The Alchemist Cookbook certainly isn’t for everyone, even diehard horror fans. The strange, guttural sounds he hears in the woods become more frequent, and his disappointment at his plan’s failure leads him to delve deeper into his book to conjure the demon he believes is nearby. When Cortez forgets medication for his cousin’s unnamed illness, however, Sean begins to lose his already tenuous grasp on sanity. The only other human in the film is Sean’s cousin Cortez (Amari Cheatom), who brings him food and supplies, despite doubting his ability to succeed in his get-rich-quick (or not so quick) scheme. Terminally “indie” in its approach, it strives for realism in portraying the mundane events of the everyday life of main character Sean (Ty Hickson), a gawky, reclusive young man who moves to a trailer in the middle of the woods, where, using a mysterious book, he conducts chemistry - or rather, alchemy - experiments in an attempt to get rich by manufacturing gold. Its uniqueness makes the film worthwhile viewing, but it’s a trying experience that demands patience and a high tolerance for watching protracted scenes of a disheveled man eating and drinking sloppily. It stands out from the bulk of today’s genre movies due to its unconventional style - essentially a one-man show, with a slow pace, ambiguous content, minimal dialogue and even more minimal plot - but when you factor in the lead being African American, it’s pretty much one of a kind. The Alchemist Cookbook is a challenging film that defies categorization it’s part horror, part drama, part comedy and all quirky.