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Inherent Vice
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Inherent Vice

2014
Romance
Comedy
2h 28m
In Los Angeles in 1970, drug-fueled detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend. (imdb)
Directed by:
Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson
Written by:
Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson Thomas Pynchon
+1 more
Starring:
Reese Witherspoon Reese Witherspoon Owen Wilson Owen Wilson Josh Brolin Josh Brolin Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Phoenix Jena Malone Jena Malone Benicio Del Toro Benicio Del Toro Martin Short Martin Short Eric Roberts Eric Roberts Martin Donovan Martin Donovan Katherine Waterston Katherine Waterston Sasha Pieterse Sasha Pieterse Hong Chau Hong Chau
More
Genres:
Romance, Comedy, Drama, Crime
Country:
USA
Languages:
English, Japanese
imdb More information at IMDb
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Inherent Vice

2014
Romance
Comedy
2h 28m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 56.72% from 2475 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

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barthalenBarthalen
Rated 17 May 2015
63
42nd
An anti-Lebowski, trading in the positive/amusing aspects in the concept 'drug- addled loner wasting his life doing whatever' for a melancholy sense of disconnect and irrelevancy. The Coens made the lifestyle look fun, PTA now makes me feel crappy for falling for it. Anyhoo, the plot's a convoluted mess leading nowhere, and while that may be the point it sure didn't elevate this to anything remarkable. Cast is fun but the characters are just.. there. A rewatch is needed, but unlikely to happen.
Rated 17 May 2015
theficionadotheficionado
Rated 20 Feb 2015
100
97th
Its incoherence its fundamental quality, IV is about epistemology, how we know what we think we know. It's the paranoia cinema of the '70s, conspiracy-ridden, filtered through the perspective of a character whose grasp of empirical reality is untenable & detecting skills questionable ("Something Spanish"). It's about the insularity of sign systems, in which events are rendered "meaningless out of context, & too meaningful within." Does anything happen in this movie? Maybe. We'll never know.
Rated 20 Feb 2015
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 09 Jan 2015
10
96th
A film about families and people reuniting and that feeling of really missing someone; "having the little kid blues". There's a deep sense of regret and pain when looking back on this era, yet there's also a tremendous warmth for the characters and their absurd comings and goings. Plus, it's savagely funny. This back and forth between deep melancholy and madcap humor is a difficult balancing act but PTA makes it look easy, which is possibly the film's greatest success. So good. Go see it.
Rated 09 Jan 2015
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 19 Jan 2015
5
43rd
I feel like I've missed something now just as I did while I was watching it. PTA is the absolute man, I just couldn't get absorbed into this absoulte mumble fest.
Rated 19 Jan 2015
dylanwilson6dylanwilson6
Rated 19 Jan 2015
65
38th
Maybe I'm just not smart enough, but I don't know what the hell happened through most of this movie. The acting is great and it really does look great like some people have pointed out, and the story seems good....but that can only carry you so far. I just finished the movie not knowing what the hell happened and what it was all about, maybe that's the point but I just couldn't enjoy it as much as I was trying to make sense of things.
Rated 19 Jan 2015
tsynitsyni
Rated 24 Feb 2015
65
34th
Wasted potential. It was a nice looking film, and it always felt like it was just one step away from clicking. Brolin was as good as I've ever seen him, and Phoenix was also great, but...nothing really worked. It's unfortunate because PTA is one of my favourite directors.
Rated 24 Feb 2015
hsncrspywlhsncrspywl
Rated 31 Jan 2015
98
98th
A perfect adaptation, capturing the spirit and tone of not just Pynchon's writing but also the experience of his prose - imagery washing over the viewer, high on detail but low on comprehension, until over the course of the story things start to make sense - at which point the themes just leave you elated and resigned at the same time. Lush, grainy film, amazing costumes, a woozy score, and a wonderful ensemble cast with Phoenix/Brolin tying it together with inspired performances. A total dream.
Rated 31 Jan 2015
laikalaika
Rated 02 Feb 2015
85
89th
Or In(co)herent Vice? Honestly I can't say I grasped everything here, but with a journey this mesmerising I didn't mind too much either. Delightful, intriguing and amusing in equal measure.
Rated 02 Feb 2015
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 02 Mar 2017
79
72nd
Dense and impenetrable, Inherent Vice submerges you in the world of a perpetually blazed detective, and for the most part it works. Certainly gets the feeling of being completely stoned out of your mind right. Yet it doesn't really click on a deeper level, and seems like it's holding back something that could have made it brilliant. Phoenix disappears into his acting, and I loved Brolin's increasingly hilarious role.
