We’re returning to Paul Thomas Anderson’s filmography for the first time in years with Inherent Vice (2014), a pot-fuelled, bumbling detective story that plays as equal parts mystery, comedy, and fever dream. Joaquin Phoenix stars as private investigator Doc Sportello, stumbling his way through a tangle of crime, corruption, and shifting culture in 1970s Los Angeles. The film features a stacked supporting cast including Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Benicio del Toro, and Reese Witherspoon, all adding to the charm in different ways. We unpack its offbeat tone, surreal humour, and perhaps deliberately convoluted plot, debating just how effectively PTA balances it all in this uniquely strange ride.

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