10 Amazing Movies That Are Total Nonsense

Paul Thomas Anderson took a page out of The Big Sleep's book with his adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel Inherent Vice, a stoner detective story that's absolutely best enjoyed as a hazy shaggy dog tale rather than a mystery worth trying to unravel.

This is certainly a characteristic of Pynchon's general writing style, and though Inherent Vice is one of his more "accessible" works, Anderson nevertheless leans hard into the story's loosey-goosey grasp on logic.

Expecting consistency from Larry "Doc" Sportello's (Joaquin Phoenix) quest to track down his disappeared ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterston) is a fool's errand. This is an all-timer "hangout movie" not unlike The Big Lebowski, where the particulars of its plot come second to the joy of spending time with these weird and wonderful characters.

In many respects, like numerous other films on this list, Inherent Vice becomes far more enjoyable on a second viewing when you stop trying to make sense of it, give yourself over to it, and just ride the wave to the end.