Altered States

1980
US
102 min
18

Directed by: Ken Russell
Written by: Sidney Aaron
Cast: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid, Thaao Penghlis, Drew Barrymore
Language: English, Spanish

Hurt made his film debut in this conflict-ridden production from a disowned Paddy Chayefsky script about an inquisitive scientist dabbling in things best left alone. An interesting jumble of mind-bending special effects and ludicrous narrative developments as Hurt regresses to an ape-like state under the influence of his dangerously self-destructive experiments. Quite conventional by Russell's standards.