Shubhabrata Dutta
Stoner movies use a lot of psychedelic lighting and surrealism to reach their desired intentions of giving the audience a trippy experience. Drug use has always had its effects on culture. When we look at the Beat Generation poets’ and writers’ works, we get a picture of how the use of drugs affected their worldview. Even the hippie movement propagated the use of drugs to expand our consciousness. This phenomenon probably occurred due to the youth’s disenchantment with the government and society during the Vietnam War. Over the years, stoner movies have developed as a genre in itself. Prime Video’s vast collection of titles offers some great options to viewers looking for trippy movies to entertain them.
11. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
A stoner buddy comedy directed by Kevin Smith based on the characters of the 1994 cult movie ‘Clerks,’ ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’ is about two friends, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), breaking into Hollywood to stop a movie, based on them, from being made. Well, they need to be paid before the makers can make it, right? Their exploits as they head to Hollywood, LA, and what they do over there make ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’ a whacky true-to-form stoner flick. What adds to it is the cast that includes comedy biggies Will Ferrell and Chris Rock, along with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Shannon Elizabeth, and Jason Lee. You can stream the movie here.
10. Mac & Devin Go to High School (2012)
This stoner comedy is directed by Dylan C. Brown and Dylan Brown and stars rappers Snoop Dogg as Mac and Wiz Khalifa as Devin. Frankly speaking, it’s about two high school students, one a geek (Devin) and another a stoner (Mac), who cross paths, thanks to fate. What follows is Mac teaching Devin how to smoke weed and their exploits as a result of that. A true-to-form stoner comedy that is more farce than comedy, ‘Mac & Devin Go to High School’ can be watched right here.
9. Kid Cannabis (2014)
From director John Stockwell comes a biographical drama inspired by a Rolling Stone article published in 2005. It follows the life of eighteen-year-old high-school dropout Nate Norman (Jonathan Daniel Brown) from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, who built a multimillion-dollar marijuana business by trafficking weed across the US-Canada border. As expected, risks were high as there were competitors in the market and, not to mention, the legal authorities. How he built his empire is what we see in the film. Nate was eventually caught and sentenced to 12 years in prison but was released early, possibly due to good behavior. You can watch the film here.
8. The Wave (2020)
Directed by Gille Klabin, ‘The Wave’ is a trippy exploration of consciousness and time. Frank is an insurance lawyer who has found a flaw in the $4M insurance policy of a firefighter who passed away from a heart attack. After an argument with his wife, Frank goes out to celebrate with his co-worker Jeff to a club named El Madrid, where they meet two women named Natalie and Theresa. The four of them then head to a house party, where they purchase hallucinogenic drugs from a man calling himself Aeolus. As Theresa helps Frank get the drug into his system, he begins a wild journey where his consciousness travels back and forth through time. You may watch the film here.
7. The Mandela Effect (2019)
The film’s title refers to a psychological phenomenon where a person has a false memory of something that never happened. In the movie, computer game designer Brendan (Charlie Hofheimer) and his wife, Claire (Aleksa Palladino), mourn the loss of their daughter, Sam. Brendan and his brother-in-law Matt (Robin Lord Taylor) realize that they both have false memories (or the Mandela Effect) involving Sam, leading them to conclude what they experienced was a glimpse of a parallel universe where Sam is alive. Despite Claire and Matt’s objections, Brendan reaches out to Dr. Roland Fuchs, who has done extensive research on the subject and has been ostracized by the scientific community because of it. Feel free to check out the movie here.
6. The Honor Farm (2017)
A Karen Skloss directorial venture, ‘The Honor Farm’ tells the story of best friends Lucy and Anne, who made elaborate plans for the prom night. But their dates become so drunk during the prom that the girls have no choice but to cancel their plans. This is when their classmate Laila arrives with Shanti and Zoe and convinces Lucy and Anne to come along to experience a night they will never forget. They are soon joined by three boys, JD, Liam, and Jesse. Their plans for the night involve taking some mushrooms and holding a séance at the eponymous Honor Farm, an old, abandoned, and dilapidated prison with the reputation of being haunted. You can check out the film here.
5. Sunshine Hotel (2001)
The documentary’s title refers to the eponymous flophouse at 245 Bowery in Manhattan, New York City. Filmmaker Michael Dominic’s documentary explores the history of Sunshine and the lives of the people there. Dominic was an employee of Sunshine for a period, so he had a personal connection to the place, which helped him delve deep into the subject matter of his project. Upon its release, the documentary was well-received by critics and won several awards. Nathan Smith, the hotel’s 16-year-old manager, is the project’s narrator. He passed away in 2002 due to cancer. You can watch ‘Sunshine Hotel’ here.
4. The Culture High (2014)
For stoners, knowing more about their “stuff” is no doubt fascinating. This is why ‘The Culture High’ is important. Directed by Brett Harvey, this documentary brings together agents, celebrities, professors, and experts from different forms of life to address the long-ongoing debate about marijuana legalization in America and the war on drugs. These include Joe Rogan (UFC commentator, podcaster), Snoop Dogg (World-renowned rapper), Richard Branson (founder, Virgin Group), Gabor Maté (addiction expert, author), and Howard Marks (drug smuggler, author), among others. The viewers also come across stories from people whose lives were changed due to the war. In this way, the film showcases an intriguing topic that is no less than a commentary on the very duplicity of human nature. You can stream it here.
3. Green is Gold (2016)
Written and directed by Ryon Baxter, ‘Green is Gold’ is the story of two brothers whose lives get complicated because one of them has a rather dangerous business to sustain. Baxter himself plays the leading character, Cameron, who has to take care of his 13-year-old brother Mason after their father gets arrested and eventually imprisoned. However, Cameron is a marijuana dealer who grows the plant in his home. His business keeps Cameron busy, and he cannot look after his brother. It is only when Mason himself gets interested in learning the tricks of proper marijuana cultivation that the brothers begin to bond once again. You may watch ‘Green is Gold’ here.
2. The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)
‘The Electrical Life of Louis Wain’ is a biographical film that tells the story of artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch). Following the death of his father, the responsibility of sustaining his family falls on the shoulders of Louis, who gives up his unsuccessful pursuit of music and playwriting to become a full-time illustrator for The Illustrated London News under editor Sir William Ingram. He hires Emily Richardson (Claire Foy) as the new governess for his sisters. Although she is ten years older than him, Louis falls in love with her, and his feelings are reciprocated. However, she is diagnosed with breast cancer a few months later. This is when Louis starts to paint pictures of his family cat, Peter. As Emily’s condition deteriorates, Louis’ paintings take an anthropomorphic turn. You can stream the film here.
1. This Is the End (2013)
If there is an apocalypse happening, you might want to be around people like James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, and Jay Baruchel because then you would get the correct vibe. In ‘This Is the End,’ all the actors play fictional versions of themselves. Franco throws a party at his Hollywood home and invites all his friends, including the ones mentioned above. Unfortunately, an apocalypse hits, and everything around them starts falling apart. At par with the fear and destruction is the hilarity that the group inadvertently brings out as they try to survive. A must-watch R-rated comedy custom-made for stoners, ‘This Is the End’ is an adaptation of Rogen and Goldberg’s short film ‘Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse’ (2007). The cast also includes Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, Rihanna, and even the Backstreet Boys. You can watch it here.
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