Nothing else really happens otherwise, and the conclusion feels anti-climactic and abrupt. Though there are only three scenes featuring Cheatom, these prove to be the most entertaining and humorous, leaving me wanting more of this banter between friends.

It’s a film that only has two human characters, Cass the Cat is also listed in the credits, and Hickson and Cheatom carry the film with ease.

It’s too bad there just isn’t a more substantial plot here, as the characters are interesting and the performances are well done. There’s also a particularly hilarious scene involving cat food that makes the film almost worth checking out just for that scene alone. Sean has a penchant for chugging Gatorade and scarfing Doritos. For those of you wondering if there are any disturbing scenes of food eating, they are here in spades. Joel Potrykus has a defined style, and this film certainly fits within it. If you’ve seen Ape or Buzzard, you’ll find yourself in familiar territory with The Alchemist Cookbook, from the oddball humor to the spurts of violence. The longer Sean stays in his isolation, the more unhinged he becomes, and, like Sean, we no longer have a grip on reality ourselves. It’s clear early on that Sean, played by Ty Hickson, is an imbalanced individual, and when it’s believed that Cortez ( Amari Cheatom ) forgets to bring Sean’s much-needed medicine, his mental state quickly deteriorates into one of delusions and paranoia. Like his previous films Buzzard and Ape, he blends absurd comedy into dark subject matter, but while Alchemist leans more into the horror movie realm than his previous works, he pulls the reins in before fully committing to the genre. It’s quickly evident why the film’s title bears a similar moniker to the infamous Anarchist Cookbook in that Potrykus has crafted a chaotic descent into chaos, fuelled by punk and hardcore rap, the dark arts, madness and Doritos. This is the basis of Joel Potrykus ’s latest film, The Alchemist Cookbook. After a few fleeting moments of companionship, he leaves and Sean returns to his quest of creating gold. He’s not there to stay he’s just there for a supply drop that will help his friend in his alchemical pursuits. Sporting a stylish new jacket with the word Dancers emblazoned on the back, Cortez visits his buddy Sean in a remote trailer in the middle of a lonely forest.

The alchemist cookbook (2016) showing