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Relationships are stressful—whether they’re with your spouse, your family, your kids, or your boss. In Altered Perception, three couples agree to try a drug that promises to help them take away some of the stress—but it may end up doing just the opposite.
Altered Perception investigates a drug trial gone wrong. The drug known as DPT was designed to aid in personal conflict, but it has a greater potential to end hostility in the world. So when three couples volunteer for the trial, they do so in the hopes that it will open their eyes to the problems in their relationships and help them better resolve their conflicts. But while they experience moments of breakthrough in their relationships, some becoming more aware of their own faults, the side effects threaten to turn deadly.
The idea behind Altered Perception may be sci-fi, but the story itself is actually part relationship drama, part mystery. Framed by an investigation into who’s to blame for the drug trial ending in disaster, the story follows the three couples as they argue, negotiate, and discuss their feelings in their daily video diaries.
For the most part, the film is really just a lot of marital squabbles: the suspicions, the accusations, the miscommunication. And the constant bickering can be exhausting—though the moments of honesty and breakthrough can be refreshing. The storytelling also seems a little awkward—especially the way in which the couples’ most private moments are filmed using multiple camera angles, yet they’re later shown to be a part of the footage collected as a part of the study.
Still, underneath the relationship drama, there are multiple mysteries at play, too—and that’s what keeps it interesting. In the early scenes, investigators mention that the drug trial ended in tragedy—and the doctors also mention that the six test subjects were given varying levels of the drug. And as the couples’ stories play out, viewers will try to figure out who was given stronger doses and who was given the placebos, whether it’s actually working or they just think it is, and, of course, which story ends in the disaster. So while it may not be the compelling thriller that you might expect, the mysteries will still hold your attention.
More relationship drama than tense sci-fi adventure, Altered Perception is a story about conflict and miscommunication. It’s certainly flawed, but the questions surrounding the characters will keep you on your toes.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
