A young woman who can't hear leaves home and travels to Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, searching for her brother, known as The Seeker (Bruce Dern). While there, she connects with a psychedelic band and is introduced to the hippie lifestyle. Jack Nicholson portrays the band’s leader, alongside Dean Stockwell, Adam Rourke, and Max Julien. “Psych-Out” (1968) has more of a narrative than Roger Corman's “The Trip,” which came out the year before and featured Peter Fonda experiencing unusual things while under the influence of LSD—though it’s a pretty effective depiction of an acid trip with impressive visuals considering the technology available at that time. Despite the disclaimer at the beginning of "The Trip," it seems to promote LSD use, whereas “Psych-Out,” produced by Dick Clark, presents an anti-drug stance by illustrating negative consequences like unpleasant experiences and difficult living conditions. Because filming took place during that period in that location, it offers a fairly realistic look at the Counterculture movement, which can be compared to the real people shown in the documentary "Woodstock" (1970). Some aspects of the movement were positive and have stood the test of time, but the unrestrained behavior ultimately led to boredom and self-destruction—emotionally, spiritually, or physically. Much of the psychedelic music is quite good, primarily performed by the Storybook, a garage band from San Fernando Valley, along with The Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Seeds, and Boenzee Cryque. There's an obvious imitation of Hendrix’ “Purple Haze” and a bit of “Foxy Lady,” both released shortly before the film was made. It’s surprising they got away with that; it seems legal action wasn’t as common back then. Susan Strasberg, playing Jenny, is appealing to watch, but Linda Gaye Scott, portraying Lynn, may have been even more memorable. A shortcoming of the screenplay lies in the uncertainty surrounding The Seeker's character. Even Bruce Dern admitted he was unsure about his role despite its importance to the plot. He’s intended to be a leader of the hippie movement who has made enemies due to his controversial influence; however, when he appears, he seems more like a drug-dependent person struggling to communicate clearly. Perhaps that's the point they were trying to make. When I’m in the mood for entertainment from the 1960s aimed at young audiences, I might choose “Lord Love a Duck,” starring Roddy McDowall, or even "Village of the Giants." If I want something more substantial, I'd pick "The Wild Angels," "Easy Rider," or "Billy Jack.” Nevertheless, “Psych-Out” functions as a serious companion piece to "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," without all the silly fluff. The scene set in a junkyard is particularly good. The original version has a running time of 1 hour and 22 minutes, but there’s an extended Director's Cut that adds 19 minutes—and mostly just makes the movie feel longer. Filming occurred in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB