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Psychonaut begins with a concise definition of its titular concept — a person who explores altered states of consciousness within the human mindscape — only to infinitely double-down on the idea’s most terrifying consequences. Yes, a psychonaut explores altered consciousness, but they’re also subjected to the many dangerous and destructive impulses that flood the human mind and strike when someone is at their most vulnerable. Psychonaut turns the brain into a labyrinthine house of horrors where escape isn’t as simple as just finding the door. What follows is a claustrophobic and alienating experience that’s as surreal as it is scary. It’s a compelling calling card for Dutch indie filmmaker Thijs Meuwese that highlights the atmospheric skills of a visionary genre storyteller, but occasionally feels too scatterbrained

Psychonaut is a meditation on mind-altering technology that infiltrates and violates memories. Maxime (Julia Batelaan) submits to an experimental treatment that...