Trying to summarise Marcus Stokes’ 2024 psychological thriller “State of Consciousness” in a few words, one would say it feels like a cheap mixture of “Memento” and “Westworld,” offering very few memorable moments.
At first, I could not understand why Emile Hirsch’s acting looked so weak throughout the film, but it became clear that some movies are simply beyond saving, no matter the strength of the actors involved.
The script weakens the connection to the story, often shifting so suddenly that you almost feel like you have mistakenly walked into another movie entirely. Still, there is a bit of improvement in the later stages as the storyline becomes easier to follow. Because of this slight recovery, those who enjoy psychological thrillers might still find it worth watching once.
Trust vanishes quickly when memories blur and enemies close in (Photo: State of Consciousness/Swank Motion Pictures)State of Consciousness (2024) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:
The beginning of the film shows Stephen and Alicia being intimate in a bedroom scene, and by the next morning, Stephen complains of a strange headache. As he resumes duties at his shop, a police patrol car parks right outside.
Stephen, thinking they need fuel, approaches them, but when trying to process their request, one officer notices an old-fashioned car inside the garage. When asked if it belongs to him, Stephen says it was dropped off by someone for repairs before the person travelled to Mexico.
The police demand to see the car’s papers, but Stephen cannot provide any documents. Matters worsen when another officer finds a dead body in the boot of the car, leading to Stephen’s immediate arrest.
Monique, the lawyer assigned to him, reveals that all the evidence strongly incriminates him, and the chances of avoiding conviction are slim. Upon investigation, Monique discovers Stephen’s past struggles with mental health issues from his military service, which she presents in court, convincing the judge to place him under medical supervision pending his recovery.
What Happens After Stephen is Released from the Hospital?
Stephen undergoes treatment under Dr. Fielder, who warmly introduces him to both the hospital staff and other patients. Although he initially feels safe and welcome, things take a dark turn when some nurses pin him down and inject him with something mysterious.
After losing consciousness, Stephen wakes up to find that a staggering eighteen months have gone by and he is now cleared to return home. Reuniting with Alicia, who greets him warmly, Stephen reopens his shop, only to encounter a biker gang speeding past.
Later, Lester arrives to buy fuel, and the same gang reappears, this time stopping to glare at Stephen suspiciously. When Lester asks if Stephen knows them, he denies any acquaintance.
Shortly after Lester departs, the gang storms the shop, assaulting Stephen and demanding a large sum of money they claim he stole. Their leader, Lazlo, presses him repeatedly, but Stephen remains confused, having no memory of the supposed theft.
After the gang leaves the shop in ruins, Stephen wakes up inside his house, finding no visible evidence of any break-in or fight. Despite Alicia’s insistence that skipping his medication is causing his hallucinations, Stephen feels something more sinister is happening.
As days pass, he experiences terrifying visions involving a device implanted in his head and notices strange distortions while reading. Trouble escalates when the gang returns, and this time, Lester is killed. Just when Stephen faces death, he suddenly sees himself and Alicia standing outside the shop.
What does Stephen find out inside the Hospital?
Following repeated strange experiences and witnessing multiple deaths, including his own, Stephen is visited again by Dr. Fielder. She offers him a deal: if he agrees to take the pill, she will allow him to go back to the hospital.
Pretending to swallow it, Stephen hides the pill instead. Later, he meets Toby Sinclair, who claims to have been his longtime best friend, though Stephen cannot recall him.
When Stephen checks Toby’s book, he notices the same glitches he saw before. Dr. Fielder soon realises that Stephen is avoiding his medication, which actually helps him distinguish fantasy from reality.
By then, events spiral out of control. Stephen kills both Toby and Fielder, but after these killings, he encounters Alicia and ends up shooting himself. Yet again, death does not come, and Stephen wakes up on an operating table where Fielder is attempting some procedure on him.
Managing to escape, he finds a secret room filled with recordings of his past life. After abducting Fielder, Stephen learns he has been used in an experiment meant to reform criminals by creating artificial realities.
What does Stephen learn from Alicia?
Returning to the house, Stephen uncovers a shocking truth: the real owner of the home is Lester, who also reveals that ‘Lester’ is not his real name. Convinced that Alicia holds the answers, Stephen travels to a church in Mexico where she used to worship as a child. There, the full story unfolds—Alicia confesses to her involvement with a cartel, and that Lazlo is deeply connected to their activities.
Stephen finds out that he and Toby were once close friends involved in drug dealing. Problems started when Stephen himself became addicted. Toby, wanting no part in Stephen’s downfall, distanced himself.
Meanwhile, Stephen had an affair with Alicia, Toby’s girlfriend at the time. Together, Alicia and Stephen plotted to steal from Toby, and though Toby caught them, he let them go with a warning never to return. But when Stephen’s pride was bruised by Toby’s mercy, he reacted violently, stabbing Toby to death.
Afterwards, Stephen and Alicia imprisoned the real Lester and took over his house. As the present timeline catches up, Lazlo seeks revenge for Toby’s murder, but Stephen kills him first and accidentally kills Alicia as well. With no idea what is real anymore, Stephen flees, knowing the latest deaths are real.
What Does Dr. Fielder Actually Do to Stephen?
When Stephen eventually returns to the hospital, Dr. Fielder is waiting. She reminds him that he is central to her experimental project and that she will do anything to keep him involved.
State of Consciousness pulls viewers into a fog of betrayal and lost time (Photo: State of Consciousness/Swank Motion Pictures)Through simulations of people from his past—Alicia, Lester, Toby, and Lazlo—she tries to create alternate realities where Stephen might turn out better. Yet, she fails to predict how deep Lazlo’s trauma would sink him.
It appears Stephen never truly left the hospital, except during the escape when he abducted Fielder. The memories of living in Lester’s house, running the shop, and being with Alicia were all fabrications.
Every interaction with familiar faces was orchestrated inside his mind. Whenever he refused the pills, glitches in his vision hinted at the artificiality of his surroundings. The medication likely acted as a tool to reinforce the illusion. Although this concept is rich with potential, poor direction prevents it from reaching full strength.
The film leaves many questions unanswered. When Stephen mentions that everything is coming back to him, it suggests he now understands the full picture and Dr. Fielder’s intentions.
Whether he kills her or takes his own life remains open to interpretation. Choosing death would mean repenting for his crimes and the guilt Alicia’s death triggered. On the other hand, if he kills Fielder, it could be seen as freeing others from unethical experiments.
A third route could be Stephen choosing to stay, working alongside Fielder because he has nowhere else to turn. After fighting so hard to uncover the truth, he realises there is nothing left for him outside the hospital’s walls.
