Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Inherent Vice

Play trailer 1:53 Poster for Inherent Vice R Released Jan 9, 2015 2h 28m Comedy Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 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.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice

What to Know

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (252) Critics Reviews
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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
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 Jacob B When they say “this book can’t be made into a movie” , it’s usually an exaggeration…but not this time. The brilliance and subversiveness and humor of the novel are left within the pages of the book. The performers are all top notch (especially a drugged up Martin Short chewing the scenery in his all too brief appearance) but the screenplay is incoherent and almost impossible to follow. The humor of the authors prose from the book, and even the feel of the era that he evoked so well in the pages of that door stopper of a novel, just doesn’t translate to the screen. A valiant attempt. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/25 Full Review thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, o filme nao tem cenas boas e relevantes, o elenco é fraco e nao ajudou em porra nenhuma, o protagonista que é o Joaquim phoenix tenta salvar o filme, mas não consegue. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/25 Full Review Stan N For sheer awkward, comedic and psychedelic entertainment, this movie is brilliant. Don’t try to analyse it, don’t try to solve it, just sit back and let it wash over you like thrums of a 70’s drug coming on (I assume🤷🏻), and enjoy… Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/25 Full Review Isa B Plenty of style and it doesn't lack substance, it just lacks coherence in the process. The laid back vibe of Doc and the overall setting provides a chill atmosphere. The viewing experience of Inherent Vice is enjoyable if you stop trying to make sense of everything. This is far from my favorite P.T. Anderson film, but I respect it. I love Martin Short in this picture. His is my favorite character as well as my favorite portion of the film. This film has quite the stacked cast and not the usual suspects of a P.T. Anderson movie. Overall, Inherent Vice is a good film. I do recommend. 84/100 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/06/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Inherent Vice

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
The Happytime Murders 23% 41% The Happytime Murders Watchlist TRAILER for The Happytime Murders Under the Silver Lake 58% 59% Under the Silver Lake Watchlist TRAILER for Under the Silver Lake Horns 41% 49% Horns Watchlist Baghead 79% 49% Baghead Watchlist Some Guy Who Kills People 78% 58% Some Guy Who Kills People Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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
Most Popular at Home Now