The cinematic inspirations behind the psychedelic episode of Reservation Dogs Season 2

Speaking to Deadline, director Blackhorse Lowe, along with actors Kirk Fox and Zahn McClarnon, explained the cinematic inspirations behind This Is Where the Plot Thickens and its psychedelic journey. According to Lowe, he hopes the episode will have a similar impact to the works of Alejandro Jodorowsky, particularly 1970s “El Topo” and 1973’s “The Holy Mountain.”

“Both really shook my sensitivity to understanding the use of psychedelics in cinema,” the director explained. Notably, both films contain parallel elements to portions of This Is Where the Plot Thickens. For example, the group of cultists that Big and Kenny Boy encounter in the woods are reminiscent of the cultists that the hero of “El Topo” encountered, while the visions and flashbacks of Big’s experiences throughout his journey capture some moments from ” The Holy Mountain “appear to mirror” (although they’re not as surreal or absurd).

According to Fox and McClarnon, Lowe has also screened a film called The Night Before. Although McClarnon describes it as a 1970s film, the film in question is likely the 1988 Keanu Reeves film of the same name.

However, since most of the “Reservation Dogs” episode is a classic tale of unlikely buddies, one of whom is a cop, buddy cop movies were also heavily referenced during filming. While Fox says those influences didn’t really bother him, he explained, “Everyone around us was referring to the buddy cop movies, whether it was ‘Lethal Weapon’ or ’48 Hours,’ because there was no denying it, that what they saw was something they could relate to.”

New episodes of Reservation Dogs air Wednesdays on Hulu, and with only two more episodes remaining in Season 2, fans are sure to be excited to see where else the creative team can take them.