Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice (2014) adapts Thomas Pynchon’s novel of the same name (2009), bringing the author’s drifting, conspiracy-soaked tone into one of PTA’s most uninhibited films. Set in 1970 Los Angeles County, the hippie movement is in decline and slowly being reshaped by money, institutions, and a creeping sense that the party is ending—whether anyone is ready for it or not.

Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) is a perpetually-high private investigator whose instinct for kindness and truth survives despite the haziness. When his ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay Hepworth (Katherine Waterston) asks him to help untangle a plot involving her real estate tycoon lover, Doc is pulled into a complicated web of disappearances, cultish institutions, and a mysterious organization called The Golden Fang. As clues accumulate and coherence slips away, Inherent Vice becomes less a mystery to be solved than a trip to ride out.

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A gap between two houses looking out to the ocean.
A gap between two houses looking out to the ocean with the words
A woman looks up as the sun shines behind her.
A woman stands in a dark room.
A man lays on a couch staring out a window.
A woman leans against a wall in a darkened room.
A man stares at a woman offscreen while lying on his couch.
A man sits on his couch as a woman stares at him.
A woman stares at a man offscreen.
A man rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands.
A woman stands in a dark room holding a beer can.
A woman stares at a man offscreen.
A woman smokes a cigarette while talking to a man in his living room.
A man frowns at a woman offscreen.
A woman sadly and pointedly stares at a man offscreen.
A man puts a finger to his temple in contemplation.
Two people walk out of a home onto the street.
A woman climbs into a car looking back at a man.
A man watches as a car drives away.
A man watches as a car drives away offscreen.
A man stands on a dark street as the words
A man stands in a the middle of a dark street in front of a house.
Two men walk down a dark path towards some houses.
A group of people sit around a table in a restaurant.
A woman smiles at a man.
A man sits in a dark room with rag curls.
A woman sits in front of a mirror applying heavy makeup.
A small box tv plays an ad for
An ad for
People sit at small tables outside of a restaurant.
A man sits at an outdoor cafe table holding a newspaper and looking up.
A newspaper article reads
A doctor's office lobby.
A man stands at a doctor's receptionist desk.
A man walks down the hallway of a doctor's office.
A man stares.
A man stares at another man offscreen.
A man stares at another man offscreen.
A graph notebook with the words
Two men sit in a doctor's office.
A man speaks to another man smoking a cigarette.
A graph notebook with the words
Shot of a map of California
A man and woman sit in a car
Man drives car, passenger seat is empty
Man drives car toward a large group of bikers
Full shot of a car outside building
Man walks below hanging red flags
Man walks up to building, sign reads
Man looks out toward distance
Man waits at desk, next to him is a door with a drawing of a naked woman
Man watches two women kiss in front of door
Man walks toward back of room
Low shot of banner of red flags
Man lays down next to dead man
Man lays down as large group of policemen point guns at him
Man sits up in front of dead body
Police man in suit holds hands at waist
A cop sits across the table
A man stares across the table
A man wearing a red jacket stands at desk
A man speaks
Two men sit and look toward man across desk
Man drives car and eats chocolate covered banana, man in passenger seat looks out window
Man in passenger seat side-eyes man driving
Man on TV, screen reads
Man watching TV picks up phone
Man speaks on phone
Man speaks on phone
Man writes on rolling paper, text reads
Man rolls joint
Fade of a woman and a man smoking a joint
Man sits on couch and smokes joint
Man speaks on phone
Woman rests hand on fist, speaks to man offscreen
Man looks at woman offscreen
Woman passes photo to man
Man screams looking at photo
Man and woman look through photos
Photo of a man and woman kissing
Photo of man playing saxophone
Woman with baby girl
Man looks at woman
Man and woman hug
Man driving car fixes his hair
Woman in bathing suit walks toward camera
Man in suit watches woman offscreen
Woman in veil looks at man offscreen
Man stares wide-eyed at woman
Man and woman speak
Woman places cup on table, bends over in front of man
Shirtless man places hand on woman's shoulder
Man drinks beverage
Man gives side-eye to man offscreen
Man sneaks by bedroom
Man peeks into closet
Man goes through ties
Woman ties tie around man's neck
Man jump on cop car
Police man stomps on man
Man and woman sit on bench
Man and woman face each other
Man and woman walk
Man looks exasperated
Man sits with sunglasses on indoors
Two men sit on one side of desk
Man speaks to man
Man attempts to leave room, other men watch
Two men flip off man offscreen
Man lays down and smokes joint
Man sits up
Man reads paper, paper reads
Woman looks disgusted and bemused
Man holds piece of paper, paper reads
Paper reads
Woman speaks to man in fog
Man and woman speak
Two men speak in fog
Two men speak in fog
Man looks toward foggy abyss
Two men look out at a boat on the ocean.
