Review of Altered States (1980) by Michael C — 19 Jul 2011

I liked the film, but despite enjoying it I felt it somewhat missed whatever mark it was trying to hit. I would be apt to put the responsibility of the misfires on the film on director Ken Russell; I actually enjoy much of Russell's work, so it isn't a criticism of him as a whole.

But the script for this was clearly aiming for a cerebral take on altered consciousness horror, and Russell, who is known for directing pretty over-the-top performances, takes what is a pretty cerebral script and often makes it cartoonish.

William Hurt I felt was way too flamboyant in the role, and since he's an actor who can play understated well I've gotta think the error was in how he was directed. Some of the dream sequences too, while intriguing, seem random and unfocused.

Still with these objections, it did succeed in being an original concept for the horror genre and I appreciated that. And there are some genuine unnerving moments, and despite Paddy Chayevsky's script being executed incorrectly to some degree, a lot of his trademark wit and intelligence still comes out at several moments.

This isn't a great film, but I would say its an enjoyable and at moments it also succeeds in being good.