Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
The Substance: Albert Hofmann's LSD
TITLE DETAILS

The Substance: Albert Hofmann's LSD

2011-11-17 · 90 min · ★ 6.9

Documentary

By coincidence rather than by design, the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann makes a sensational discovery in the spring of 1943. He realizes that he is dealing with a powerful molecule that will have an impact that reaches far beyond the scientific world. THE SUBSTANCE is an investigation into our troubled relationship with LSD, told from its beginnings to today.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Martin Witz
Production companies
Unavailable
Countries
Germany, Switzerland
Status
Released

Top Cast

James S. KetchumSelf

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Availability not listed for this country.

Recommendations

Room 237
★ 6.1
Room 2372012Documentary

A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

Night Will Fall
★ 7.6
Night Will Fall2014Documentary

When Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps in 1944-45, their terrible discoveries were recorded by army and newsreel cameramen, revealing for the first time the full horror of what had happened. Making use of British, Soviet and American footage, the Ministry of Information’s Sidney Bernstein (later founder of Granada Television) aimed to create a documentary that would provide lasting, undeniable evidence of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes. He commissioned a wealth of British talent, including editor Stewart McAllister, writer and future cabinet minister Richard Crossman – and, as treatment advisor, his friend Alfred Hitchcock. Yet, despite initial support from the British and US Governments, the film was shelved, and only now, 70 years on, has it been restored and completed by Imperial War Museums under its original title "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey".

The Kid Stays in the Picture
★ 6.6
The Kid Stays in the Picture2002Documentary

Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.

For Sama
★ 8.2
For Sama2019Documentary

A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice– whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
★ 6.8
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years1988Documentary

An exploration of the heavy metal scene in Los Angeles, with particular emphasis on glam metal. It features concert footage and interviews of legendary heavy metal and hard rock bands and artists such as Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Megadeth, Motörhead, Ozzy Osbourne and W.A.S.P..

78/52
★ 7.1
78/522017Documentary

The most famous murder scene in movie history comprises 78 camera settings and 52 cuts: the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. 78/52 tells the story of the man behind the curtain and his greatest obsession.

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off
★ 7.7
Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off2022Documentary

A wide-ranging, definitive look at Hawk’s life and iconic career, and his relationship with the sport with which he’s been synonymous for decades, featuring unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with Hawk and prominent figures in the sport including Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Neil Blender, Andy MacDonald, Duane Peters, Sean Mortimer, and Christian Hosoi.

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
★ 7.1
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession2004Documentary

A documentary on the Z Channel, one of the first pay cable stations in the US, and its programming chief, Jerry Harvey. Debuting in 1974, the LA-based channel's eclectic slate of movies became a prime example of the untapped power of cable television.

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer
★ 6.2
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer2010Documentary

An in-depth look at the rapid rise and dramatic fall of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.
★ 7.5
Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.2018Documentary

Drawn from a never before seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician who continues to shatter conventions.

Disclosure
★ 7.8
Disclosure2020Documentary

An investigation of how Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.

Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press
★ 6.0
Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press2017Documentary

The courtroom and publicity battles between the superstar wrestler and the notorious website explode in a sensational trial all about the limits of the First Amendment and the new no holds barred nature of celebrity life in an internet dominated society.

Welcome to Chechnya
★ 7.0
Welcome to Chechnya2020Documentary

This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ program raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a remarkable approach to protecting anonymity exposes this under-reported atrocity–and an extraordinary group of people confronting evil.

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind
★ 7.9
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind2018Documentary

A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, Robin Williams, told largely through his own words. Celebrates what he brought to comedy and to the culture at large, from the wild days of late-1970s L.A. to his death in 2014.

Facing Ali
★ 7.3
Facing Ali2009Documentary

Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.

Hated: GG Allin and The Murder Junkies
★ 6.6
Hated: GG Allin and The Murder Junkies1993Documentary

An overview of the life of the most shocking, vile, and notorious of punk rock legends.

Belushi
★ 7.0
Belushi2020Documentary

Using previously unheard audiotapes recorded shortly after John Belushi’s death, director R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature examines the too-short life of the once-in-a-generation talent who captured the hearts and funny bones of devoted audiences.

Dig!
★ 6.8
Dig!2004Documentary

A documentary on the once promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols. The friendship between respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor, escalated into bitter rivalry as the Dandy Warhols garnered major international success while the Brian Jonestown Massacre imploded in a haze of drugs.

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine
★ 6.6
Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine2015Documentary

When Steve Jobs died the world wept. But what accounted for the grief of millions of people who didn’t know him? This evocative film navigates Jobs' path from a small house in the suburbs, to zen temples in Japan, to the CEO's office of the world's richest company, exploring how Jobs’ life and work shaped our relationship with the computer. The Man in the Machine is a provocative and sometimes startling re-evaluation of the legacy of an icon.

Generation Wealth
★ 6.4
Generation Wealth2018Documentary

Over the past 25 years, Lauren Greenfield's documentary photography and film projects have explored youth culture, gender, body image, and affluence. Underscoring the ever-increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots, portraits reveal a focus on cultivating image over substance, where subjects unable to attain actual wealth instead settle for its trappings, no matter their ability to pay for it.

Similar titles

Satan in the Suburbs
★ 7.0
Satan in the Suburbs2000Documentary

Satan in the Suburbs tells the shocking story of a grisly ritualistic murder in the quiet bedroom community of Northport, Long Island in the summer of 1984. The killing, it soon emerged, was linked to a teen satanic cult. Perhaps more disturbing than the details of the murder itself was the revelation of a conspiracy of silence among the town's teenagers, many of whom had been aware of the, e killing in the two weeks before an anonymous call finally tipped off local police. 17- year-old Ricky Kasso was arrested and confessed to the crime; five days later, he hung himself in his holding cell. Kasso's friend Jimmy Troiano also. confessed, but was acquitted after jurors learned that he was beaten by local police. The murder shocked the local community and reverberated nationally, with some uninformed observers rushing to scapegoat rock music as the cause.

