William Hurt,
Blair Brown,
Bob Balaban,
Charles Haid,
Thaao Penghlis
... see more 
In this 1980 sci-fi horror film, William Hurt plays Eddie Jessup, a scientist obsessed with discovering mankind's true role in the universe. To this end, he submits himself to a series of mind-expandi... read more
Directed by: Ken Russell
Release Date: January 1, 1980
Keywords:
william hurt,
altered states,
ken russell,
sensory deprivation,
William Hurt ,
Altered States ,
Ken Russell ,
Blair Brown
DVD Release Date: June 1, 2004
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Stats: 933 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (933)
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September 11, 2011The 80s produced a lot of cheesy films. This was one of them. Well, the first half's pretty entertaining. Then, suddenly, "No one takes me seriously!" *turns into ape* Then, everything devolves into sheer stupidity and melodrama. But again, the hallucinations, dialogue, and every... read more
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February 20, 2011I was a little overwhelmed with all the scientific mumbo-jumbo at first but once I got an idea of what was going on I found this to be a very interesting and surprisingly creepy experience. It's quite Cronenberg-esque and reminded me of "The Fly" in some ways. Great performance t... read more
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January 8, 2011They might as well have called this "The Trip 2", like The Trip, this movie's character goes on a strange journey after doing weird experiments on himself. It's really hard to watch, and I couldn't hardly stand it. I don't recommend seeing this movie.
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August 27, 2010Not one of my favorite Russell films, but interesting.
I'm tempted to read the source material (novel by Paddy Chayefsky) as I feel that at the core of this film is an incredibly deep premise that might be better "fleshed out" in the novel.
I feel that much the more interes... read more -
July 15, 2010A Harvard scientist takes an exotic Mexican hallucinogen inside a sensory deprivation tank, which causes him to physically regress to earlier evolutionary states. Completely ridiculous and unbelievable as science fiction, but on the other hand, Ken Russell's visuals may make it ... read more
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November 16, 2009Truly horrifying and beautiful at the same time. This is one of the most bizarre viewing experiences i've ever had. The plot was smart, well planned and nearly plausible. The creators obviously spent a great amount of time researching the topic. William Hurt gave a really hauntin... read more
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November 6, 2009Exhilarating psychological sci-fi about a university professor who encloses himself in a sensory-deprivation chamber and experiments with hallucinogenic drugs with drastic results. Seductively sets up a feeling of anticipation in the first half, then devolves into a rather amusi... read more
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July 12, 2008The special effects of 2001: a space odyssey, but with a good storyline to go with it. The William Hurt monkey was awesome. I think it's neat to think about how our bodies are made up of elements that have been other people's bodies and minds since the beginning.
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November 30, 2007I'm no fan of director Russell but this was a creepy pseudo-scientific movie. The FX were surprisingly good and I enjoyed the trippy moments. It reminded me alot of Cronenberg's early work.
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August 11, 2007A phenemonal and conversational movie for its time. Groundbreaking effects. I liked the concept of prolonged sensory deprivation causing a regression to primative human life. Freaky eye-candy effects. Fascinating. DEVO should've done some of the soundtrack. A mind-odyssey onscreen!
Critic Reviews
June 6, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety
June 6, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
There isn't a lucid moment in it (and much of the dialogue is rendered unintelligible by Russell's subversive direction), but it has dash, style, and good looks, as well as the funniest curtain line s... Full Review
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
I was overwhelmed, I was caught up in its headlong energy. Full Review
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Dependably -- even exhilaratingly -- bizarre. Its strangeness, which borders cheerfully on the ridiculous, is its most enjoyable feature. Full Review
July 23, 2010
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
As the proceedings briskly fly, the silliness of the entire endeavor becomes more readily apparent. Full Review
July 7, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Visually dazzling loopy drug film. Full Review
June 6, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide
[Director Russell] fails to bring any clarity to the silly affair. Full Review
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
[Director] Russell's noisily grandiose swipe at psychedelia embellishes what is no more than the cosily familiar story of the obsessive Scientist Who Goes Too Far and Unwittingly Unleashes, etc. Full Review
January 25, 2006
Lori Hoffman, Atlantic City Weekly
William Hurt at his weirdest
July 2, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though deviating from Paddy Chayefsky's script (and novel), the reliably flamboyant Ken Russell made a spooky but engaging psycho-horror film about experimentation with human consciousness that deserv... Full Review
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Altered States
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