A twitchy young man sits in a filthy trailer, excitedly cobbling together… something. Given his gas mask, you might think he’s making meth, or possibly bombs. Which doesn’t explain all of the random religious paraphernalia and ancient texts strewn about, really. Or, come to think of it, the occasional unearthly howling from the woods outside.
The Alchemist Cookbook, the latest from writer/director Joel Potrykus (Buzzard, Ape), is a certifiably strange object: a mumblecorish character sketch that gradually, amiably slouches into full-fledged horror. While the resolution doesn’t quite match the buildup, there’s plenty of oddness to savor throughout, amplified by a toweringly weird central performance from Ty Hickson.