Rated 02 Mar 2017
pyrosexualpyrosexual
Rated 01 Feb 2015
60
12th
I really don't see it. The writing felt really lazy to the point of being groanworthy in many parts, particularly the cornball narration which was nowhere near as amusing as the cornball narration in The Big Lebowski. I went into this without a thought of that film in my head, but by the end I couldn't shake the feeling that PTA was trying really really (way too) hard to make something of comparable cool. And while he's not as talentless as Leo or anything, Joaquin is still pretty underwhelming.
Rated 01 Feb 2015
imnotlaughinimnotlaughin
Rated 08 Jun 2018
60
60th
By half-way through the film, I had become convinced that the whole project was to capture the way that everything falsely seems connected when firmly in the grip of a psychedelic trip. By three-quarters of the way through, I realized my error and understood the whole movie as a cautionary tale about capitalism and Western society. Now that it's over, I must confess that I have no idea what I just watched. Not even sure how to judge such a result. Mind not blown, but certainly melted a bit.
Rated 08 Jun 2018
twincinematwincinema
Rated 13 Mar 2022
60
35th
Sometimes I revisit films I disliked only to realize that I was wrong. Then I yell at my former self for being so stupid in not being able to see a film's greatness. In this case, I don't dislike it, but it's my least favourite PTA. More like, Incoherent Vice. As someone who is terrible with remembering names, this film is a literal nightmare. Had to keep going back to my whiteboard to remember who the character of Doc was.
Rated 13 Mar 2022
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 02 Feb 2015
7
94th
THE LONG GOODBYE via THE MYSTERY OF THE LEAPING FISH is pretty much the best idea for a movie ever let's face it
Rated 02 Feb 2015
prowlerprowler
Rated 13 Sep 2015
88
91st
Joaquin Phoenix should get a hundred oscars for this one. An unrelentingly fun and brilliant movie, The Big Sleep for the 21st century. On my second viewing I wanna try it in black & white.
Rated 13 Sep 2015
cclxndrcclxndr
Rated 24 Jan 2015
80
65th
Short to say, this is a drug-induced ride and not a movie for one who needs constant coherence to appreciate. PTA masters the long take, pulling in cartoonish faces and attending to disconnected thoughts turned into dribbling garble. Notably is the phenomenal camera work, which somehow captures the unfilmable: intense disarrayed haze of someone lost in a looping conspiracy-driven hangover. And of course, Phoenix rises to the occasion. A groovy, neo-noir time piece that only PTA could whip out.
Rated 24 Jan 2015
comepeliculacomepelicula
Rated 20 Sep 2015
80
87th
Paul Thomas takes us into this intricate story and world in a great way, a classic noir structured film with a great setup in hippie California of the 70s. The performances are superb with star after star showing up, also the cinematography is fantastic. This movie is like a serious Big Lebowski and I loved both movies.
Rated 20 Sep 2015
kasperlKasperL
Rated 03 Feb 2015
80
86th
As in Pynchon's equally enjoyable* novel, the plot doesn't really lead anywhere. It's all about the zeitgeist details and the colorful characters - Phoenix's Larry "Doc" Sportello is part Elliott Gould's Marlowe and part Jeff Bridges' The Dude - the funniest of which being Brolin's Bigfoot. It's the kind of movie world ('Jackie Brown', 'The Big Lebowski') to which one gets an irresistible urge to return once in a while, just to hang out with its cool and mellow occupants. * (perhaps even moreso)
Rated 03 Feb 2015
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 12 Oct 2021
80
72nd
Brain fog put to screen. A helluva good time too.
Rated 12 Oct 2021
ecitizeneCitizen
Rated 29 Jun 2015
80
83rd
Joaquin Phoenix was in rare form as the unlikely stoner detective. Josh Brolin's was way over the top, uptight & hostile. Owen Wilson stunk. Eric Roberts was subpar. The plot and delivery was wild. Strange enough to kept us engaged. Weird from start to finish. All the ladies were awesome, especially Jena Malone, Reese Witherspoon and OMG Katherine Waterston nude, rubbing herself & getting spanked! The characters and plot was odd, exciting & interesting. I'll definitely have to watch it again.
Rated 29 Jun 2015
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 13 Jan 2015
92
92nd
Anderson succeeds at adapting Pynchon by staying resolutely true to the author's surreal wackiness while accentuating an underlying nostalgic pathos that could only be his own. While not quite my favorite Anderson film, it works brilliantly as an older, wiser (?) companion piece to Boogie Nights (as well as being his The Long Goodbye in a filmography partially dedicated to Altman homages). Frankly though, the Phoenix/Donovan monologue-off would be reason enough for me to love this.
