---
title: "Inherent Vice: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/inherent-vice/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/inherent-vice"
critics_score: 75
critics_reviews: 31
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Inherent Vice (2014): what the critics said

Critics' score 75 from 31 reviews: 22 positive, 6 mixed, 3 negative.

Most critics like Inherent Vice. The reviews lean clearly positive, with a handful of top marks and only three outright dismissals. Praise clusters on the performances: Joaquin Phoenix’s dazed, off-balance Doc is singled out again and again, and Josh Brolin’s Bigfoot nearly as often. Jonny Greenwood’s score and the period detail of late-1960s Los Angeles come up repeatedly, as does Anderson’s loose, comic handling of a plot that never quite comes together.

The reservations are about that plot, and nearly everyone has them. Even the warmest reviews concede the mystery is hard to follow and does not resolve; the difference is whether critics treat the haze as the point or as a failing. The spread is wide, from full marks to the low thirties. The Hollywood Reporter is the notable dissenter on Phoenix, finding him short on comic lightness where others find him the film’s chief pleasure, and The Wrap calls the whole thing detached and self-indulgent.

## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin

Rating 4/4. 5 October 2014. 

Cabin views the film as a lively, politically suggestive comedy about unreliable memories and the fading promise of the 1960s. He praises Anderson’s inventive direction and the actors’ playful, expressive performances.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/inherent-vice/)

## The AV Club — Ben Kenigsberg

Rating A. 11 December 2014. 

Kenigsberg finds the film a remarkably faithful and entertaining adaptation, praising Anderson’s deft handling of comedy and actors. He singles out the closing shot as pure bliss, while noting that some of Pynchon’s literary flourishes are missed.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/p-t-anderson-goes-back-to-the-70s-and-noir-themes-wit-1798182170)

## The Guardian — Xan Brooks

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2014. 

Brooks calls it a ramshackle triumph, praising its wild, funny journey through a disorienting late-1960s California. He singles out Anderson’s jubilant, freewheeling handling of the chaotic story.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/05/inherent-vice-review-joaquin-phoenix-paul-thomas-anderson)

## Evening Standard — David Sexton

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2015. 

Sexton finds the film challenging but increasingly rewarding, and recommends embracing its haze rather than demanding an immediately clear plot. He especially praises Joaquin Phoenix’s funny, gloriously good performance as Doc.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/inherent-vice-film-review-joaquin-phoenix-is-gloriously-good-10012700.html)

## Screen Daily — Graham Fuller

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2014. 

Fuller presents Anderson’s film as a dynamic, sophisticated powerhouse, giving it a strongly positive verdict. The accessible text singles out its dynamism and sophistication as its chief strengths.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/inherent-vice/5078287.article)

## Variety — Scott Foundas

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 October 2014. 

Foundas finds the film a richly funny, delightful stoner noir whose unusual, sprawling approach will not suit every viewer. He especially praises Josh Brolin’s wryly comic portrayal of the contradictory detective Bigfoot.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/film-review-inherent-vice-1201319339/)

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Rating B+. 4 October 2014. 

Kohn finds the adaptation muddled but endearing, with imperfections that deepen its appeal. He especially praises Joaquin Phoenix’s bewildered performance and Johnny Greenwood’s meandering score for capturing Doc’s fractured perspective.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-paul-thomas-andersons-inherent-vice-is-a-faithful-and-endearing-thomas-pynchon-adaptation-69388/)

## Little White Lies — David Jenkins

Rating 5/4/5. 30 January 2015. 

Jenkins finds the film buoyant and moving, though less wildly digressive than the novel. He praises its strange, layered love stories against a backdrop of political unease.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/inherent-vice)

## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2014. 

Sharkey finds the film funny, loose and accessible, with a lively adaptation of Pynchon’s intricate satire. She especially praises Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, which keeps Doc Sportello engagingly dazed and off balance.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-inherent-vice-review-20141212-column.html)

## Radio Times — Andrew Collins

Rating 4/5. 

The critic presents the film as a gloriously rambling detective yarn that should delight fans of New Hollywood and Thomas Pynchon. The review singles out Joaquin Phoenix’s performance and the lovingly recreated period look for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-iqtok7/inherent-vice/)

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 4/5. 4 October 2014. 

The printed four-star rating signals a positive verdict. The review text is unavailable, so no specific praise or complaint can be identified.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/inherent-vice)

## Total Film — James Mottram

Rating 4/5. 26 January 2015. 

Mottram finds the film a poignant, entertaining love letter to Los Angeles and the 1970s, despite its occasional meandering. He praises its superb period detail and Jonny Greenwood’s persuasive score.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/inherent-vice-review/)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2013. 

Nathan finds the film chaotic and difficult to follow but ultimately beautiful, haunting and singular. He praises its playful noir style, vivid comic invention and beguiling language.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/inherent-vice-review/)

## Sight and Sound — Nick Pinkerton

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2015. 

