Altered States
“In the basement of a university medical school, Dr. Jessup floats naked in total darkness. The most terrifying experiment in the history of science is out of control... and the subject is himself.”
Synopsis
A research scientist explores the boundaries and frontiers of human consciousness. Using sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic mixtures from Native American shamans, he explores these altered states of cognizance and finds that memory, time, and reality itself are states of mind.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Psychedelic Special Effects of ALTERED STATES (1980)Official
Type: Featurette • Published 2025-10-24
Top Cast
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William Hurt
Professor Eddie Jessup
Blair Brown
Emily Jessup
Bob Balaban
Arthur Rosenberg
Charles Haid
Mason Parrish
Thaao Penghlis
Echeverria
Miguel Godreau
Primal Man
Dori Brenner
Sylvia Rosenberg
Peter Brandon
Hobart
Charles White-Eagle
The Brujo
Drew Barrymore
Margaret Jessup
Megan Jeffers
Grace Jessup
Jack Murdock
Hector Orteco
Francis X. McCarthy
Obispo
Deborah Baltzell
Schizophrenic Patient
Evan Richards
Young Rosenberg
Paul Larsson
Charlie Thomas
John Larroquette
X-Ray Technician
George Gaynes
Dr. Wissenschaft
Release History & Theatrical Window
Sorrento Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
December 25, 1980
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 17, 1999
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$15M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$19.9M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.32x
+$4.9M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Ken Russell
- Screenplay & Story
- Paddy Chayefsky
- Original Score
- John Corigliano
- Original Title
- Altered States
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Spanish
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
- Production Budget
- $15M
- Worldwide Gross
- $19.9M
- Production Studios
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Ken Russell
Paddy Chayefsky
John Corigliano
Jordan Cronenweth
Eric Jenkins
Howard Gottfried, Daniel Melnick
Department Leadership Roster
Paddy Chayefsky
Screenplay
John Corigliano
Original Music Composer
Howard Gottfried
Producer
Ken Russell
Director
Jordan Cronenweth
Director of Photography
Eric Jenkins
Editor
Ruth Myers
Costume Design
Richard Macdonald
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Altered States.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Altered States.
Movie Collection
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My Movies
Master List In Progress
Movies Watchlist
***Horror***
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Altered States
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Altered States about?
A research scientist explores the boundaries and frontiers of human consciousness. Using sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic mixtures from Native American shamans, he explores these altered states of cognizance and finds that memory, time, and reality itself are states of mind.
Who directed Altered States?
Altered States was directed by Ken Russell.
Who stars in Altered States?
The principal cast of Altered States includes William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid, Thaao Penghlis.
When was Altered States released and how long is it?
Altered States was released in 1980 with a total runtime of 1h 43m.
What was the box office and production budget of Altered States?
Altered States had a reported production budget of $15M and grossed $19.9M at the worldwide box office (1.32 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Altered States?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Altered States was composed by John Corigliano.
Is Altered States based on a book or true story?
Altered States is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Paddy Chayefsky".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Altered States?
Altered States holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).