Two men lay down on concrete.
Two men sit in a restaurant booth.
Two men sit in a restaurant booth.
A woman takes the orders of two men in a restaurant.
Two men talk in a restaurant booth.
A man talks to another man in a restaurant.
A man stares at another man in a restaurant.
A man talks on the phone while sitting in his living room.
A man looks out the window of his living room.
A boat on the water.
A woman stares while basked in a red glow.
A man stares out his window using binoculars.
Man on the phone sits with foot on the table
TV screen, text on tv reads
Man rolls joint and watches TV while woman lays behind him
Blurry man on TV
Man side eyes TV
Image of a man and woman smiling
Two men in car
Cars parked outside house
Two men walk into house
Woman speaks to man
Man looks through door at man in jacket with a swastika
Three people sit around a table
Two men look offscreen while man watches them through window
Man stares, man watches him through the window
Man wearing cowboy hat looks shocked
Men walk down foggy stairs
Man in cowboy hat points camera
A group of people sit around a table and reach for pizza
Man stares
Woman talks to man in car
Man smokes
Establishing shot of police station
Man gets pushed to ground by two police officers
Man walks through police station
Man eating frozen banana looks up
Man looks exhausted
Photo of men around a table eating pizza
Man speaks enthusiastically
Man sits in office and inhales laughing gas
Woman walks into man's office
Woman looks at man
Man looks crazed
Woman looks at man
Paper reading
Man fiddles with laughing gas machine
Man writes in notebook,
Woman inhales laughing gas
Man inhales laughing gas and stares
Man gets slapped
Woman and man walk into hallway, men in jackets with swastikas get up
Man and woman speak in front of receptionist
Man walks back to his office
Man sprays himself with cologne
Man wipes his foot with cologne
Car in driveway
Man gripping onto wall looks to the right
Postcard of beach placed on door
Woman with ocean behind her
Man looks at postcard
Woman walks into ocean
Man holds postcard up to lamp
Man at desk reads back of postcard
Woman's hands on Ouija board
Man holding sticks looks off screen
Woman speaks
Three people sit around Ouija board
Man and woman answer phone
Woman looks up
Man and woman leave
Man and woman run through rain
Woman walks on sidewalk barefoot
Man and woman look at each other
Man hugs woman in phone booth
Man reads postcard
A man walks down the sidewalk.
A man stands in front of a building.
A tall oddly-shaped building.
A man leans into a car through a window to speak to another man.
A man stands at building's lobby desk speaking to a receptionist.
A woman speaks on the phone as a man stands in front of her.
A woman leads a man away from her lobby desk.
A man walks into a spacious office.
A man sits at a desk staring at a ship in a bottle.
A man exits a small elevator in his office.
A man sits at his desk which displays the name plate
A pair of hands hold a business card.
A man snorts a drug up his nose.
Two men take drugs in an office.
A woman enters an office as a man stands staring at her.
A man runs out of his office with his pants pulled down.
A man walks into a dentist's office.
A shot of a woman talking plays over a shot of a man walking through a dentist's office.
A man runs through a building's front lobby.
A man re-enters an office.
A teary-eyed woman smiles at a man offscreen.
A teenage girl looks confusedly up at a man.
A man looks confusedly at a teenage girl.
A man and a teenage girl embrace each other.
An angry woman and a man holding a broken steering wheel enter an office.
A teenage girl hugs a man from behind him as he shields her.
Two men sit in the back of a car.
A teenage girl sits in the driver's seat of a car as a man sits next to her.
A man tries to help a teenage girl drive a car as a cop car flashes its lights behind them.
A cop holds up a flashlight and a gun.
A teenage girl leans out of a car window as bright lights shine behind her.
A man turns to glare behind him.
A cop looks into a car while holding a piece of paper.
A man sits in the back of a car as a bright light shines at him.
A man sits in the driver's seat of a car leaning out the window.
