Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

51% of critics liked it
(63 reviews)
90% of users liked it
(246,898 ratings)

Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, The Fisher King) directed this colorful, stylized, pseudo-psychedelic $21-million adaptation of the 1971 Hunter S. Thompson classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey into the Heart of the American Dream, about stoned sportswriter Raoul Duke,… More Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, The Fisher King) directed this colorful, stylized, pseudo-psychedelic $21-million adaptation of the 1971 Hunter S. Thompson classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey into the Heart of the American Dream, about stoned sportswriter Raoul Duke, Thompson's alter ego, on a wild drug-crazed road trip, a paranoid plummet into the belly of the beast, with his pal, lawyer Oscar Zeta Acosta. Originally serialized in Rolling Stone (November 1971), the book catapulted Thompson headfirst toward the Kerouac-Mailer-Capote pantheon and jump-started the entire movement of "gonzo journalism." Carrying a suitcase of drugs, Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp with shaved pate) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave from L.A. to Vegas, where Duke has an assignment to cover the Mint 400 desert motorcycle race. As the drugs kick in, Duke ventures into voiceover, filling in the blank spots and narrative gaps. "This is not a good town for psychedelic drugs," says Duke, but even so, they consume vast quantities, eventually escalating to ether. Duke notes that with ether "you can actually watch yourself behaving this terrible way, but you can't control it." The two trash their hotel room, and Gonzo goes back to L.A. Thinking the hotel room holocaust will lead to an arrest, Duke begins a drive back to L.A., but after an odd encounter with a highway patrolman (Gary Busey) and a telephone conversation with Gonzo, he returns to Vegas to cover the District Attorney Convention on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs in the glitzy Flamingo Hotel. This time the drugged-out duo trash their Flamingo room. The crazed carnival atmosphere segues into a carney casino, Bazooko's Circus, where a barker (Penn Jillette) spiels amid aerialists, clowns, and a rotating carousel bar. Gonzo worries over runaway teen Lucy (Christina Ricci), who paints portraits of Barbra Streisand. Soon the hallucinations begin: Duke sees Gonzo transmogrify into a demon with breasts on its back, and an acid vision of a Vegas bar features large legit lounge lizards (courtesy of monster makeup man Rob Bottin). Flashbacks depicting Duke's intro to the drug scene jump back to love-Haight relationships in San Francisco's Summer of Love. Cameos and guest stars include Mark Harmon, Cameron Diaz, Flea, Lyle Lovett, Harry Dean Stanton, Ellen Barkin, Tobey Maguire, and Hunter S. Thompson himself. The film features a Geffen Records soundtrack mixing rock of the period with Vegas lounge tunes. Over the years, various script adaptations came and went as did numerous talents; people connected with past efforts to film Thompson's book include Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and writer-director Alex Cox. Shown in competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 58 min.
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Written By: Terry Gilliam, Tod Davies, Alex Cox, Tony Grisoni
Genres: Drama, Comedy, Special Interest

In Theaters: May 22, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Nov 17, 1998
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
It's certainly distinctive, looking at times like Richard Lester put through a postmodernist blender.
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
(Gilliam's) vision is too reflexively comic to evoke the shadows of dread in Thompson's writing.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
Pic serves up a sensory overload without any compensatory reflection on the outlandish and irresponsible behavior on view.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
It's really a series of sketches on one theme.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
If you encountered characters like this on an elevator, you'd push a button and get off at the next floor. Here the elevator is trapped between floors for 128 minutes.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Darn funny, but those moments of seemingly-inspired humor are more than offset by the rest of the movie, which is nearly unwatchable.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A peculiar and oddly haunting achievement.
, Film4
Bizarre, unpredictable yet strangely alluring.
Paul Fischer, Urban Cinefile
The film is intensely pretentious, far too clever for its own good.
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
It's larger-than life, wild, dizzy, colourful and vulgar, and goes round in circles - for a very long time.
Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm
The fear is comical; the loathing almost nonexistent.
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD
Certainly uneven at times, but Terry Gilliam's surreal mood piece paints a vivid, splashy picture of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
Christopher Long, Movie Metropolis
A beautiful cinematic showcase for Thompson at the peak of his writing skills.
Eric Melin, Kansas City Star
It may start off as a lighthearted, excess-filled, party-road-trip movie, but Depp is reigned in a little towards the end as his character (a stand-in for Thompson) poetically bemoans the sad failure of the late-60s ideals and values.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
More headache than head trip.
Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter
This is the best acid-inspired movie since Roger Corman's The Trip - and it is a darn sight more accurate in its depiction [of] the highs and the lows, the terrible confusion alternating with lucidity, the excitement that gives way to paranoia.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
...he first hour of the film is as successful as anything I've ever seen or read at conveying how the world looks to the drugged.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Years from now, it will be reappraised as a misunderstood masterpiece. Well, this is one American critic who's not waiting until years from now.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
A film of brilliant moments, but sadly less coherent - and, on senses, rather less personal - than most of Gilliam's work.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
There is not enough of the drug dementia and too much philosophizing by Gilliam.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Directors C

