Geierwally 

“Just say no.” This was the anthem of the War on Drugs movement of the 1980s. It quickly and quietly shut down research into psychedelics, and was largely propagated by misinformation. Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics, a new Netflix documentary written and directed by Donick Cary, delves into the reality of psychedelics.

It features stories from comedians and celebrities about the respective psychedelic trips they’ve taken. This includes Sting, Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black, Anthony Bourdain, Carrie Fisher, Rosie Perez, A$ap Rocky, among an array of others.

What makes this film fascinating is the direction it fundamentally takes. Interwoven are testimonials that are brought to life with a multitude of animation styles. When I first saw the animation in Sting’s story, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. As the film progresses, however, I saw more of the different kinds of animation, and I came to really appreciate how it enhances the narrative.

Cary expertly knows how to break up the film in order to keep it engaging. Not only does the style of animation change from person to person, but some of the testimonials involve live-action reenactments that I found to be hysterical. While the material is interesting enough on its own, the film is heightened by its keen sense of humor. There has to be a sense of humor when discussing some of these stories, and Cary knows how to capitalize on that with dramatizations, specific cuts, and side stories.

Have a Good Trip offers a rather balanced look at psychedelic use. While its main narrative is the stories of recreational use by celebrities, it does delve into the medical history of psychedelics and its use in psychotherapy. In the 1960s, psychologists were looking at the benefits that controlled LSD use had for people struggling with mental disorders. They found that it helped alleviate anxiety in people suffering from terminal cancer, alcoholism, opioid use, and depression. However, these tests were shut down when the United States government made psychedelics illegal in 1968.