The 10 best movies to watch on mushrooms
Is everything better under the effects of drugs? Possibly. Well, maybe not everything, but one experience that illicit substances can certainly enhance is watching a movie, particularly when psilocybin mushrooms are involved, the giggly, happiness-inducing fungus of joy.
Having ingested a dose of the earthy numbers, a wave of pleasure begins to wash over the backs of the partakers, and as the film’s opening credits and sequences start to arrive on screen, colours are enhanced, and the score seems all the more intense and the narrative facets are received all the more cerebrally.
As Car Seat Headrest once said, “Drugs are better with friends”, so watching a film on mushrooms can be all the more pleasurable in the company of fellow psychonauts. That’s not to negate the solo movie experience, but a cinematic communion with others can bring us even to our nearest and dearest, especially when tripping our way through the offering.
In light of that, we’ve compiled a list of the best movies to watch on mushrooms. It’s worth noting that we’ve omitted classic choices like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as they recently appeared on our best movies to watch while stoned list. For now, let’s ingest and get going.
10 best movies to watch on mushrooms:
10. A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006)
We begin with Richard Linklater’s 2006 adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1977 science fiction novel A Scanner Darkly, and as you will soon find, the sci-fi genre features heavily on this list. After all, mushrooms enable one to approach scientific and philosophical concepts differently, and nowhere is conceptual intrigue more prevalent than in science fiction.
A Scanner Darkly, which tells of a near-future dystopia rife with police surveillance and a drug addiction epidemic, is undoubtedly an intense watch which may put some prospective viewers off. However, Linklater again employs the rotoscoping animation style of Waking Life, which just makes the film all the more psychedelic and perfect for your trip.
9. Enter the Void (Gaspar Noe, 2009)
As far as visuals go, though, it doesn’t get more psychedelic than Gaspar Noe’s 2009 art film Enter the Void. Taking place in the neon-lit club environments of Tokyo, Noe takes his viewers on an experience that actually resembles a drug trip, so throwing into account the reality of being under the influence makes the movie all the more intense.
Narratively, Enter the Void is very fucking out there to boot. It tells of a young American drug dealer who is shot dead at the beginning of the film. From there, he traverses Tokyo in an out-of-body experience, with Noe delivering his point-of-view in a first-person perspective. Noe’s movie is not an easy watch on shrooms, but for those brave enough to stomach it, it might just be a life-changing one.
8. The Animatrix (Various, 2003)
The Wachowski’s legendary science fiction movie The Matrix is, of course, good value for a mushroom trip movie with its high-octane action, thumping soundtrack and innovative CGI effects (not to mention the bloody storyline). However, we think the sci-fi anthology The Animatrix offers more for those under the effects of shrooms.
Produced by the Wachowskis and directed by various figures in the animation field, the 2003 anthology movie is comprised of nine animated shorts that reveal much about the backstory of The Matrix Universe. With all the mind-bending narrative of the original film, plus some of the best talent in the anime business on hand, The Animatrix is a trip from beginning to end. It is sure to get the synapses firing on all cylinders.
7. The Big Lebowski (Coen brothers, 1998)
While one can always be tempted to watch an intense visual movie while on mushrooms, it’s important to remember just how damn funny the drug can be, and in that light, comedy movies are often the perfect viewing experience. As far as comedy goes, of course, it’s hard to look beyond the true masterpiece that is the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski.
With Jeff Bridges in his most iconic role of ‘The Dude’ and John Goodman giving an equally magnificent performance as the insistent Vietnam War veteran Walter Sobchak, The Big Lebowski is jam-packed full of laughs that simply never cease. Mushrooms can be introspective for sure, but they can also just be a whole lot of fun, so sometimes it’s nice to just kick back and have a few games of bowling instead.
