Altered States

• 1980
• US
• 1h 42min
• 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.

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