Fade between men in car and men writing on board
Man makes name chart on wall
Man smokes a joint on the phone
Man speaks on the phone while boy pours him a drink
Man reaches for papers in other man's hand
Man speaks
Man speaks
Man reaches for something, other man yells at him
Man speaks intensely
Man puts on hat and sunglasses
Man yells
Man and woman in car
Large building with cars parked outside
Man waves as other man gets out of car
A group of people in white suits around a table. Man leads man in black suit through crowd
Man side eyes something off screen
Man with wide-eyed stare
Theatre filled with people in white suits
Two men open curtains and look into theatre
Black and white film
Man watches film wide-eyed
Man watches film from behind curtain
Men watch ceremony in darkness
Men watch ceremony through open door
Drawing of naked woman on tie
Man stares
Man with a swastika tattooed on his face
Man looks at man next to him
People in white robes with pointy hats pray, one man looks up
Man mouths words
A group of people walk through lobby
Man ducks behind plants
Two men sit around a table drinking beer
Man's face slightly obscured by leaves
Man obscured by leaves and railing sleeps with his mouth open
Man gets up from behind plant
Man sleeps in chair, man creeps up in front of him
Man looks up with scared look on his face
Man smirks and waves with fingers
Man looks up dramatically
Fade between man looking up and newspaper clipping of man and woman smiling
Man and woman's photo in newspaper
Two men look at newspaper
TV playing, text reads
Man lays on the couch and watches TV
Close-up of police officer on TV
Man sits up on couch
Woman speaks to man off screen
Man speaks on the phone
Man speaks on the phone
Man speaks into phone
Woman walks with beer can
Woman speaks on the phone next to man
Man listens to phone and sips beer
Man sits back on couch
Naked woman looks at man
Naked woman smokes cigarette next to man on couch
Woman lays on couch and peeks over arm rest
Man comes up behind woman and kisses her neck
Man picks up necklace on woman's neck
Woman lays on man's lap
Man and woman walk on beach
Man looks at postcard looking very sad
Woman smiles at man
Woman looks up from her des
Man looks at woman off screen
Man side eyes woman off screen
Man gathers belongings, woman and man look at him
Man lights joint
Man looks through documents
Three men speak
Man smokes blunt
Man reads documents
Man sucks chocolate covered banana
Man eats frozen banana, other man looks behind him
A group of police officers walk around man on floor
Man beats up man next to car
Man walks away from car
Man enters room filled with different bats, woman holds the door for him
Man looks
Painting of a boat
Two men at desk, one man holds bat and rests legs on the desk, other man looks at him
Man looks at man off screen
Man walks into room, other man looks
Man starts smoking joint
Man smokes joint
Man is handcuffed to ceiling, other man sits and watches
Man looks at man, man in widow reflection is trying to free himself from handcuffs
Man hangs from ceiling climbs onto roof
Man pulls out knife reading
Man uses knife to unlock handcuffs
Sweaty man holds toilet cover by door
Man stabs man
Man looks up the stairs
Man points gun at man downstairs
Dead man lays on floor next to bat
Man points gun at car
Car with bright headlights
Two men in car, empty handcuffs hang next to man
Car parks outside garage
Man exits car, other man throws sticks at him
Man looks in car trunk
Several packages of drugs
Man sits at table surrounded by large packages of drugs
Man answers phone
Man looks up
Man picks up napkin, side eyes man next to him
Man speaks to man next to him
Two men sit at a table in a restaurant
Three people in car
Two cars face each other
Two women hand a piece of paper to a man
Man holds credit card reading
a group of people face each other, woman looks back
Girl flips man off
Man opens car trunk, other man watches
Man holding two bags walks to car
Two men in car
Man looks at other man
Man in car watches man and woman reunite
Man looks down
Man watches family reunite from car
Fade between family reunion and beach setting
A gap between two houses facing the ocean
Fade between houses and the ocean
The ocean
Fade between two men walking and the ocean
Two men walk along the edge of the beach/ cliff
Man smokes joint in front of couch
Man busts down door
Man in a suit stands with hands on hips
Man starts eating weed
Man looks at man in disturbed awe
Man starts eating off the plate
Man covers mouth with his hands
Man and woman sit in car, woman rests her head on man's shoulder
Man and woman sit in car, spotlight on man's eye
Text reading
Text reading
Text reading
Text reading
Text reading