Pinkerton is more taken with this film than with any of Anderson’s work since Boogie Nights, though he notes its sprawling, anecdote-heavy approach may frustrate many viewers. He particularly praises the vivid supporting characters and the poignant memory of Doc walking with Shasta to Neil Young’s music.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-inherent-vice)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2014. 

Lane finds the adaptation both impressive and exasperating, praising Anderson for doing Pynchon proud while noting the mystery’s resistance to tidy resolution. He singles out Josh Brolin’s energetic comic performance as Bigfoot, though he wishes Anderson would sometimes escape the orbit of the novel and follow his own vision.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/12/15/swinging-seventies-3)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2015. 

Edelstein finds the film groovy, funny, and strange, though its mystery is incoherent and its filmmaking occasionally cold. He especially praises Joaquin Phoenix’s brilliant, witty, emotionally true performance.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/12/movie-review-inherent-vice.html)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the available text.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/nyff-2014-paul-thomas-andersons-inherent-vice)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2014. 

The page identifies a review of Paul Thomas Anderson’s *Inherent Vice*, but its text is unavailable. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/movies/inherent-vice-directed-by-paul-thomas-anderson.html)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 4 October 2014. 

McCarthy finds the adaptation uneven, with its sprawling mystery only intermittently achieving the novel’s comic energy. He praises the performances of Josh Brolin and Owen Wilson, but faults the film for its narrow portrayal of Los Angeles and Joaquin Phoenix’s limited comic lightness.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/inherent-vice-film-review-738136/)

## The Skinny — Philip Concannon

Rating ★★★★★. 19 January 2015. 

Concannon praises the film as an entrancing, richly layered expression of Anderson’s singular vision. He singles out its comic performances, hazy cinematography, narration, and wounded romantic heart.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/inherent-vice)

## Consequence — Dominick Suzanne-Mayer

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2014. 

The critic praises the film as a madcap masterwork, rich with comedy and pathos. They single out its wistful emotional depth beneath the surreal humor and excellent performances.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2014/12/film-review-inherent-vice/)

## /Film — Germain Lussier

Rating 9/10. 19 November 2014. Festival review. 

Lussier finds the film hilarious, quirky, and incredibly entertaining, though its unusual structure may divide viewers. He praises the stellar cast, especially Joaquin Phoenix, and notes that Anderson’s directorial style feels more muted than usual.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/534800/inherent-vice-movie-review/)

## Den of Geek — David Crow

Rating 4/5. 9 December 2014. 

Crow finds the film an intoxicating, affectionate portrait of a fading counterculture, despite its dense plotting and laid-back pace. He especially praises Joaquin Phoenix’s performance and the colorful ensemble of characters.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/inherent-vice-review/)

## HeyUGuys — Adam Lowes

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2015. 

The critic finds the film dense and sprawling but ultimately easy to fall for. They praise Anderson’s craftsmanship and faithfulness to Pynchon, along with Joaquin Phoenix’s performance.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/inherent-vice-review/)

## Paste — Jeremy Matthews

Rating 8.7. 10 December 2014. 

Matthews finds the film a compelling, mournful, madcap odyssey whose deliberate confusion can sometimes feel aimless. He praises the grounding dynamic between Joaquin Phoenix’s Doc and Josh Brolin’s Bigfoot.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/inherent-vice/inherent-vice)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2014. 

The page identifies this as Pete Hammond’s review, but the review itself is only referenced as a video. The available text offers no verdict or specific praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2014/12/inherent-vice-review-joaquin-phoenix-owen-wilson-pete-hammond-video-1201322667/)

## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 2 January 2015. 

The critic finds the film a unique, sprawling ride, though it is inaccessible and not Anderson’s funniest. He praises its colorful cameos, visual period detail, and dreamy atmosphere.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/inherent-vice-2014-film-review-by-owen-van-spall)

## The Playlist

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 4 October 2014. Festival review. 

The article is identified as a New York Film Festival review of the film, but its verdict cannot be recovered from the supplied page. No specific praise or complaint is visible because the page contains only anti-crawler text.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/nyff-review-paul-thomas-andersons-inherent-vice-starring-joaquin-phoenix-josh-brolin-owen-wilson-more-20141004/)

## Collider — Perri Nemiroff

Rating C. 5 October 2014. Festival review. 

Nemiroff finds the film exhausting and disappointing, with an overcomplicated mystery that never pays off. She praises its visuals, production and costume design, and score.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/inherent-vice-review/)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film confusing and less enjoyable than it aims to be. They praise its dreamy look and sound, and Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Doc.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-15889-319588)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2014. 

The critic finds the film detached and self-indulgent, with cartoonish characters that fail to engage. They praise a rain-soaked flashback sequence for conveying loss more effectively than the dialogue.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/inherent-vice-review-lots-of-sex-and-drugs-but-where-are-the-believable-people/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/inherent-vice.md