Psychedelic film is a film genre characterized by the influence of psychedelia and the experiences of psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic films typically contain visual distortion and experimental narratives, often emphasizing psychedelic imagery. They might reference drugs directly, or merely present a distorted reality resembling the effects of psychedelic drugs. Their experimental narratives often purposefully try to distort the viewers' understanding of reality or normality.
Subgenres
The Acid Western was a style of Western popular in the 1960s and 1970s that use psychedelic imagery or allusions. The psychological drama is a drama subgenre with psychological elements that features psychedelic imagery in some films. The Stoner film is a comedy subgenre that revolves around the recreational use of cannabis.
Film examples
Un Chien Andalou, 1929
Fantasia, 1940
Dumbo, 1941
The Red Shoes, 1948
Alice in Wonderland, 1951
Vertigo, 1958
Looking for Toxin X, 1962
X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes, 1963
Mary Poppins, 1964
Daisies, 1966
Fantastic Voyage, 1966
The Mind-Benders: LSD and the Hallucinogens, 1967
Point Blank, 1967
Casino Royale, 1967
Magical Mystery Tour (film), 1967
Doctor Faustus, 1967
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968
Jigsaw , 1968
Barbarella, 1968
Curse of the Crimson Altar, 1968
Project X, 1968
Zeta One, 1969
Case Study: LSD, 1969
Savage Intruder, 1970
Blood Mania, 1970
The Dunwich Horror, 1970
Zabriskie Point, 1970
Performance, 1970
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1971
Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971
A Clockwork Orange, 1971
The Devils, 1971
Behind the Green Door, 1972
Necromancy, 1972
The Devil, 1972
Heavy Traffic, 1973
The Holy Mountain, 1973
Fantastic Planet, 1973
The Wicker Man, 1973
Zardoz, 1974
Tommy, 1975
Allegro Non Troppo, 1976
The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976
3 Women, 1977
Hausu, 1977
Suspiria, 1977
Nosferatu the Vampyre, 1979
Altered States, 1980
Son of the White Mare, 1981
Pink Floyd – The Wall, 1982
Dune, 1984
Come and See, 1985
Night on the Galactic Railroad, 1985
Natural Born Killers, 1994
Dead Man, 1995
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1998
Requiem for a Dream, 2000
Waking Life, 2001
Paprika, 2006
Enter the Void, 2009
Beyond the Black Rainbow, 2010
Generation P, 2011
A Field in England, 2013
Under the Skin, 2013
Upstream Color, 2013
Doctor Strange, 2016
The Love Witch, 2016
Woodshock, 2017
Annihilation, 2018
Climax, 2018
Mandy, 2018
Midsommar, 2019
Color Out of Space, 2019
Lux Aeterna, 2019
Friend of the World, 2020
Last Night in Soho, 2021
Churuli, 2021
Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022
Infinity Pool, 2023
Psychedelic counterculture era films include: