Inherent Vice

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Inherent Vice

R

Released Jan 9, 2015

2h 28m

Comedy

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

252 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In a California beach community, private detective Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) tends to work his cases through a smoky haze of marijuana. One day, Shasta, a former lover, arrives out of the blue to plead for Doc's help; it seems that Shasta's current beau, rich real-estate tycoon Mickey Wolfmann, has a wife who may be plotting to commit him to a mental hospital. When Mickey and Shasta both disappear, Doc navigates a psychedelic world of surfers, stoners and cops to solve the case.

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Critics Consensus

Inherent Vice may prove frustrating for viewers who demand absolute coherence, but it does justice to its acclaimed source material -- and should satisfy fans of director P.T. Anderson.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

If I'm going fawn over a puzzling film, I'd rather it be something like Inception or The Matrix, movies that entertain me but also provoke so much thought and analysis that I can't take my mind off it.

Sep 1, 2017

Full Review

Katie Kilkenny

The Atlantic

If the adaptation's a little too faithful to sustain a cinematically tight story, there's still a lot to admire in the sheer, uninhibited folly of the whole thing, the gall to get groovy while the Oscar-watchers are on high alert.

Jul 19, 2016

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

After a decade spent making two films that are like pressure cookers, Anderson was clearly ready to blow off some steam.

Jun 18, 2016

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Diane Carson

KDHX (St. Louis)

“Inherent Vice” works best as a “go with the flow” experience. To enjoy, it calls for surrender to its irreverent mockery and its illogical juxtapositions

May 21, 2024

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…the fun here is in collecting the salty, elusive details, not what they add up to…

Rated: 3/5

Aug 20, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

It wants the viewer to experience it more than understand it, and the experience proves a hallucinatory, often hilarious, and fulfilling one as both entertainment and carefully constructed comic art.

Rated: 4/4

Jul 13, 2022

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stephen b

Felt like it was trying to recreate the Big Lebowski with just too many twists and turns that the editing couldn't make it coherent.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

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Chuck D

A slow burn that takes a while to get its hook in your mouth, but PTA delivers in the end.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

Full Review

chris

Took me a week of on and off watching to finish this slop that is called a movie. Great cast gone to waste on this boring movie that was way too long. The movies script is all over the place rarely making sense.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

Full Review

BJ M

Comedy, mystery, thriller - yes, all that and more. This entertains and takes you to a different world. Well done. Well acted. Well worth a watch. And vastly underrated.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/22/25

Full Review

Leprechaun K

This is probably the worst PTA film. PTA movies have always been inconsistent in terms of quality. More misses than hits, but when he strikes, it leaves a mark, with instant classics like There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights. This movie is a hot mess. Main character is as dull as a doorknob. Plot is so convoluted and hard to follow, I couldn't tell you what it was really about. It was so long and boring, the only thing I was focused on was the runtime. One star is really for Brolin's performance. Don't waste your time with this one.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/02/25

Full Review

Horror fan 4

What a disappointment. With a stellar cast you'd think this would've been great. The story sucked and the movie was way to long. I turned this movie off. I couldn't finish it. Tim Treakle

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/05/25

Full Review

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Paul Thomas Anderson

Director

Joaquin Phoenix

Doc Sportello

Josh Brolin

Bigfoot Bjornsen

Owen Wilson

Coy Harlingen

Katherine Waterston

Shasta Ray Hepworth

Reese Witherspoon

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Inherent Vice: 'Paranoia' Trailer

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Inherent Vice: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In a California beach community, private detective Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) tends to work his cases through a smoky haze of marijuana. One day, Shasta, a former lover, arrives out of the blue to plead for Doc's help; it seems that Shasta's current beau, rich real-estate tycoon Mickey Wolfmann, has a wife who may be plotting to commit him to a mental hospital. When Mickey and Shasta both disappear, Doc navigates a psychedelic world of surfers, stoners and cops to solve the case.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer: Paul Thomas Anderson, JoAnne Sellar, Daniel Lupi
Screenwriter: Paul Thomas Anderson
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Ghoulardi Film Company, Joanne Sellar
Rating: R (Graphic Nudity|Drug Use Throughout|Language|Sexual Content|Some Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 9, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 17, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.1M
Runtime: 2h 28m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby Digital

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