In the 1950s, young introvert Andy works at his father Frederick's ice rink following the institutionalization, lobotomization, and presumed death of his mother. After Frederick dies suddenly on the ice, Andy encounters family friend Dr. Wallace Fiennes, the man responsible for his mother's lobotomization. He invites Andy to travel with him, having Andy act as his photographer, journalist, and assistant. The duo travel from asylum to asylum, Wallace performing lobotomies while Andy reluctantly documents. At night, Andy repeatedly attempts to contact his mother's spirit using a planchette. On one occasion, Andy meets a woman who tells him that her daughter Susan is a patient at their next destination. There, they meet Jack and his daughter, Susan. Jack requests that Wallace perform a lobotomy on Susan, who has been exhibiting rebellious behavior. While Wallace preps his equipment in the other room, Susan seduces Andy and they start having sex. Wallace interrupts them, then performs the procedure. Later that night, Andy sneaks out and hitchhikes back to Jack's house, where a drunken Jack rants about life and art in a mixture of French and English. While initially unresponsive, Susan displays affection towards Andy after he touches her. At the next institution, Andy watches as an insubordinate patient is dragged across a hallway by hospital employees. Andy repeats the behavior, destroying his chair and shouting the same expletives as the patient before being restrained. Wallace questions Andy, during which he reveals Susan was his first sexual encounter, he believes his dreams are real, and that his attempts to contact his mother's spirit have been successful. Andy is subsequently lobotomized. Wallace drops Andy off at Jack's home and departs. Andy and Susan attend one of Jack's New Age music therapy sessions. Andy takes Jack's car and drives Susan down a snowy mountain road. When they reach the peak, Andy gets out and stands in the snow, shivering.
The film received generally mixed reviews following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, though Goldblum's performance as Dr. Fiennes earned universal praise. Eric Kohn of IndieWire praised the film, saying it is the "warmest and most inviting work from a director who traffics in an acquired taste." Guy Lodge, writing for Variety, wrote that "Alverson's serene affectations serve a stern, stark thesis about our evolving understanding of mental health, as well as America's dubious romanticization of its heartland." Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian was less enthusiastic, commending Jeff Goldblum's supporting turn and finding aspects of the film "rather brilliant" but that it ultimately "succumbs to a rather banal inability to decide where to take the story." The film currently has a 65% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 48 reviews, with a weighted average of 5.82/10.
