Biohacking receives the Super Size Me treatment in Ann Shin’s trippy documentary Smart Drugs.

Futurist Nik Badminton is a keynote speaker who is always on the move.  He enjoys staying busy (to an extent), but living by such a strict schedule has made him curious about enhancements that would allow him to “hack” his lifestyle.  Acting as a guinea pig for the documentary, Badminton experiments wth several supplements, medications, and methods that have been allegedly successful in expanding one’s cognitive control.

Shin (My Enemy, My Brother) and Badminton work closely with their subjects to best represent different alternative studies.  Booming companies like HVMN and Nootroo as well as organic entrepreneurs and specialists receive decent amounts of screen time to explain theories and processes that have led to their own breakthroughs.  However, Smart Drugs also gives Badminton a platform to be completely honest about his experiences.  Sometimes these solutions work, sometimes their duds, and occasionally his opinions will swap as he’s reflecting on the positive results or the irritating side effects.

Smart Drugs is an interesting documentary for mature audiences.  It’s light in tone which works very well with Nik’s charisma, but it doesn’t outright tell the audience a main take-away.  Shin’s film is not reckless because of this – Smart Drugs is a cautionary tale.  She understands the intelligence of her audience, and knows they can draw their own decisions from Nik’s (mis)adventures.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie