Inherent Vice
In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend.
Critics Sentiment
Shasta Fay Hepworth visits ex-boyfriend Doc Sportello's beach house
Coy explains he's infiltrating Vigilant California as informant
The film drops significantly during the middle act as plot complexity overwhelms viewers, then rebounds with Martin Short's memorable dentist performance.
Inherent Vice starts strong with its atmospheric setup and character introductions, praised for Phoenix's performance and Anderson's distinctive style. The film struggles in its dense middle section as the labyrinthine plot becomes increasingly difficult to follow, causing reviewer fatigue. While individual moments like Martin Short's dentist and the Doc-Bigfoot dynamic are consistently praised, the overall experience divides critics between those who embrace its intentional confusion and those who find it impenetrable.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 100
Joaquin Phoenix
Larry "Doc" Sportello
Josh Brolin
Lt. Det. Christian F. "Bigfoot" Bjornsen
Owen Wilson
Coy Harlingen
Katherine Waterston
Shasta Fay Hepworth
Reese Witherspoon
Deputy D.A. Penny Kimball
Benicio del Toro
Sauncho Smilax, Esq.
Jena Malone
Hope Harlingen
Joanna Newsom
Sortilège, who is also the narrator
Jordan Christian Hearn
Denis
Hong Chau
Jade
Jeannie Berlin
Aunt Reet
Maya Rudolph
Petunia Leeway
Michael Kenneth Williams
Tariq Khalil
Martin Short
Dr. Rudy Blatnoyd, D.D.S.
Sasha Pieterse
Japonica Fenway
Martin Donovan
Crocker Fenway
Eric Roberts
Michael Z. "Mickey" Wolfmann
Serena Scott Thomas
Sloane Wolfmann
Christopher Allen Nelson
Glenn Charlock
Sam Jaeger
Agent Flatweed
Crew
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