Rotten
It's a mess; it's pretentious; it is thundery with dismay.
David Thomson, The New Republic
The Master
Haunted by his past, a World War II veteran crosses paths with a mysterious movement called The Cause.
2012 · 2h 17m · R
Drama
Directed by
Paul Thomas Anderson
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The Master
Overview
Freddie, a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new "religion" he forms after World War II.
Director and cast
- Paul Thomas Anderson Director
- Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lancaster Dodd
- Amy Adams as Peggy Dodd
- Rami Malek as Clark
- Laura Dern as Helen Sullivan
- Jesse Plemons as Val Dodd
- Ambyr Childers as Elizabeth Dodd
- Madisen Beaty as Doris Solstad
- Kevin J. O'Connor as Bill White
- Patty McCormack as Mildred Drummond
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
85%
Tomatometer
Fresh
In the end it may not have the emotional uplift the Academy or a popular mainstream audience craves, but make no mistake, this is an enthralling drama about a peculiarly American restlessness, and the striving for insight and grace.
Tom Charity, CNN.com
Fresh
[A] challenging, psychologically fraught drama.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Rotten
The actors' commitment to their roles is impressive, but it's tethered to a weightless, airless movie, a film so enamored of itself, the audience gets shut out.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
Fresh
The Master may go down as one of Paul Thomas Anderson's most compelling works for two simple reasons: Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News
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