Magic, psilocybin or psychedelic mushrooms are more popular than ever. After being used for years recreationally, they've caught on for their therapeutic benefits over the last few years with cities voting to decriminalize possession and Oregon expressly permitting medicinal use. They're being studied at Johns Hopkins to manage PTSD and opioid withdrawal.
With that said, we present movies that have featured mushrooms in some form, generally employed for the purpose of altering the film's plot. Still, such themes and scenes are pretty rare, far fewer than LSD.
CelebStoner's Top 21 Shroom Scenes in Movies, from A to Z
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
In this famous Disney movie, Alice eats two mushrooms during an encounter with the Queen of Hearts, Shrunken to just three inches in height, she soars to 10 feet tall.. But when Alice insults the Queen, she returns to her tiny size.
Directed by Clyde Geronomi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
In this contemporary remake, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) walks through the mushroom forest with the White Rabbit and the Tweedles. The clip above shows the making of the forest. It also includes the hookah-smoking Caterpiller asking Alice, "Who are you?"
Directed by Tim Burton; also starring Johnny Depp
Altered States (1980)
Dr. Eddie Jessup (William Hurt) travels to Mexico to take a psychedelic concoction most likely including psilocybin, and ends up on a powerful trip. He brings it back to the U.S. and eventually transforms into a wolf.
Directed by Ken Russell; also starring Blair Brown
Cooties (2014)
When Rick (Jorge Garcia) trips in his van, a giraffe winds up in the passenger seat. "Are you on shrooms too?" he asks the oversized African mammal.
Directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion; also starring Elijah Wood
Fabulous Fungi (2019)
This National Geographic-style documentary by Louis Schwartzberg extols the power, beauty and utility of mushrooms, "the magic beneath us."
Fantasia (1940)
In this Disney classic, seven mushrooms do a "Chinese Dance" during "The Nutcracker Suite." The shroom caps resemble traditional Asian conical hats and the figures have slits for eyes.
Segment directed by Samuel Armstrong
Greta & Hansel (2020)
Greta (Sophia Lillis) and Hansel (Samuel Leakey) stalk wild Amanita mascaria. They both eat caps from the poisonous fungi.
Directed by Oz Perkin