Rated 13 Jan 2015
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 25 Dec 2014
80
91st
I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but I came out of the theater going "wow". I haven't read the Pynchon novel, but for Anderson I'm sure it's the most far out thing he's ever done. It's a 1960's set film noir taking cues from David Lynch, Big Lebowski and maybe Brazil, and you'll have a tough time following until you mellow out and accept its psychedelic confoundment as a matter of tone, mood and sensual effect. It's painstakingly directed and the soundtrack is fantastic.
Rated 25 Dec 2014
bofbof
Rated 11 Jan 2015
84
91st
This isn't "Big Lebowski". It's "The Last Picture Show". America expands to the west coast, and with nowhere left to go, thinks it grows up. "Inherent Vice" has to pass itself off as a stoner comedy detective noir, because it's a lament for a world where the marketers won. And other phrases, dig?
Rated 11 Jan 2015
karamazovkaramazov.
Rated 23 Jun 2016
5
5th
That he is a singular talent makes me give Anderson a lot of slack, even when the quality of a particular movie is quite varied. Then we get this gaping-ass -nothing- of a film. The first Pynchon adaptation ever, and it's this unimaginative, visually bland [no risk whatsoever of speaking hyperbolically here], lazy [seemed like nearly every line was quoted verbatim, and almost always delivered abysmally, fucking up the timing of all the jokes, etc.], near interminable turd? Just embarrassing.
Rated 23 Jun 2016
koalafishKoalafish
Rated 25 Feb 2015
70
68th
Oh man, I'm so high right now. I have no idea what's going on!
Rated 25 Feb 2015
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 23 Mar 2015
80
40th
A remarkably faithful adaptation of Pynchon at his worst. The source novel is bad Pynchon, full of superficial caricatures, shambling dialogue, and jittery glimpses of brilliance. Anderson does a fine job here, capturing the flawed tone of the book perfectly. And of course, he creates some wonderful shots.
Rated 23 Mar 2015
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 20 Jan 2015
81
64th
Very good film with enough fun moments and compelling mystery to keep things interesting, but much as I wanted to love it there was something about it that kept it from coalescing. I think it's mostly the pacing and a bit of the line delivery that made it feel languid. At least some of that is clearly intentional but it kept me from engaging.
Rated 20 Jan 2015
grapeshinegrapeshine
Rated 11 Jan 2015
61
35th
Seriously, what did I just watch?
Rated 11 Jan 2015
funkyastroFunkyAstro
Rated 15 Jan 2015
95
97th
I loved this. This psychedelic noir takes place on the beachside of Cali and requires your undivided attention (sometimes even less) from credits to credits, then just when you think, "Okay I got this" you realize there's nothing to get. Not only is this movie non-stop but it's hilarious (where the hell is the "Comedy" tag?) and the soundtrack is so inducible you would have thought Tarantino mastered it. Everyone in this shines but the exchanges between Phoenix and Brolin are most notable.
Rated 15 Jan 2015
antidood1antidood1
Rated 29 Jan 2015
50
17th
Hard to follow, easy to not give a shit about.
Rated 29 Jan 2015
obdurateObdurate
Rated 09 Jan 2015
85
80th
A shaggy dog detective tale with a plot that is confusing but not really important. You could try to follow it but it'll be difficult and you'll be frustrated because it sets things up to not give you what you want. Great performances all around, a great style and atmosphere. The comedy works; it ranges from slapstick to more clever gags, and while the work isn't as "important" as some other PTA films... neither was the book. It was pulp literature. Movie should have been shorter though.
Rated 09 Jan 2015
seethruskinSeethruskin
Rated 26 Jan 2015
6
95th
Luv u Martin Donovan
Rated 26 Jan 2015
yiannosYiannos
Rated 22 Dec 2015
53
32nd
Anderson's rambling Cali-noir achieves the borderline impossible: it's more incoherent than the Pynchon novel on which it is based. But a concern for linearity is not the point here; it' s a film about tone and mood and seems more concerned with authentically recreating a feeling of time and place than narrative. It's so loose in its story telling approach that it makes The Master look like a plot driven film by comparison. Shame that PTA is neither Altman or Fellini.
Rated 22 Dec 2015
ratedarghratedargh
Rated 11 Jan 2015
100
97th
Vibe. As it washes over you, you just need to accept it as it is. Old Doc will take you on a rambling adventure through a smoky haze intertwining with low lives and high hopes. And while it won't work for every soul who walks down its halls, those who are enchanted by its reveries will have found a lifelong friend.
Rated 11 Jan 2015
helfen419helfen419
Rated 19 May 2015
70
39th
I love pretty much every Paul Thomas Anderson movie I've seen so far, but it seemed like it was trying to be like Chinatown but the story wasn't nearly as good or well presented. Also, I had to put the subtitles on because I had no idea what Joaquin Phoenix was saying.
Rated 19 May 2015
lexlex
Rated 24 Feb 2015
95
91st
Feels like a culmination of all the styles Anderson played with in his previous films and he pulls it off terrifically. The movie is just fun. It's just as disorienting as The Master but the whole time it's just having fun and absorbing you in its surreal drug-fueled world filled with its endearing drug-fueled characters. Its greatest truths are in its fantastic visuals and character interactions, not the intentionally hazy, confusing plot. Just put it on, sit back, enjoy and rewatch.
Rated 24 Feb 2015
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 08 May 2015
40
19th
PTA, why have you forsaken me?
Rated 08 May 2015
kramyessevKramYessev
Rated 07 Feb 2015
74
69th
Decent (PTAs worst by a large margin,) but the most interesting aspect comes from the real world and the problem with modern audience's fear of ambiguity & demand for coherence. Reports of PROFESSIONAL CRITICS walking out, seemingly because they can't process large amounts of information at a fast rate? I liked the film, but now I hate people (more.)
Rated 07 Feb 2015
superargoSuperargo
Rated 18 Jan 2015
56
38th
Wanna know the best way to catch this movie's vibe? Smuggle a joint into the theater with you. It's impenetrable, terminally self-indulgent, deliberately shambolic and annoyingly interminable. But...it is well made, I suppose, kinda, and Phoenix digs into his role admirably. Worth seeing if you're a fan of the director, the main actor, Katherine Waterston's private parts, and/or insane pseudo-experimental up-its-own-ass late-60's arthouse cinema.
Rated 18 Jan 2015
judo_koalaJudo Koala
Rated 13 Feb 2015
90
97th
A brilliant, hilarious experiment in narrative fracturing, suffused in surreal humour that requires you to ride on its own wavelength. Colours pop out in shots crafted of striking composition, and things you never noticed the first time around--a phrase uttered here, a quick glance there--reveal the depths to which the film contains nuggets in its densely composed images. Greenwood's subtle but psychedelic soundtrack concretizes the hallucinogenic atmosphere. MULTIPLE VIEWINGS REQUIRED, TRUST ME
Rated 13 Feb 2015
clark_novaClark Nova
Rated 11 Jan 2015
40
15th
Life is too SHORT to for this shit
Rated 11 Jan 2015
djrossdjross
Rated 13 Apr 2015
50
44th
Had good things but not funny or interesting enough. Perhaps I was too tired.
Rated 13 Apr 2015
3drevelation3dRevelation
Rated 22 Feb 2015
70
47th
Pales in comparison to both PTA's better works and Pynchon's source novel. Also doesn't stack up to comparable films like Altman's The Long Goodbye or the Coen's The Big Lebowski. The narrative isn't as well presented as in the novel (given I can see how it would be hard to adapt), and everything else is decent but not superlative. Right now my least favorite of PTAs films, but it could grow on me a bit.
Rated 22 Feb 2015
jenner1407jenner1407
Rated 18 Feb 2015
80
49th
If the point of this film was to recreate an in-joke of a Pynchon novel shrouded in a seedy, candy-colored California marijuana cloud, in turn both batty and melancholy, then well done, Mr. Anderson. Perhaps best seen as a celluloid fever dream about America's final, post-Manson loss of innocence at the turn of the decade...But beyond that, I'm still as confused as Doc Sportello. Maybe THAT's the point, man.
Rated 18 Feb 2015
nolanNolan
Rated 03 Jan 2015
9
95th
Possibly Paul Thomas Anderson's best movie. And that's saying a lot. If you're the kind of person who needs total coherence while watching a movie, this probably isn't for you.
Rated 03 Jan 2015
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 12 Oct 2015
62
39th
There's a lot to love. The comedy and the performances are really excellent. But the plot was just so convoluted and confusing. I imagine re-watching this would raise its score quite a bit, but I guess that remains to be seen. I get the sense that PTA is doing that thing that really hot girls do when they get ugly haircuts. He knows he can make great and accessible movies, but now he's trying to challenge himself and see how indecipherable his movies can get while remaining worth seeing.
Rated 12 Oct 2015
radumsmnradumsmn
Rated 13 Feb 2022
84
95th
Such an amazing PTA feature even though it could have trimmed some good 30 minutes off. Did not finish it in one go, but when it was done I wanted more, so I guess I will have to see it several times.
Rated 13 Feb 2022
dougiedDougieD
Rated 11 Jan 2015
90
81st
PT Anderson knocks another one out of the park with a challenging, hilarious and sometimes disturbing march through a 1970's LA where drugs rule the day. Comparisons will be made by some to The Long Goodbye and Big Lebowski, but it really only applies on a surface level. This is a drum that moves to its own unique beat. A film that requires you to surrender to its world. Plot threads that seem relevant become asides and it ends up being mostly about the journey.
Rated 11 Jan 2015
nothingsgoodNothingsGood
Rated 17 Jan 2015
80
89th
Acid Noir.
Rated 17 Jan 2015
ephedrinephedrin
Rated 29 Nov 2015
60
57th
Too complex for me. But I like style.
Rated 29 Nov 2015
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 09 Jan 2015
5
91st
Pynchon's humor and densely woven conspiracy narratives lose something when translated to a feature-length film, but PTA nails the humanism and melancholy at the center of his novels. As a die-hard Pynchonian, I'm just giddy that even one of his lesser works managed to make it to the big screen, and with a large measure of success. Like most Pynchon and PTA, I expect it to benefit from age.
Rated 09 Jan 2015
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 14 Dec 2015
5
93rd
I'm not familiar with the source material, but for me this film's strongest-felt influences are Robert Altman (of course) and David Lynch. The swaths of characters who come and go, the conversational text and performances; these are consistent elements of Anderson's work. But Inherent Vice's greatest strength is that it underplays the dot-connecting particulars in favor of sheer personality and good humor. Comparable to other antithetical P.I. films like The Long Goodbye and The Big Lebowski.
Rated 14 Dec 2015
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 02 May 2015
2
11th
i couldn't get through more than an hour of this. boring beyond belief. abysmal dialogue, and aesthetically there's not even a hint of psychedelia. i could think of a thousand movies i would rather watch on acid.
Rated 02 May 2015
chemical404chemical404
Rated 04 May 2015
69
80th
As anyone who read his books knows, adapting Thomas Pynchon onto the big screen is a loosing game for any director. As a PTA fanboy for years I agree with those saying that this is his worst movie to date. But then again, this adaptation could be worse in a thousand ways. Seeing Joaquin Phoenix on-screen is always a pleasure, and while the plot might seem self-contained, it is rather fun psychedelic journey.
Rated 04 May 2015
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 11 Jan 2015
8
82nd
A typical PTA movie in that it warrants multiple rewatches. It's almost as funny as Boogie Nights and just as weird as Magnolia. Has a great soundtrack and another great score from Jonny Greenwood. The first scene with Joaquin and Josh Brolin has quickly become one of my favorites. Also, it's like the opposite of Intervention aka it really makes you want to do drugs.
Rated 11 Jan 2015
bagarbjorneBagarbjorne
Rated 20 Jan 2015
55
22nd
Very difficult movie to rate. While it is really confusing and at times just plain weird, the tone and style of it still makes it worth a watch.
Rated 20 Jan 2015
guvolefouguvolefou
Rated 06 Mar 2015
83
85th
Kimin eli kimin cebinde tarzı bir polisiye gibi izlemenin büyük hata olacağı, 60'ların "özgürlükçü" ruhunun 70'lerin gelişiyle duvara çarpışını alttan alta çok iyi aktaran bir film. Can'den Vitamin C'yle açılıyor, daha ne olsun. P.T. Anderson Amerikan'ın en iyi aktif yönetmeni olabilir.
Rated 06 Mar 2015
xacviantxacviant
Rated 18 Jan 2015
88
85th
P.I. Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself caught up in a mystery involving his ex (Katherine Waterston), his nemesis (Josh Brolin), neo-Nazis, and something called "the Golden Fang". It's all very convoluted, not least because Doc is usually high as a kite. Story takes a back seat to colorful characters and the early 70s millieu, but a melancholy undercurrent grounds it in emotional reality. Another great PTA film, the first Pynchon adaptation; entire cast, especially Brolin, is superb.
Rated 18 Jan 2015
auhasarderikauhasarderik
Rated 25 Jan 2018
7
61st
'dude wheres the plot?' very deliberate and controlled and yet PTA finally goes for the Altman effect. It's his most relaxed movie, but that's not a lot to say, and there's still barely a sign of inner life, just a hint of melancholy.
Rated 25 Jan 2018
randallodimRandallODim
Rated 12 Jan 2015
85
77th
Change your hair, change your life.
Rated 12 Jan 2015
feublofeublo
Rated 07 Jan 2022
80
57th
A fitting adaptation for PTA. Could’ve speculated Pynchon influence in early works as well. Names are all interesting and relevant to the characters paranoia. “Doc” heavily dependent on his drug escape, is a reliable PI that still deals with the struggle of old love. Even “Bigfoot,” the Lt. with his authoritative role but makes visible his paranoia with a simple gesture as eating the popsicle. I’m sure it’s atmosphere has a great testament to the novel I’m excited to explore.
Rated 07 Jan 2022
stradivariusStradivarius
Rated 23 Dec 2014
93
95th
A hell of a lot of fun. The narration (at times) was the only negative point for me, otherwise, it was a complete experience.
Rated 23 Dec 2014
corleoneCorleone
Rated 04 Feb 2015
60
45th
Intriguing start mumblemumblemumble haha josh brolin is hilarious mumblemumblemumble OH MY GOD THAT SCENE IN THE RAIN IS GORGEOUS, I'M WAKING UP mumblemumblemumble the end ;/ PTA didn't score this time, but will still revisit after reading the book
Rated 04 Feb 2015
vinegarbobVinegarBob
Rated 09 Jan 2015
85
89th
Captures the times brilliantly in a meta sort of way, and Phoenix is a joy to watch. Don't go into this expecting to figure out what's going on and you'll be fine - just go along for the ride.
Rated 09 Jan 2015
wezzoWezzo
Rated 08 Feb 2015
64
15th
I'm not gonna sit here and act like I know better than Paul Thomas freakin' Anderson, but man.. He had to know that a lot of people would think this was a bit of a mess, right? So many scenes work well in isolation, and there's a great atmosphere, but I have to admit, I got lost in this puzzling mass of story more than once.
Rated 08 Feb 2015
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 13 Dec 2014
90
84th
As a huge Pynchon fan I can firmly say this is not Inherent Vice the novel. This is a much darker beast, in which every joke is uneasy, and the melancholy nostalgia and paranoia of the text become a full blown character (literally embodied by the specter/hallucination who rides shotgun with Doc for most of the film). Josh Brolin delivers the performance of his career.
Rated 13 Dec 2014
frederikaFrederikA
Rated 04 Feb 2019
65
58th
P. T. Anderson's Big Lebowski. Though neither as funny nor memorable.
Rated 04 Feb 2019
zioZio
Rated 27 Jan 2015
90
82nd
Anderson is arguably the greatest living American filmmaker, and if Magnolia and There Will Be Blood didn't prove that enough, Inherent Vice will. Adapting Pynchon him for the big screen is no easy task, yet this movie feels effortless. Phoenix is amazing as the stoner detective Doc and Brolin's deadpan cop Bigfoot might be one of the best comedic performances in recent memory. The movie never really tries to make sense, it is as stoned as the main character, but it's a hell of a ride.
Rated 27 Jan 2015
zipsterZipster
Rated 18 Jan 2015
65
8th
Incoherent Vice is more like it. It's not hackneyed or obvious like American Hustle, but shows another gifted filmmaker sullying an otherwise immaculate filmography by taking a self-indulgent trip back to the '70s crime scene, pretending to mine some profound pertinence from it when all that remains from the rambling and unnecessarily overlong head trip is an ultimately silly and irrelevant work of admittedly unparalleled stylistic technique. God, nobody wanted to love this movie as much as me.
Rated 18 Jan 2015
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 28 May 2016
85
87th
The paranoia of 70's Hollywood is perfectly projected in a mess of comedy, tragedy, and nonsense that only PTA or a depressed pair of Coen brothers could deliver. A requisite second or third viewing is a common suggestion in all reviews, but one would not be faulted for not wanting to dive back into the 2.5 hour task. Not my favorite in PTA's canon, but no less impressive.
Rated 28 May 2016
charlieCharlie
Rated 20 Feb 2015
75
69th
Might have to watch it again. Don't know if I will. It is quite a weird journey.
Rated 20 Feb 2015
sirrobbieSirRobbie
Rated 06 Aug 2015
80
81st
Take "the Long Goodbye" and "Big Lebowski", add some Vitamin C and you got youreself a good movie.
Rated 06 Aug 2015
damildamil
Rated 05 Jun 2015
65
54th
I didn't really feel this one. It's hard for me to pinpoint exactly why, but I don't think the complex plot, which was hard to follow, really helped. There are a lot of characters, and I just didn't really keep up with it all. This isn't necessarily the film's fault, but there it is. The performances are good, but I didn't think any of them really stood out. The '70s setting and style were nice. Yeah, I don't know, it just didn't work for me.
Rated 05 Jun 2015
actionbergActionberg
Rated 11 Jan 2015
70
49th
I'm being harsh on this work because it's got these pockets of awesome filmmaking surrounded by boring nonsense. I would have bought more into the incoherence of it all if it didn't slow down every ten minutes after showing some fantastically zany setpiece. Anderson doesn't put his foot to the floor and as a result the inconsistent tone, regardless of whatever homage it was paying, made me glaze over more than once. The instances that were obviously just lifted prose didn't really grab me either
Rated 11 Jan 2015
farsheedFarsheed
Rated 27 Mar 2020
20
6th
surprisingly awful. Anderson's only bad picture.
Rated 27 Mar 2020
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 06 Sep 2019
85
90th
PTA's best is exhilarating in its abundance of style and features a cast of intensely difficult characters sold by incredible performances (Martin Donovan...Owen Wilson...). Perfectly captures the addicting confusion of Pynchon.
Rated 06 Sep 2019
matthew_parkinsonMatthew Parkinson
Rated 08 Jan 2015
70
77th
Inherent Vice is a film that you don't even need to try to follow, since you won't be able to and since the plot is ultimately irrelevant. It's about the mood, the setting, the absurdity, and the performances. Trying to follow the detective story is fruitless. It didn't need to play for two and a half hours, and its incoherence will frustrate a lot of people, but Inherent Vice is funny enough to work as a comedy and contains at least one performance -- Joaquin Phoenix's -- that you need to see.
Rated 08 Jan 2015
ippeiIppei
Rated 11 Jun 2016
35
3rd
I was thoroughly confused and couldn't fully enjoy this because of it. It felt like the book would have been amazing and translating this to a film lost some of it. Had an incredible cast, all of whom do a great job but when you struggle to follow the plot, like I did, it didn't really matter.
Rated 11 Jun 2016
walkearthwalkearth
Rated 06 Oct 2017
75
88th
2. I had not clue what was going on. Apparently that's the normal reaction that people had when they saw the film which makes me feel a little better about myself. After delving into various content on the internet about the film, I can proudly state that I got one thing right about the film - it begs for a second watch. The ensemble cast is superb and unforgettable too.
Rated 06 Oct 2017
ronthedogronthedog
Rated 04 Mar 2016
83
70th
Does a very good job of appearing like a Thomas Pynchon novel in film. Trouble is, I don't much care for Thomas Pynchon novels as novels..
Rated 04 Mar 2016
karlsonkarlson
Rated 06 Jul 2019
65
31st
A slowpaced, postmodern-ish, absurdistic (parodic? pastiche-driven?) setup for thick-grinning slapstick and sudden outbursts of behavior: two things I happen to be a fan of. A slowpaced, postmodern-ish, absurdistic (parodic? pastiche-driven?) setup is still nothing more than a slowpaced, postmodern-ish, absurdistic (parodic? pastiche-driven?) setup: a far too long sentence for the word boring.
Rated 06 Jul 2019
susie_mauvesusie-mauve
Rated 16 Oct 2016
88
75th
vvvvviiiibrant! also,
Rated 16 Oct 2016
dommulldommull
Rated 14 Aug 2023
70
54th
A very unusual film that's grown on me with reflection. It somehow manages to parody both stoner movies and neo-noir detective movies, and these threads come together remarkably well. It manages some very funny moments with an incredibly unique sense of humour. Its ending, in line with the worst crime mysteries, would usually be deeply dissatisfying and frustrating to me, but I trust PTA sufficiently to know that this is very much deliberate, and I actually find it hilarious.
Rated 14 Aug 2023
cowfrappecowfrappe
Rated 21 Dec 2014
70
58th
Sometimes very funny but more often just unfocused.
Rated 21 Dec 2014
chengmingchengming
Rated 21 Sep 2018
80
87th
Fantastic colors, characters and places, but just drags on a little bit too long.
Rated 21 Sep 2018
harmonicaHarmonica
Rated 23 Dec 2015
88
88th
Unravelling truth/heartfelt delusions. The PTA/Phoenix partnership underpins what could have been an insurmountable challenge for others - a lead actor placing full trust in his director's ability to keep all the plates spinning, whilst he dives headfirst into Pynchon's chaotic drug-fueled adventure. Thus Inherent Vice is not only witty, freewheeling entertainment, but resoundingly humanist - PTA's beautiful and painterly shot composition anchored around the hazy-melancholia of Phoenix's 'Doc'.
