There’s a word that not many would have heard of – ‘psychonaut’. These are a subset of people intent on exploring the vast caverns of the mind, be it through drugs, shamanic experiences, or even plain old meditation.
In the new Netflix show The Midnight Gospel, our protagonist appears to be one of these psychonauts, albeit he projects his exploration outwards, onto other galaxies.
Clancy, our titular character and an illegal spacecaster, travels the multiverse and speaks to inhabitants of worlds that are destined for imminent destruction. If none of that made any sense, don’t worry, it may never.
It’s not just the visual exuberance that pulls you in, it’s also the profound conversations Clancy brings out in his interactions with the cosmos.
The hypnotic quality of repartee in this show is something else, it’s almost like a stream-of-consciousness poetry slam, but without feeling forced.
The Midnight Gospel is basically a series of epiphanies, many of which will reverberate with your beliefs and how you view life itself.
Does it pander to fans of the psychotropic? Most definitely, but it also makes up for over-the-top tie-dye with substance. It’s created by the same person who made Adventure Time, so if you’ve watched that, you’ll be a little better prepared.
The hyper-psychedelic animation, like a brilliant technicolour shower, is a feast for the senses that stops just short of becoming overpowering.
If you’ve always wondered what it feels like to look through a kaleidoscope on acid, well – this show is your answer.
All in all, the show is a real trip, and I mean that in the most literal sense of the word. Who needs drugs, am I right?