What’s going on in this trailer for The Alchemist Cookbook?

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In this new feature from indie director Joel Potrykus, a young man lives in the woods, conducts experiments, chants in Latin, and maybe talks to Satan.

In this next feature from indie director Joel Potrykus, be prepared to encounter mad science, dark comedy, a cat named Kaspar, and maybe also Satan himself.

The Alchemist Cookbook follows Sean (Ty Hickson), a young outcast who isolates himself in the rural West Michigan woods. Much of the film takes place in or around Sean’s tiny trailer, where he is apparently trying to generate wealth with the help of a chemistry set, home improvement tools, and a book full of Latin incantations. Judging by the strange noises in the forest and his increasingly bizarre actions, it looks like Sean may have summoned more than he can handle.

Of course, Sean may also have some very real-world problems to deal with. We see him throwing away a pill bottle, slamming his face into a mirror, and cutting a battery in half. Has he really made contact with demons, or is there a more mundane explanation for his experiences?

Fair warning: though it’s been getting good early reviews, most watchers have described The Alchemist Cookbook as “near-plotless” and “indefinable”. The story presents itself piecemeal, in a series of related “chapters”. It’s not even clear what Sean is encountering in his sojourn.

As far as we can tell, The Alchemist Cookbook sits somewhere between dark comedy and horror, with a healthy dose of absurdism thrown in. Reviewers have also called it “bizarre”, “gross” and “dark”. Be ready for some intense scenes that may or may not involve body horror.

Still from The Alchemist Cookbook (photo via Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Ty Hickson has been singled out for for his role as the isolated and increasingly unstable Sean. Reviewers have praised the depth and complexity he brings to the role, despite minimal lines and a frankly strange plot and unusual structure. The most satisfied reviewers seem to go into this film looking for a character study of a strange man struggling to hold on to his humanity.

Need a little background on what Sean is doing in his lonely trailer? While we can’t tell you exactly what happens in the movie, we do know that alchemy is a real historic practice. Combining elements of philosophy and science, alchemy likely began with the earliest human civilizations in Egypt and Babylon (now Iraq). In its earliest days, alchemy could hardly be considered a rigorous science. Ancient Egyptians, for example, were said to have painted materials with yellow paint in order to call it “gold”.

Try to find a modern scientist that takes any of this seriously. Spoiler: you won’t. However, alchemy provided some of the earliest methods and equipment that would grow into the field of chemistry. Some of the greatest medieval and modern minds were interested in the art, including Roger Bacon and Sir Isaac Newton.

A lady visiting an alchemist in his laboratory.

Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images

While the Greeks and Romans attempted to apply a theoretical framework to alchemy, most people are more familiar with the form that arose in Medieval Europe. Then, alchemists were often persecuted as magicians and witches by Church officials. They were accused of consorting with the devil to achieve strange powers and worldly possessions.

If you’ve ever read the Faust story (the most famous versions are by playwrights Christopher Marlowe and Johann Goethe), then you have a good sense of how people viewed alchemists. At worst, alchemists were accused of being in league with the devil. They supposedly thought little of selling their souls for worldly success. At best, they were mysterious thinkers who sought out secrets like eternal life, the cure to all diseases, and the ability to create precious metals.

Has modern alchemist Sean finally discovered these secrets? Is he just going mad? Are we going to go crazy, too, as we watch and try to figure out what’s happening? No answers yet, but we’re excited to see the film for ourselves.

Next: Rediscovering Labyrinth: 13 Things to Notice

The Alchemist Cookbook released in March 2016, and was a festival favorite at SXSW. Check the listings of your local indie theater to see if it’s coming to your town. We certainly will.