The behaviour of the human being at the end of its tether is the common denominator of all drama. An uncommon denominator creates the drama in COLOUR OUT OF SPACE, Richard Stanley’s psychedelic psychodrama based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story of the same name.

Nicolas Cage plays Nathan Gardener who has moved his family to the rural property he has inherited from his father. His wife, Theresa (Joely Richardson) is dealing with the trauma of mastectomy while struggling to maintain her high powered business from the boondocks beset by insufficient internet service.

Nathan has invested in alpacas, his eldest daughter, Lavinia, practises witchcraft, his eldest son has discovered weed, and the baby boy of the family is the cheery innocent of the disparate family.

Into their troubled idyll, a meteorite crash lands in their property, emanating a strange illumination of curious colour that causes psychosis and physical metamorphosis.

COLOR FROM OUT OF SPACE gives Cage ample room to do his trademark decent guy descent into hell shtick without any real stretch, leaving it to a couple of his co stars to steal the show.

Madeleine Arthur impresses as the strong willed Wicca practitioner who literally sees the light for what it is – a coruscating evil systematically devouring her family.

Tommy Chong makes a welcome return to the screen as hermit stoner and surveillance expert, whose deadpan delivery create much needed portals to the chortles.

And Josh Waller triumphs in the trope role of shit for brains sheriff, dumber than a deputy, a law enforcement liability, as protective as a failed prophylactic.

Co written by regular collaborator Scarlett Amaris, COLOUR OUT OF SPACE is an hypnotic, hallucinogenic experience that, at 111 minutes, becomes horologically hampered, an over extension into the extraordinary.