Drugs are bad, m’kay? Oh, is that an oversimplification? Well, how about this one. The condescension of an overseas American experiencing “culture” is one of the ugliest things they can do. Also a bit too simplistic? Then perhaps you’ll agree that nudity from someone that’s very confident of their body can be off-putting. Still nothing? Well, at least we can all agree that sometimes nature can be beautiful and dangerous. After all, that’s where drugs are derived from, right? Oh, have I gone too far again? Or perhaps … not far enough?

Crystal Fairy, from director/writer Sebastián Silva, takes you on a off-putting journey of self-discovery and meandering pointlessness. American abroad Jamie (Michael Cera), a manic, drug-obsessed oddball living in Chile with a friend, Champa (Juan Silva, one of the director’s brothers), is about to take a trip with him and his brothers (also Silva’s brothers) to a beach and take mescaline from the San Pedro cactus, which grows somewhere nearby. But before they leave, a high and strung out Jamie meets an equally odd girl named Crystal Fairy (Gaby Hoffmann), a neo-hippie chick who’s high on life and drugs. Jamie inadvertently invites the girl along, although when he’s sober, he entirely regrets the decision. Michael Cera plays Jamie as incredibly unlikable, making hideous faces that the camera focuses on, complaining and pushing everyone else around. Crystal has her own issues, including an off-putting yet brave willingness to shed her clothes, and a very new age way of looking at the world. She has that more pretentious hippie way of pushing people around, acting empathetic yet condescending, as though she knows it all already. The Chilean brothers are really just along for the ride, just enjoying those two very strange Americans. But Jamie gets increasingly frustrated and aggressive with Crystal as he pushes the agenda of taking mescaline, and he seems not to realize what an ass he’s being. Perhaps he might learn something about himself by the movie’s end.

This is a weird movie — there are elements that get close to that drug-inspired haze, but never really get you in that sort of mindspace, despite the actors actually taking drugs while filming. Their reactions seem real enough, but the setup is frustrating. Jamie and Crystal are just so annoying that their eventual revelations and changes feel like you just can’t be bothered to care. A highly charged emotional scene near the end of the movie nearly makes up for this problematic first half, but that’s just one aspect to consider. The good news is that everyone’s acting something fierce here, with Michael Cera and Gaby Hoffmann taking bold risks with their roles. The Silva brothers provide highly needed straight man roles, with easy, low-key charisma and the capability to raise laughter when you’re wincing at something Jamie’s done. This is a very divisive sort of movie that I can’t wholeheartedly recommend, because it’s very artsy and can be difficult to watch.

But perhaps if you’re in the mood for something a bit weird and bizarrely diverting, this may just fit the bill. Just try not to cover your eyes at the really embarrassing bits.

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