‘Psychonaut’ Journeys to the Darkest Recesses of the Mind But Gets Lost On the Way Out [Review]

Psychonaut begins with a concise definition of its titular concept — a person who explores altered states of consciousness within the human mindscape — only to infinitely double-down on the idea’s most terrifying consequences. Yes, a psychonaut explores altered consciousness, but they’re also subjected to the many dangerous and destructive impulses that flood the human mind and strike when someone is at their most vulnerable. Psychonaut turns the brain into a labyrinthine house of horrors where escape isn’t as simple as just finding the door. What follows is a claustrophobic and alienating experience that’s as surreal as it is scary. It’s a compelling calling card for Dutch indie filmmaker Thijs Meuwese that highlights the atmospheric skills of a visionary genre storyteller, but occasionally feels too scatterbrained

Psychonaut is a meditation on mind-altering technology that infiltrates and violates memories. Maxime (Julia Batelaan) submits to an experimental treatment that has the potential to save the life of her girlfriend, Dylan (Yasmin Blake), by traveling to the center of her mind and retrieving an “essential memory.” This futuristic machinery is presented as a life-saving advent and privilege, yet it’s fraught with concerns and a volatile creator (Fiona Dourif). It’s a sci-fi concept that’s akin to the brain-plumbing madness that’s explored and deconstructed in recent horror films like Memory, Inc, Luz, Possessor, or even non-horror fare like Inception and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 

Psychonaut never reaches the same heights as the aforementioned movies. However, it sets itself apart from these other “mind machinery” horror films by banking on a powerful love story as its emotional core. The film features characters who are deeply empathetic, but it’s still not afraid to go for the jugular and recklessly tear through a fragile subconscious like it’s tissue paper. Unfortunately for Max and Dylan, shredded tissue paper would be easier to clean up than the mental remnants that their experimental expedition leaves behind.