[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] All of Terry Gilliam's films attempt to combine fantasy and reality into one huge void, I can't honestly say I can think of any film other than Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas in which this is best… More
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] All of Terry Gilliam's films attempt to combine fantasy and reality into one huge void, I can't honestly say I can think of any film other than Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas in which this is best executed. Mostly due to the magnifecent art direction, it's essentialy surrealism at it's best. I've also noticed that many believe the film has no distinctive purpose, well, it's not a distinctive movie. The subject matter in my opinion, ties in with destiny and human inability to see things for what they are. Like many unrealised masterpieces it leaves the message to you, but that's just my opinion. Next to it's amazing set design the performances and the script are both researched well. They share heritage to the source novel, and there are along with that, a lot of good laughs provided. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro share a good chemistry and the cameos are hilarious. Most definetely Christina Ricci's. I hope one day it's recognised for how good it actually is, truthfully I wasn't fond of it the first time around, it's not a masterpiece by far, but I looked at it for what it was and thought to myself, it's actually kinda brilliant.
Melvin W

Raoul Duke: The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride. "Four days, Three nights, Two Convertibles, One City." Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is easily the most perfect… More
Raoul Duke: The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride. "Four days, Three nights, Two Convertibles, One City." Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is easily the most perfect adaption of a book ever done. I can't think of a movie that captures everything about the book like this one does. Terry Gilliam was obviously the perfect choice for directorial duties. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro could not be better in their drugged out, over the top performances that the source material called for. Most importantly, it's Hunter S. Thompson, enough said. I've read a lot of Thompson's work(Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, The Rum Diary, Hell's Angels, etc.), but Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has always been my favorite. I've probably read ten times by now and it just never gets unfunny. That is exactly how I feel about the movie too. It just doesn't get unfunny. The reason, Deep's portrayal of Thompson. It is perfect in every way. If you haven't read the book, you'll probably think it is a little too over the top, but it really couldn't be more on the money. Basically this movie is a man and his attorney in Las Vegas, where he is supposed to be covering a race. They bring a lot of drugs and are out of their minds all the time and begin to get extremely paranoid. The plot is all over the place when there is one. But if you've ever done drugs, you know that shit isn't straightforward when you're on them. Paranoia and hallucinations don't follow a plot line. They do whatever the fuck they want. This is probably the best pure drug movie you can see. I say "pure drug movie" because it isn't about addiction or rehabilitation. This is like Cheech and Chong, but add more narcotics and hallucinogens, plus a lot funnier situations and actors. I would say this is a must see for Thompson fans, but every Thompson fan has already seen it twenty times.
Tyler C

Truly capturing the bizarre yet philosophical world of Hunter S. Thompson, director Terry Gilliam along with stars Johnny Depp (one of his absolute best performances) and Benicio del Toro deliver one of the most visually hypnotic experiences I've seen in some time. Definitely not… More
Truly capturing the bizarre yet philosophical world of Hunter S. Thompson, director Terry Gilliam along with stars Johnny Depp (one of his absolute best performances) and Benicio del Toro deliver one of the most visually hypnotic experiences I've seen in some time. Definitely not for everyone though!
Tim S

Gilliam + Hunter S. Thompson + Depp + Del Toro = cinema magic. Gilliam's work is always troublesome and difficult to swallow for some, but this is just a masterpiece. Along with Brazil, this is probably his all around best work. It's incredibly surreal and stylistic, not to… More
Gilliam + Hunter S. Thompson + Depp + Del Toro = cinema magic. Gilliam's work is always troublesome and difficult to swallow for some, but this is just a masterpiece. Along with Brazil, this is probably his all around best work. It's incredibly surreal and stylistic, not to mention completely mad. It's also fun seeing the cameos of different people pop up in it. There's not much else to say other than that. Those who've seen it understand and those who haven't, what are you waiting for?! :)
Graham J

