The 10 best movies to watch while you’re stoned
Sometimes, the influence of mind-altering substances can significantly affect the way we watch a movie. Perhaps we come to spot things we never noticed before, or maybe we finally understand a complex narrative – or at least we think we do.
Opening up our minds to new ideas and interpretations, there are certain movies that just feel like they were designed to be consumed while high. Some of these films, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, feature characters who engage in significant drug-taking, with these substances becoming central to the narrative.
Elsewhere, other movies that are fantastic choices to watch while stoned might have complex narratives or explore dense themes about the human experience, leaving us feeling absolutely perplexed or even transformed. For example, watching 2001: A Space Odyssey under the influence might leave you a different person than you were before.
It would be too easy to pick out ten films considered stoner comedies, such as 1990s and ‘00s staples like Dude, Where’s My Car? or the Scary Movie franchise. Rather, we’ve predominantly gone for movies that are more visually or thematically compelling, leaving the stoned mind in a state of awe.
10 best movies to watch while stoned:
10. Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014)
We begin with a film that might actually be easier to watch and understand if you’re high and are, therefore, in the same mind frame as its protagonist. Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s 2009 novel Inherent Vice sees Joaquin Phoenix play Larry ‘Doc’ Sportello, an outright hippie stoner who somehow works as a private investigator.
When Doc’s ex-girlfriend goes missing, he has to get up off his ass and go out looking, becoming caught up in three cases surrounding the criminal underworld of 1970s Los Angeles. As is often the case with Pynchon, Anderson’s film is rife with narrative facets and names that bleed into one another, so the best thing to do is just to sit back and let its stoner magic wash over you.
9. Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)
Surrealism, anxiety, disillusionment, fatherhood and death all coincide in David Lynch’s debut feature, Eraserhead, a horrifying black-and-white exploration of one man’s deteriorating psyche. Jack Nance stars as Henry, whose newborn baby resembles a gross alien creature, something that’ll have you feeling both repulsed and highly intrigued.
The movie sees Henry struggle with his position as a father, living in a rundown city and experiencing sexual anxiety. There are many odd sequences to get immersed in, from the Lady in the Radiator to the replacement of Henry’s head with his alien baby in one horrifying sequence.
8. Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991)
Widely considered one of the greatest action movies ever made, Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 classic Point Break is absolutely perfect for a smoke. With Keanu Reeves as undercover FBI agent Johnny Utah and Patrick Swayze as surfing bank robber Bodhi, Point Break possesses all the ingredients needed for a chilled-out easy watch with just enough excitement to retain interest.
There’s a real tongue-in-cheek humour to Bigelow’s film that ranges from Reeves’ humble yet sometimes dodgy acting, the brilliance of supporting actor Gary Busey and the god-damn fact that this is an action movie about surfing. How could a film possibly get any cooler, man?
7. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
While Spirited Away might appeal to both children and adults, those older viewers who enjoy a bit of herbal refreshment might find the fantastical imagery more than captivating. The gorgeous animation and equally beautiful score are arguably even more enjoyable under the influence.
The movie follows a ten-year-old girl, Chihiro, as she attempts to find her parents in an alternative spiritual world where they’ve been turned into pigs. It’s moving and fun, enthralling even the most sober mind. Yet, if you’re stoned, you’re bound to find it mesmerising.
6. Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 1995)
For the anime heads in the room who also like to partake, look no further than one of the greatest movies in the animated science fiction genre of all time, Mamoru Oshii’s truly iconic 1995 masterpiece Ghost in the Shell, a philosophical work of cinema that will provoke thought as much as amaze with its impressive visual prowess.
Set in 2029, the film follows Matoko Kusanagi, a cybernetically enhanced public security agent who becomes embroiled in the dangers of a hacker known as the Puppet Master. The way Ghost in the Shell approaches questions of morality and identity finds even more resonance in stoned minds, and the score from Kenji Kawai bangs all the more.
5. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Terry Gilliam, 1998)
Hunter S. Thompson was notorious for his incessant drug use, which he documented honestly and openly throughout his work. His novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas takes inspiration from his own experiences of the ‘60s countercultural movement, where drug-taking was mere second nature for young people.
It was adapted for the big screen in 1998 by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam, with Benicio del Toro and Johnny Depp starring as a pair of friends who embark on an American road trip under the influence of various substances. Thus, it only feels appropriate to join them – even if it’s simply from the comfort of your own living room.
4. Hausu (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)
If you’re looking for something surreal, horrifying and hilariously bizarre while being simultaneously stunning to look at, look no further than Hausu, a Japanese arthouse horror from 1977. Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, the movie sees a group of girls succumb to strange supernatural happenings, causing comedically odd events to take place.
For example, one character called Mac (named after the word ‘stomach’ because of her love of food) ends up as a disembodied head, biting one of her friends on the backside as her face floats around the screen. There’s even a possessed piano who chomps on one of the girls’ fingers.
3. The Holy Mountain (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973)
One of the most psychedelic and visually stunning movies ever made is easily The Holy Mountain, directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky. The movie is a spiritual journey with an alchemist leading disciples to the titular holy mountain. Jodorowsky posits many questions about life, death and everything in between – it’s the kind of movie that takes on a whole new meaning when you’re high.
The movie was championed by John Lennon, who helped fund the film. Jodorowsky took significant inspiration from spirituality and drug use and instructed his actors to truly involve themselves in the themes and events of the film rather than simply act them out.
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
This one simply had to crop up at some point. Perhaps the most stoner movie of all time, even since its release some six decades ago, Stanley Kubrick’s iconic science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey is a piece of cinema that hits hard at the best of times, so the effect is double, if not more so, effective with a spliff in hand.
The film charts the evolutionary journey of humankind, from the first moment prehistoric apes wielded tools made of bone to us technologically advanced humans traversing the outer reaches of space. The visuals of 2001 are simply mesmerising, and the score will reverberate in your skull long after the credits have rolled. Quite simply, this might just be the perfect film to watch when high. However, it’s not our number one pick…
1. Waking Life (Richard Linklater, 2001)
Our top choice has to be Richard Linklater’s mind-bending and even life-changing animated film Waking Life, released in 2001. While the deeply philosophical nature of the film might put a few stoners who prefer an easier ride off, the truth is that the film consults the more cerebral parts of our consciousness, which hits home even more when we’re high.
Waking Life focuses on a nameless protagonist who makes his way through a series of dream scenarios, having conversations with different people ranging from the meaning of life to free will via metaphysics and social philosophy. Throw into the mix the rotoscoping animation technique and Linklater’s unique film is one that cannot be missed, especially under the influence.
