Inherent Vice

Part noir, part psychedelic romp, Inherent Vice follows private eye Doc Sportello as he surfaces out of a marijuana haze to watch the end of an era in late-1960s Los Angeles. Thomas Pynchon's comic detective tale puts a dope-smoking sleuth at the center of a city unspooling into something new. It's been a while since Doc has seen his ex-girlfriend, but she suddenly appears with a story about a plot to kidnap a billionaire land developer she claims to love. Pulled into a maze of conspiracies, shifting loyalties, and drug-fueled confusion, Doc trawls L.A.'s fringes to separate motives from misdirection while learning how often 'love' leads to trouble in this unsettled moment.