6. Aliens (James Cameron, 1986)
Now, any emotion or feeling can be greatly amplified under the effects of shrooms. While undoubtedly, most trippers seek introspection or happiness, some of the bravest among us are willing to dive headfirst into the element of fear. We’ve gone for James Cameron’s Aliens, as Ridley Scott’s original film is just too damn tense for a trip.
At least with the 1986 sequel, the action moments are ramped up, and the cheesy dialogue can sponsor our most resounding laughter. Rather than the claustrophobia of Alien, we’re treated to Ripley and a band of Colonial Marines taking on the xenomorph(s) with some seriously heavy artillery. For shroomhead horror lovers, Aliens is the perfect dose.
5. Akira (Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988)
Regarding truly mind-blowing movies, it’s hard to look beyond Katsuhiro Otomo’s truly iconic 1988 anime, Akira. Now, the narrative of the cyberpunk classic is notoriously difficult to follow, but under the effect of mushrooms, things might begin to slot into place a little easier.
Taking place in 2019, the film tells of a bike gang leader whose friend suddenly acquires dangerous telekinetic abilities and subsequently threatens the stability of the Neo-Tokyo metropolis. Aside from the story, though, Akira is stunning to look at, and one must marvel at its rather unbelievable hand-drawn animation, plus its incredible score by Shoji Yamashiro.
4. Koyaanisqatsi (Godfrey Reggio, 1982)
Possibly the most unique film on the list, but easily one of the most suitable for a mushroom trip, is the 1982 non-narrative documentary Koyaanisqatsi, directed and produced by Godfrey Reggio. With some of the most mesmerising cinematography from Ron Fricke and a score by the ever-trance like Philip Glass, Koyaanisqatsi is a film that slowly washes over its audience.
It features slow-motion and time-lapse shots of several urban and natural environments in the United States without dialogue or narration. The experimental film, then, feels like a visual poem that explores humanity’s relationship to Earth without any mode of dogma or even address. It’s a testament to the harmony of image and sound, made all the more awe-inspiring under the influence.
3. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan, 2014)
The most recent film on our list is also one of the most suitable for a mushroom journey. Science fiction has indeed featured heavily across our ten selections, and from a contemporary perspective, they haven’t gotten much better than Christopher Nolan’s 2014 epic Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and Jessica Chastain.
Telling of a dystopian future where the inhabitants of Earth are faced with widespread famine, a group of astronauts are sent through a wormhole in space to find a new home for humanity. Hans Zimmer is on absolute fire with his score here, and Interstellar finds an emotional resonance unlike any of the other films on this list, so it is well worth its almost three-hour runtime.
2. Alice in Wonderland (Various, 1951)
Lewis Carroll’s 1865 children’s novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass are full of psychedelic imagery. In 1951, Disney did a brilliant job of bringing the tale of Alice to life in their usual animated musical glory, delivering one of their trippiest offerings.
As Alice ventures into the bonkers world of Wonderland, ruled by the Queen of Hearts and full to the brim of crazy, enigmatic creatures, the visuals pop and burst and will indeed captivate the highest of its audience members. Remarkably, Alice in Wonderland can be even more intense than Enter the Void and Aliens, which is why it’s found its way so far up our list.
1. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
However, the number one spot must go to Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction masterpiece Blade Runner. Sci-fi, after all, can be the genre that reveals the most to us about humanity, despite often taking significant steps from our society, while also boasting creative freedom in concept, art and world design.
Nowhere are those facets more impressive in the history of sci-fi than in Scott’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? adaptation. Focusing on Los Angeles cop Rick Deckard’s mission to retire a fugitive group of synthetic humans, Blade Runner examines the themes of identity and reality, which makes its watching on shrooms all the more pertinent.
Throw in a mesmerising score by Vangelis, some of the most impressive use of miniature models, capturing a neon-lit smoky urban environment, brilliant performances by Harrison Ford and Roy Batty, and it’s easy to see why Blade Runner is often called the best science fiction movie ever made, and why it’s perfect for a night on the shrooms.
