Psychedelic film

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

Acid Western adapts tropes of the Western genre popular in the 1960s and 1970s, augmented with psychedelic imagery or allusions.
Psychodrama may complement dramatic elements of the film with psychedelic imagery based on psychological expansion or exploration.
Stoner film exploits the comic potential of recreational cannabis, often punctuated with exaggerated psychedelia.

Examples: Live Action

1940s

1948: ''The Red Shoes''

1960s

1962: The Fabulous Baron Munchausen; integrates moments of animation into live-action
1966: Daisies
1967: Chappaqua
1967: Point Blank
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey; the Stargate sequence features slit-scan animation

1970s

1970: El Topo
1970: Zabriskie Point
1971: The Devils
1972: Behind the Green Door
1972: The Devil
1973: The Holy Mountain
1973: The Wicker Man
1977: 3 Women
1977: Suspiria
1977: Hausu: integrates moments of animation into live-action

1980s

1982: Pink Floyd - The Wall; certain musical sequences are animated
1988: Who Framed Roger Rabbit; integrates animation and live-action

1990s

1995: ''Dead Man''

2000s

2000: ''Requiem for a Dream''

2010s

2013: ''A Field in England''

2020s

2020: ''Friend of the World''

Examples: Animation

1940s

1940: Fantasia (1940 film)
1941: ''Dumbo (1941 film)''

1950s

1951: ''Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)''

1960s

1968: Yellow Submarine''''

1970s

1972: Fritz the Cat (film)
1973: Johnny Corncob
1973: Belladonna of Sadness
1973: Fantastic Planet
1974: Sisyphus (film), short film
1976: Allegro non troppo
1977: The Struggle (1977 film), short film
1977: ''Wizards (film)''

1980s

1990s

1992: The Tune
1993: The Thief and the Cobbler
1993: The Nightmare Before Christmas
1995: Ghost in the Shell (1995 film)
1995: Memories (1995 film), short film
1996: James and the Giant Peach (film)
1997: ''Princess Mononoke''

2000s

2001: Spirited Away
2001: Waking Life
2002: Song of the Miraculous Hind
2003: The Animatrix
2003: Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem
2004: Mind Game (film)
2004: Howl's Moving Castle (film)
2006: Paprika (2006 film)
2006: Tekkonkinkreet
2006: A Scanner Darkly (film)
2007: Genius Party, anthology of short films
2008: Genius Party Beyond, anthology of short films
2009: Redline (2009 film)
2009: Coraline (film)
2009: ''A Town Called Panic''

2010s

2013: Short Peace, short film
2017: ''Loving Vincent''

2020s

2024: Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain
2025: ''Mononoke the Movie: The Ashes of Rage''

TV Shows