FILM REVIEW: Psychonauts, the Forgotten Children

Psychonaut: a person who willingly experiments with mind-altering drugs. Mostly for the “good side effect” of exploring one’s psyche. Yet, in Psychonauts, the Forgotten Children the only side effect the psychedelic drugs gives its users is the physical manifestation of their darkest thoughts.

Adapted from the original graphic novel of the same title, created by Alberto Vazquez who has also directed the feature film alongside Pedro Rivero, Psychonauts, the Forgotten Children was shown at MOTELx (Lisbon International Horror Film Festival) and is now in competition for the Best European Feature Film.

I had the opportunity of seeing it at São Jorge Cinema and I didn’t regret any of it.

The animation throughout is simply gorgeous. The art student in me was beyond pleased. Deviating from the black and white of the graphic novel, the film is instead filled with an explosion of colours. Which helped set the mood for scenes like the disturbing psychedelic visions. It felt like we were transported to a different hellish world our cartoony animal-like characters shouldn’t be a part of.

In contrast, when Psychonauts wants to reveal a heartfelt scene, the art and colour scheme shine brighter, bringing out more of the genuine moment than it could’ve ever been done in black and white.

And the film is not afraid to tackle difficult topics.

In the prologue, Psychonauts reveals the backstory of the island our protagonists live in. Before, the place was filled with life, there was prosperity all around, and people were actually happy. But of course, something fucked up had to happen.

An accident occurred in the industrial zone that not only ended up killing hundreds of workers, but also destroyed most of the ecological life on the island. Everything gets worse from there.

The film follows two characters, Dinky and Birdboy.

Dinky is a mouse who has become depressed after her father’s death in the industrial zone. She also has to live with an overzealous religious mother, a man who pretends to be her real father by using a fake mouse mask, a terrifying half-human half-dog stepbrother, and an annoying sentient alarm clock.

Oh, did I forget to mention? Objects are sentient in this universe. Another layer of fucked-up-ness if you think about it too hard.

And Birdboy is a bird who doesn’t know how to fly that well. He also has a demon inside him who is only under control after he takes drugs. And he does so, even if he has to go through disturbing visions of giant birds eating his flesh.

Similarly to Dinky, his father is gone. Something that probably sparkled their romance which ended abruptly. Nevertheless, Dinky still gives him her mother’s “happy pills” so Birdboy can manage his inner demons. Now that’s true love.

The story focuses on Birdboy as he desperately searches for his next fix, and Dinky and her friends trying to find a way out of the island. All to the big city, they say, where things seem so much better than where they live.

As their journey progresses, Psychonauts dives further into is established themes of social control, environmental pollution, drug addiction, and mental illness. It talks of these issues with a fairy tale like narrative, reminiscing of the original Brother Grimm tales as the film is not afraid to display the ugliness in life. The subtitle the Forgotten Children hitting close to home to those who have previously been abandoned, homeless, or led to vices because of society’s rejection of them.

Psychonauts, the Forgotten Children is a dark, bittersweet yet hopeful film. A unique experience given generously by both Alberto Vazquez and Pedro Rivero, one I won’t soon forget.

Be alert for it in nearby festivals or a DVD release. And, yeah, you would have to watch the film in subtitles. But the rest of the world has already gotten used to it, I’m sure it won’t be that hard for English natives. Unless you’re lazy. Then you’re fucked.

All images are from here.