In the late sixties and mid-seventies, a psychologist from New York and New England (played by William Hurt) earnestly searches for ultimate truth and humanity’s origins through questionable experiments involving sensory deprivation and drugs—including a powerful mixture used in rituals by Mexican AmerIndians. This process leads to altered states of consciousness and incredible revelations about the beginning of time. Blair Brown appears as his romantic partner, while Bob Balaban and Charles Haid portray his colleagues; the latter character is depicted as a scientific counterpart to a Pharisee. Directed by Ken Russell, “Altered States” (1980) is a mature science fiction drama that incorporates elements of mystery and horror. It feels like a blend of films such as “Wolfen” (1981), "An American Werewolf in London" (1981), Russell’s later film “The Lair of the White Worm” (1988), and “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968). What's particularly interesting is how the movie demonstrates a person’s ability to access other realms through mental or spiritual power while in isolation, even if it involves drugs. I can personally connect with this on some level. For example, eleven years ago I was sleeping during the day when I had an exceptionally vivid dream, and my wife came into the room to wake me up. A smoke alarm outside our door was going off loudly, but there wasn't any smoke or fire—or even heat present. The intense energy from my dream seemed to trigger it because as soon as I woke up, the alarm stopped. It happened again a week later. What else could explain this except for the untapped potential of the mind and focused energy? Regardless, the apeman sequence is one of the film's strongest points and brings to mind those werewolf movies mentioned earlier (although “Wolfen” isn’t technically a werewolf movie). However, "Altered States" offers much more than just a typical creature feature or nature-gone-wild story. The apeman makeup is well done, and the strange visions are reminiscent of what's seen in “The Lair of the White Worm.” While I disagree with the evolutionary ideas presented (humans didn’t evolve from apes—I really don’t buy it), this is a fantasy about discovering truth, and that’s why I wasn’t expecting those details to be accurate. Blair Brown is charming in an ordinary girl sort of way, and Russell certainly captures her beauty (and I'm not just talking about the brief nudity scenes, though they are there for those who might be interested). I would recommend using subtitles because a lot of the dialogue contains technical terms. It’s easier to follow along with the story if you understand what the characters are saying and discussing. The film has a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes and was filmed in various locations, including New York City (including the Bronx Zoo), Boston, Sierra Tarahumara, Chihuahua, Mexico (the rock formations), Burbank Studios, and a VA hospital in Los Angeles. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB