Writer-director Joel Potrykus's The Alchemist Cookbook serves up a chapter-driven series of sketchy scenes powered by a striking, manic performance from lead actor Ty Hickson. Sean (Hickson) lives in a battered trailer in the woods with his only companion—a grey cat named Kaspar. While Sean's daily routines seem logical (filtering river water, setting animal traps outdoors), there are obvious signs of mental illness in his behavior. Chief among these is a frenzied effort to summon a demon using a book of occult spells. When Sean's friend Cortez (Amari Cheatom) shows up with supplies but has forgotten a concerned Sean's prescription medicine, things turn bad. Voices are heard and dark figures are seen at a distance in a forest thicket, visually suggesting the tangled shadows in Sean's head. But there are also scenes that move well beyond one's ability to rationalize scary things, blurring into pure fear. The small team of Potrykus, Hickson, and Cheatom do a fine job of serving up a scary good time. Recommended. (T. Keogh)
The Alchemist Cookbook
Oscilloscope, 82 min., not rated, DVD: $34.99, Blu-ray: $39.99, Feb. 14 Volume 32, Issue 2
The Alchemist Cookbook
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