Have a Good Trip, a comedic documentary directed by Donick Cary, gives honest yet entertaining accounts of celebrities’ experiences with psychedelics. This documentary gives cautionary tales, thrilling anecdotes, and tips for when one wants to have their own trip. The premise of the film was to have different celebrities share their own unique accounts of being on psychotropic drugs, and it accomplishes just that! The hallucinations are brought to life with trippy animations and slapstick comedy sketches. In addition, the creators of the film give the audience insight on how psychedelic drugs can be used as tools to help and the trouble researchers face to learn more. Although the educational part of this documentary takes a backburner to the mind-bending experiences of the celebrities, it is prominent enough to make one rethink their stance on psychedelics.
Hearing someone talk about their time high is only slightly more thrilling than hearing someone talk about their dreams. The reason for that is their experience is so unique it is hard to translate from their mind into words, but Have A Good Trip does that for us. The animations done in this film were colorful and imaginative and brought more life to the stories. Sure it’s great to hear A$AP Rocky talk about how surreal his first time tripping on acid was but also seeing it be played out by two animated figures that look like neon signs, makes it that much better. The animators did not animate in one specific style, they made the visuals unique to each story presented. The film becomes more interesting with each style and each story. It gives the audience more insight to how different one person’s trip can be from the other.
The appeal of this film comes from its focus on a usually restricted topic and the considerable amount of cameos from many stars. Some examples include the Parks and Recreation stars Nick Offerman and Adam Scott, as they both play comical and recurring roles in the film. Offerman plays a Bill Nye-esque scientist in a lab and Scott spoofs old school PSAs from the 70’s. In contrast, legendary musician Sting gets classically interviewed giving his two cents on psychedelics and sharing some incredible stories. Nick Kroll also gets interviewed but then plays himself in the reenactment of his own trip. The mix of star-studded skits, honest accounts, and animations allows this subject to be less serious and more lighthearted.
Donick Cary, the writer and director, made sure that his portrayal of psychedelics is honest and it shows that he understands the responsibility that comes with drugs and the media. The stance of psychedelics in this film is not blindly supportive of psychedelics and the fact that everyone should try them. In fact, the film goes outright against that multiple times. It is edited so the messages of the crucial “do’s and don’ts” are not missed. These warnings are simply expressed by having, for example, a singular title card saying “Don’t Drive on Acid” and hearing Ben Stiller talk about how bad a trip can be. Donick Cary does not glaze over all the possibilities that come with taking psychedelics- good or bad. He makes it clear that psychedelics can be life-changing euphoric experiences but emphasizes that one must be prepared. By having the opinions from great comedians to acclaimed psychologists, psychedelic drugs are presented from all angles.
To some, the appeal of listening to famous people tell stories from their life might be low. While understandable, it’s the essence of this documentary. So, if you are anti-celebrity and anti-drugs, this might not be the film for you! To others, however, listening to Carrie Fisher tell stories of the times she tripped while in the height of her fame is a treat. Either way, Have A Good Trip sheds light on the battle researchers of this subject face. Their inability to study the effects of these drugs for so long has delayed understanding the full therapeutic benefits for those suffering with mental illness, anxiety, substance abuse, and more. The film ends on a positive note, with a postscript that shows how research has been able to start studying again. Whether you are just curious about psychedelics or you just want to have a laugh, Have A Good Trip can satisfy both.
3.5/5 STARS