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Poster for Altered States

Altered States

Seen it?

1980 | 103 min | Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It earned strong reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing, horror fans and sci-fi fans. If you loved A Scanner Darkly, start here.
The mood
Scary.
The pace
Fast-moving, at 1 hr 43 min.
What might put you off
Rated R: expect drug use.

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.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 58 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.7 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Nominated for 2 Oscars.

  • Box office & staying powerSolid

    $20 million worldwide on a $15 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 226K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Ken Russell

  • William HurtProfessor Eddie Jessup
  • Blair BrownEmily Jessup
  • Bob BalabanArthur Rosenberg
  • Charles HaidMason Parrish
  • Thaao PenghlisEcheverria
  • Miguel GodreauPrimal Man
  • Dori BrennerSylvia Rosenberg
  • Peter BrandonHobart
  • Charles White-EagleThe Brujo
  • Drew BarrymoreMargaret Jessup