It’s an understatement to say that Ken Russell made distinctly twisted, controversial films, infusing new meaning into the term “unpredictable.” Sure, this brand of filmmaking is a bit of an acquired taste, but it has merit no less, as his experimental, no-holds-barred approach led to some truly unique cinematic experiences. Apart from his rather mainstream (and brilliant) “Women in Love,” Russell made fictionalized retellings of real events, such as his “Gothic,” which expands upon the Shelleys visiting Lord Byron in Villa Diodati within a jarring horror framework. More controversial works include “The Devils,” and Russell’s 1980 sci-fi horror feature “Altered States,” itself a psychedelic-adjacent trip into a bizarre, delirious labyrinth about identity and altered states of consciousness.
Two mega-popular actors made their acting debut in “Altered States:” William Hurt, who plays leading man Eddie Jessup, and Drew Barrymore, who plays Eddie’s younger daughter, Margaret Jessup. Barrymore was only five when she starred in Russell’s film, which acted as the entry-point for her bigger, more memorable roles in films like “Firestarter” and “E.T. the Extraterrestrial” as a child actor. Barrymore’s Margaret didn’t have many speaking lines, but this small role nevertheless helped kick off her long-standing Hollywood career.
Let’s talk a bit more about “Altered States,” including how it served to showcase Hurt’s incredible range and flexibility as an actor, and why this oft-overlooked film deserves to be revisited. Although every Russell film embodies an almost erratic quality, “Altered States” is one of his most methodical meditations on the price of knowledge deemed forbidden for a reason.