Rated 23 Dec 2015
mspraguemsprague
Rated 10 Jan 2015
80
85th
Moto pannukakku! Groovy! The story can be confusing but watching Joaquin and Josh is very entertaining. It's another one of those films full of interesting and entertaining supporting cast. Lot's of quirky crazy characters. Loads of fun!
Rated 10 Jan 2015
kito1kito1
Rated 21 Feb 2017
60
47th
Confusing and messy, which is funny at times in this film - but then other scenes are just stretching the patience too much. Overall not very rewarding.
Rated 21 Feb 2017
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 08 Mar 2015
7
57th
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/289/b/b/it__s_something_by_rober_raik-d4czhxe.png
Rated 08 Mar 2015
neonmanNeonman
Rated 09 Feb 2015
74
48th
If you don't have your ears open during the muddled softly spoken dialogue, you may just miss out on a nugget of the plot. Getting lost in the convoluted, but (I'm guessing) tight script is the film's strength and weakness -- it's fun, but it can also be self-indulgent of the film, even giving it a feeling of being too clever for the audience. Groovy atmosphere to the film (even if it's technical aspects aren't as impressive as what we've previously seen from PTA)
Rated 09 Feb 2015
groovysoulsGroovy_Souls
Rated 29 Mar 2015
80
73rd
Despite the sometimes painfully conveluted story, Inherent Vice rings through as a cinematic triumph for Mr. Anderson. It sports interesting characters, amazing cinematography and direction, and great acting from all of the cast. The plot is strong, yet the way its told is hard to follow, and it gets points deducted for that, yet it is still an awesomely strong movie. Really liked it.
Rated 29 Mar 2015
yotsugiYotsugi
Rated 14 May 2021
80
31st
No idea
Rated 14 May 2021
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 05 Dec 2014
95
93rd
Viewed December 4, 2014. The greatest drug nightmare ever put on the screen - or, at the very least, the most enjoyable - leaps into action with Can's "Vitamin C" and just fuckin RIPS for two-and-a-half hours. A delightfully and headspinningly bizarre film that goes all over the place but never ceases to surprise and entertain. Drawing upon films like The Long Goodbye and Head, Paul Thomas Anderson succeeds in creating a beautiful tapestry of the end of an era. Joaquin Phoenix is superb.
Rated 05 Dec 2014
burrrburrr
Rated 29 May 2018
71
36th
70.00+.50 = 70.50.
Rated 29 May 2018
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 10 May 2015
71
84th
I have to think this would have resonated further if there was no such thing as The Big Lebowski. Not to say that it mimics, but the surreal investigation by a dopey P.I. rings familiar. That being said there is a bit more grit to this, and the humor not as flamboyant in most cases. The cast is familiar and for the most part, stellar, in particular Brolin.
Rated 10 May 2015
stewballStewball
Rated 14 Dec 2014
70
54th
I put this one below "Magnolia" (9/10), but still well above that abomination, "The Master" (2/10). It looks like they actually used a script this time, but I'm still wondering if some of Phoenix's unintelligible mumblings were scripted or not (those are going to give the subtitle guys for the foreign versions and the DVD, fits). Of course the film involves heavy use of drugs on screen as well as off I'm sure. The humor was a mix of clever sight gags and ironic dialogue mixed in with what I'm as
Rated 14 Dec 2014
muutanetmuutanet
Rated 18 Apr 2015
77
77th
A skilful director built with well chosen actors strong scenes though the story was lacking an easy follow plot.
Rated 18 Apr 2015
staryarabbistaryarabbi
Rated 17 Mar 2015
65
47th
I couldn't get into this movie. Maybe it's because that particular movie doesn't contain the general themes of Anderson, I mean contentwise, or maybe I should have read Pynchon before the movie. That's why it seems glamourous and stylish but at the end I was detached from the story.
Rated 17 Mar 2015
fra_paolofra paolo
Rated 17 Jun 2015
69
78th
The ending lacked focus, but the rest of the film is a good trip down Parody Lane.
Rated 17 Jun 2015
kavuKavu
Rated 15 Mar 2015
83
79th
A collection of brilliant scenes that form a very incoherent whole. I guess that was the whole point, but it does subtract from the enjoyment a bit.
Rated 15 Mar 2015
dmcrimsonDMCrimson
Rated 21 Jan 2015
73
19th
This is exactly what I feared as a Pynchon fan: a completely impenetrable plot with little fun to be had by following the movie's progression. There's good reason for The Big Lebowski comparisons. That movie did a far better job weaving interesting characters, world-building, a shaggy-dog plot, and actually funny comedy. I can't wait to dive back in Lebowski's internal world and Internal Vice's made me tap out. Great cinematography though.
Rated 21 Jan 2015

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