“You are really harshing my mellow, man.”

Will I ever truly understand anything Panos Cosmatos creates? Maybe not.

Will I love it wholeheartedly, unreservedly, and with total awe regardless? Every single time.

The cosmic horror maestro returns to ensnare our senses and fry our brains with The Viewing, a piece that expands from a starting point of vague intrigue to a crescendo of face-melting, synth-soaked extraterrestrial transcendence via philosophic and poetic inquisition, rare whiskey, and crack cocaine. Scored intoxicatingly by Daniel Lopatin and shot with a jaundiced yellow fuzziness by DP Michael Ragen, this 70s-set terror trip keys into an experiential frequency that simulates the spaced out sensation of smoking pot while punctuating (and indeed puncturing) the suspicious zen of everything with acid drop moments of visceral body horror. The juxtaposition of exploratory dialogue and intentionally obtuse as well as disorientating audiovisual flourishes adds up to a quite singular cinematic experience that could’ve ran for another hour without getting tiresome. 

Eric André FTW!