Best Screenplay
Academy Awards 1981
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1981
— Best Original Score
Golden Globe 1981
— Breakthrough of the Year
Saturn Awards 1981
— Best Science Fiction Film
Key opinion
Altered States is a visually ambitious and intellectually dense exploration of consciousness that splits opinion due to its erratic tonal shifts. While many praise its daring conceptual premise and striking psychedelic imagery, others find its transition from rigorous scientific inquiry to supernatural horror to be disjointed and narratively unconvincing.
| Acting | William Hurt delivers a compelling, intense performance that grounds the film's increasingly chaotic trajectory. | |
| Production | The film utilizes striking, innovative visual effects and psychedelic sequences that remain engaging even decades after release. | |
| Pacing | The narrative suffers from inconsistent pacing, shifting awkwardly between slow, contemplative scientific exposition and hurried, sensationalistic thriller beats. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is divisive: proponents find its philosophical and metaphysical inquiries profound, while detractors criticize the plot for devolving into illogical, pseudo-scientific absurdity. | |
| Ending | The ending is frequently criticized as being abrupt, simplistic, or tonally mismatched with the weight of the film's prior existential investigations. |