LSD
Not rated
LSD1967Documentary

1967 Navy training film MN-10507-A. Navy physician talks about the dangers of LSD or "Russian roulette in a sugar cube." National Archives Identifier: 6379 "How LSD was discovered, the extreme dangers of using it and how it affects the brain and body."

The Mind-Benders: LSD and the Hallucinogens
★ 7.0
The Mind-Benders: LSD and the Hallucinogens1967Documentary

This FDA film explores the history of hallucinogenic drugs, and specifically the effects and therapeutic uses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Combining graphics that suggest a hallucinogenic experience, snippets of interviews with users (who explain their reasons for taking the drug) and doctors, and taped sessions of research with volunteers, the film delves into the destructive as well as possible positive uses of the drug.

Mission Mind Control
Not rated
Mission Mind Control1979Documentary

Uncovering government agencies (especially the CIA) that secretly tested the effects of LSD on humans.

Pacific Vibrations
★ 3.3
Pacific Vibrations1970Documentary

Psychedelic surfer documentary. Also see http://encyclopediaofsurfing.com/entries/drugs-and-surfing

Beyond Kicks
★ 9.0
Beyond Kicks1972Documentary

In the early 1970s, a group of young volunteers, the Free Youth Clinic of Winnipeg, operated a "crisis bus" to rescue young people experiencing bad drug trips, usually from LSD.

A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin
★ 7.8
A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin2015Documentary

A New Understanding explores the treatment of end-of-life anxiety in terminally ill cancer patients using psilocybin, a psychoactive compound found in some mushrooms, to facilitate deeply spiritual experiences. The documentary explores the confluence of science and spirituality in the first psychedelic research studies since the 1970s with terminally ill patients. As a society we devote a great deal of attention to treating cancer, but very little to treating the human being who is dying of cancer.

High Landz
Not rated
High LandzDocumentary

High up in the Northern California mountains there is a place, where not too many get to visit. Its called - The Emerald Triangle, real mecca of Americas cannabis game. Follow a ukrainian journalist Luka on a journey that explores lifes of real growers and hustlers and the dangers that come with it.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Document LSD1962Documentary

A documentary on a conversation between one drug-induced individual with another sober partner.

Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
★ 7.0
Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out1967Documentary

5 psychedelic short films, broadcast on the French/German tv channel "arte" on 2007-07-16 "Be-In" USA 1967, 7 min "Beatles Electronique" USA 1966-69, 3 min "San Francisco" Great Britain 1967/68, 15 min. "Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable" USA/Great Britain 1967, 12 min. "Eyetoon" USA 1967/68, 8 min.

LSD: The Beyond Within
★ 5.5
LSD: The Beyond Within1986Documentary

This refreshingly frank and impartial study of the discovery and development of the notorious hallucinogenic drug is notably free of moral judgmental, and features contributions from such legendary heroes of psychedelia as Albert Hoffman - the Swiss scientist who discovered the drug - Aldous Huxley - author of 'The Doors of Perception' - Ken Kesey - author of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

The Reality of Truth
★ 4.3
The Reality of Truth2016Documentary

In this documentary, "Zappy" Zapolin interviews spiritual gurus, celebrities, and people of various faiths about the relationship between spirituality, religion, and psychedelics—in their beliefs and in their experiences.

The Psychedelic Experience
Not rated
The Psychedelic Experience1965Documentary

Experimental movie, where a man comes home and experiences LSD. His kaleidoscopic visions follow, with readings inspired by the Tibethan Book of the Dead.

The Shaman & Ayahuasca: Journeys to Sacred Realms
★ 4.0
The Shaman & Ayahuasca: Journeys to Sacred Realms2010Documentary

Filmed in the jungles of Peru, shaman Don Jose Campos introduces the practices and benefits of Ayahuasca, the psychoactive plant brew that has been used for healing and visionary journeys by Amazonian shamans for at least a thousand years.

Psyched Out
Not rated
Psyched Out2018Documentary

A documentary about psychedelics and psychedelic experiences

The Youth Drug Scene
Not rated
The Youth Drug Scene1970Documentary

A Cristian educational film that tells the story of a former drug addict, Mark Lindley, and his recovery through finding God.

The Astronaut is Unimpressed
Not rated
The Astronaut is Unimpressed2026Documentary

Young reporter Lewis Lapham is invited by Aldous Huxley to report on a trip he will never forget....

The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story
★ 7.9
The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story2003Documentary

The full bizarre, tragic but celebratory story of Syd Barrett, the co-founder of Pink Floyd.

Full step by step "Lysergic acid diethylamide" synthesis
Not rated
Full step by step "Lysergic acid diethylamide" synthesis2024Documentary

Full step-by-step LSD Synthesis steps

Better Living Through Chemistry
Not rated
Better Living Through Chemistry2021Documentary

In the 1970s, Dr. Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin significantly contributed to the development and psychopharmaceutical use of MDMA: a catalyst to personal doors entombed or unknown. His widow, co-author, and research partner, Ann—alongside friends, family, and colleagues—gives a guided tour of their life and laboratory, reflecting on how risks and revelations opened a world of compound enlightenment. Stippled with spirituality, sadness, and skepticism, the Shulgins’ chemical love story examines the power of psychedelic psychotherapy, sacred alchemy, and challenging the path of misunderstood resistance.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.