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5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Great Experiment remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old, jittery animation that makes absolutely zero sense, you’ll probably have a blast with The Great Experiment. If you need a plot that actually follows a straight line—or even a squiggly one—you’re going to hate this.
It is barely a story. It is more of a series of aggressive inconveniences happening to a kid who just wanted to be left alone.
Hugo Plotz is exactly the kind of guy who shouldn’t have access to a laboratory. Or a water bowl, really.
Watching him turn a boy into a fish felt strangely mean-spirited even by 1930s standards. Then he turns the kid into an old man, which is just… okay, sure. Why not? The pacing here is completely unhinged.
The whole bit where they land in 1990 is the highlight for me, just because of how wrong they got the future. Apparently, in the 90s, everyone is just walking around in propeller hats. I wish.
It’s a funny contrast to something like Kino-pravda no. 2, which felt like it was trying to document the world, whereas this is just trying to melt your brain.
The whole thing feels like it was put together in an afternoon of caffeine-fueled scribbling. It’s not as polished as some other stuff from the era, but it’s got a weird pulse to it.
Honestly? It’s better than The Bellamy Trial if you’re looking for something that won’t bore you to tears. It’s just pure, unfiltered nonsense.
Also, the girl they rescue at the end? She has about three seconds of screen time. Don't get attached. 🌀