Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Rotten Tomatoes

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

R

Now Playing

1 hr. 59 min.

Comedy

List

50%

70 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop (Gary Busey), he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.

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Critics Consensus

Visually creative, but also aimless, repetitive, and devoid of character development.

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Tom P

Difficult to know what was going on but rly good still

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/18/24

Full Review

Danilo S

Insane. Acting is flawless. (Maybe too much insane for most people I have to admit.)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/24

Full Review

bella z

good movie very nice

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/24

Full Review

Jamie J

Bahaha "Aimless" and "repetitive." It was a drug movie about Hunter S. Thompson! Also, it definitely has character development. As a drug movie, since the weird behavior is the character development, and things are usually inferred. The weird behavior. Hunter S Thompson. Inferred. Drug movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

Full Review

CRAIG M

A friend gave me a DVD copy - I got about 20 minutes in, and tossed the disc in the trash.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/24

Full Review

Blu B

The definition of a Cult Classic Comedy. This is basically a stoner comedy mixed with a Pulp Fiction narrative with a Terry Gilliam touch. I don't know how much more out there you can get. The main issue is sometimes Gilliam is his own worst enemy here. If there is any in depth message to this or character study it's impaired by Gilliam's wild, frantic, and imaginative direction. However, that being said you do get a unique and ALWAYS entertaining movie as a benefit. Every scene has Gilliam's trademark imagination, frantic direction, uniqueness, and wonderous pacing never knowing what is next. However here more so than others the narrative can feel shaky at times because it feels like whenever the film starts to maybe get a plot going it veers out of the ball park for something fun and imagiative that doesn't always make sense but is funny or unique. And it does make sense what happens on a bigger level but it never feels like there is any point to it and not as sharp as something like Pulp Fiction. Everything about this is solid overall though. It defintely isn't for everybody though. Gilliam fans, fans of any actors in this or stoner comedies will like this.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/04/24

Full Review

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Terry Gilliam

Director

Johnny Depp

'Uncle' Raoul Duke

Benicio del Toro

Oscar Zeta Acosta ("Dr. Gonzo")

Craig Bierko

Lacerda

Ellen Barkin

Waitress at North Star Cafe

Gary Busey

Highway Patrolman

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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - The American Dream in Action

2:06

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - Getting "The Fear"

3:02

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - Devil Ether

1:44

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - Too Much Adrenochrome

2:57

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - The Lonely Highway Patrolman

2:59

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - Dr. Bumquist's Drug Lecture

2:59

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - White Rabbit

2:36

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - The Hotel on Acid

3:39

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - Somewhere Around Barstow

2:25

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Official Clip - The High Water Mark

1:52

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Duane Byrge

Hollywood Reporter

The flaccid film is a goon-show version of Thompson's commentary on the craziness of the American Dream.

May 22, 2019

Full Review

Xan Brooks

Independent (UK)

The one stand-out is Johnny Depp, who brings Hunter S Thompson to bald-headed, pigeon-toed life.

Mar 29, 2019

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

It's certainly distinctive, looking at times like Richard Lester put through a postmodernist blender.

May 2, 2012

Full Review

Christopher Kelly

Premiere Magazine

Depp and Del Toro deliver deliciously overstuffed ham-sandwich performances that more than compensate for the film's fractured narrative. But the real star here is director Gilliam.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 14, 2023

Full Review

Robin Holabird

Robin Holabird

...catapulted by Depp and co-star Benecio del Toro along with an impressive mix of players in bit parts-including the voice of Debbie Reynolds...

Aug 11, 2021

Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

All you will learn is that the irksome excesses of early 1970s living were left behind for a very good reason. They just weren't that much fun at all.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 11, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop (Gary Busey), he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.

Director: Terry Gilliam
Executive Producer: Harold Bronson, Richard Foos
Screenwriter: Hunter S. Thompson, Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni, Tod Davies, Alex Cox
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Rhino Films
Rating: R (Pervasive Extreme Drug Use|Brief Nudity|Strong Language)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 22, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.6M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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