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Altered States

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Videos & Photos

  • Official Trailer

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Ken Russell

Producer:

Howard Gottfried, Daniel Melnick, Stuart Baird

Release Date:

Dec 25, 1980

Runtime:

1hr 42m

Synopsis

A psycho-physiologist experiments with drugs and a sensory-deprivation tank and has visions he believes are genetic memories.

Cast

  • William Hurt
  • Blair Brown
  • Bob Balaban
  • Charles Haid
  • Thaao Penghlis
  • Miguel Godreau
  • Dori Brenner
  • Peter Brandon
  • Charles White Eagle
  • Drew Barrymore

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.7
111.4K
51.0K
33.4K
RATINGS 640 FANS
3.7
  • Jul 20, 2021

    a trippy movie about everything a man has to go through to be able to say "I love you" back

    2.2K Likes
    Maevez
    Maevez
    Jul 11, 2020

    Does anyone have an isolation tank? I'm trying to go ape mode.

    1.6K Likes
    Will Menaker
    Will Menaker
    May 6, 2021

    Men will literally turn into a gorilla instead of going to therapy.

    1.2K Likes
    Ryley
    Ryley
  • Sep 18, 2018

    tfw u can’t get over ur ex so u become the universe instead

    865 Likes
    Emma Stefansky
    Emma Stefansky
    Jul 30, 2023

    does this always happen when you do mushrooms

    628 Likes
    David Sims
    David Sims
    Jul 15, 2023

    cautionary tale about letting him hit it because he’s grad school

    544 Likes
    fran hoepfner
    fran hoepfner
  •
    Sep 3, 2025

    Thanks Ken Russell for making weird films for weird people!

    466 Likes
    noen
    noen
    Apr 19, 2022

    100%

    436 Likes
    sarah squirm
    sarah squirm
    Nov 15, 2017

    Have you ever been so high that you literally transformed into a caveman?

    411 Likes
    George Hanna-Wilson
    George Hanna-Wilson
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

81%
Community 728
❤️ LOVE
28%
👍 LIKE
53%
😐 MEH
15%
👎 DISLIKE
5%
Top Reviews
  • Gleybson
    Gleybson liked
    Altered States

    Uma viagem em busca dos segredos da mente humana, utilizando métodos bastante controversos, tanques de privações sensoriais, uso de alucinógenos somados a um personagem narcisista que só consegue amar ao próximo depois de saciar sua curiosidade sobre o "eu primordial", nota 6.

    4M
    Hernandus VII
    Hernandus VII loved
    Altered States

    A fascinating inversion of cosmic sci-fi. Where 2001 looks to the stars for transcendence, Altered States turns inward, exploring the raw and chaotic depths of the human mind and its primal origins.

    6M
    Jacob Hall
    Jacob Hall liked
    Altered States

    One of the weirdest body horror movies I've ever seen. Like seriously odd. By far the weirdest ending I've seen. Not even really sure what the theme of this movie is supposed to be. But I liked it

    1Y
  • Matthew Golad
    Matthew Golad liked
    Altered States

    I expected it to be weird. But it surpassed my expectations. Very weird but also pretty interesting. And an oddly compelling love story at its backbone.

    1Y
    Hank Leet
    Hank Leet liked
    Altered States

    One of the trippiest sci-fi movies of all time, the hallucination scenes were pretty well done considering that they done in the early 80s

    2M
    Alex
    Alex loved
    Altered States

    One of the better body horror films of the 80s. Right up there with the Fly. The psychedelic scenes are worth watching alone. 10/10

    6M
  • Vogue Italia
    Vogue Italia loved
    Altered States

    Definitely a favorite movie, so incredibly cerebral and life changing

    6M
    Superbad
    Superbad is "meh" on
    Altered States

    Liked the start and then it got kinda meh

    3M
    jess
    jess loved
    Altered States

    oh. my. god. this was made for me

    1Y
View More Popular Altered States Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

58
metacritic
Based on 13 Critics
7.1

USER SCORE (17)

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Reviews
88

Altered States is a superbly silly movie, a magnificent entertainment, and a clever and brilliant machine for making us feel awe, fear, and humor.

View full review
Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
60

Not one to let slow-building tension and mystery get in the way of wild flourishes of extremism and shock, Ken Russell hit upon a story that more or less handled his structural excesses and tendency toward blasphemy.

View full review
Metacritic review by Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire
60

The film is in fine shape as long as it revels in its own craziness, making no claims on the viewer's reason. But when it asks you to believe that what you're watching may really be happening, and to wonder what it means, it is asking far too much.

View full review
Metacritic review by Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
The New York Times
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Altered States (1980) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Altered States (1980)?
The movie is 1hr 42min long.
What's Altered States (1980) about?
A psycho-physiologist experiments with drugs and a sensory-deprivation tank and has visions he believes are genetic memories.
Who's the cast of Altered States (1980)?
  • William Hurt as Professor Eddie Jessup
  • Blair Brown as Emily Jessup
  • Bob Balaban as Arthur Rosenberg
  • Charles Haid as Mason Parrish
  • Thaao Penghlis as Prof. Eduardo Eccheverria
  • Miguel Godreau as Primal Man
  • Dori Brenner as Sylvia Rosenberg
  • Peter Brandon as Alan Hobart
  • Charles White Eagle as The Brujo
  • Drew Barrymore as Margaret Jessup
Who's the director behind Altered States (1980)?
Ken Russell directed Altered States (1980).
Who produced Altered States (1980)?
Howard Gottfried, Daniel Melnick and Stuart Baird produced Altered States (1980).