A very strange film, unlike any other I've ever seen. It grabs and regardless if you want to or not, you are in Thompson's world. Johnny Depp and Del Toro are brilliant.
Coxxie M

one thing i realized watching it recently is just how great the supporting actors are. Craig Bierko, whoever he is, makes a good dickheaded photographer. Gary Busey as a hick cop. Richard Riehle, who stunned audiences worldwide in Mysterious Skin with an unexpected turn as "old… More
one thing i realized watching it recently is just how great the supporting actors are. Craig Bierko, whoever he is, makes a good dickheaded photographer. Gary Busey as a hick cop. Richard Riehle, who stunned audiences worldwide in Mysterious Skin with an unexpected turn as "old pederast who blows Joseph Gordon Levitt in a hotel room and spits his cum out in the sink". Chris Meloni is mesmerizing as a bellboy who lisps his own name.
Unknown H

One of the oldest and greatest cult movies of all time I cannot say I do not like it but over the years I feel it has gathered rather a large ego and one that I feel dissipates its original vibrancy. Still I have the poster on my wall and Hunter S. Thompsons words in my heart.
Jeff "

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one awesome adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's classic drug culture novel of the same name. Director Terry Gillam conjures up a film that captures the crazy, intense vibe of the novel. Johnny Depp is the perfect choice to play Raoul Duke (based… More
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one awesome adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's classic drug culture novel of the same name. Director Terry Gillam conjures up a film that captures the crazy, intense vibe of the novel. Johnny Depp is the perfect choice to play Raoul Duke (based on Hunter S. Thompson) and Benicio Del Toro is intense in his role of Dr Gonzo. The best way to describe this film is that it's very bizarre, eccentric and it's in your face. What I love about the film is that it's very over the top, and it keeps the source material of the book intact. Yes, there are thing were slightly changed, but for the most part, the film delivers something quite memorable. As a person that has read the book, I can honestly say that this film stays true to the book and that fans of the book will be pleased at what Terry Gilliam has done with this adaptation of Thompson's literary classic. The acting is solid and Gilliam couldn't have picked a better cast to play these parts. The top notch truly delivers on screen and they're each memorable in their own way. Many people will despise the film, but those who enjoy something thats eccentric or enjoys the work of Hunter S. Thompson, should definitely check out this unforgettable cult classic.
Film C

I dont fully get this movie. It isnt an enjoyable movie for me mainly becuase i jst just dont get it. I dont really enjoy watching a bunch of layabouts getting wasted on drugs so i just find these extremely boring.
Lucas M

A surrealist portrait, characters lost and visually innovative, a ride to a psychdelic, coloful and Las Vegas from Hunter S. Thompson. Fear and Loathing is great. Fresh.
Kristijonas F

A puzzlingly misguided - but also visually trippy - exercise with rather uninspired performances from the cast.
Emile T

It's visually unbelievable and quite funny, but everything is so redundant and lacks humanity that I went from being completely astonished to being completely dazed (not in a good way) and ended up not caring at all about what I was watching.
Jacob E

I can't believe it. They did it. They faithfully adapted Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas into a film. Its one thing too simply base your movie off of a book, its another for the movie to be almost verbatim to the book. The result is something ultimately horrifying, a very VERY… More
I can't believe it. They did it. They faithfully adapted Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas into a film. Its one thing too simply base your movie off of a book, its another for the movie to be almost verbatim to the book. The result is something ultimately horrifying, a very VERY savage look at how insane people can get and what they'll do in the name of the American dream. But no matter how faithful a screenplay is, you need an actor to play the one, the only, Raoul Duke. Thankfully, Johnny Depp has nailed the part and is almost indistinguishable from Hunter S. Thompson (there's a very funny cameo that proves this point). Most people classify this as a dark comedy, I don't know if I would call it that, I don't know if you can really classify it as anything. There isn't a genre for pure insanity is there?
paul o

This movie is absurd! Terry Gilliam and Johnny Depp create an acid trip of a movie. An unforgettable adventure through the "heart" of America, Dr.Raoul Duke and his pal Gonzo go through ridiculous journey and find things that not only entertain them but lead them into… More
This movie is absurd! Terry Gilliam and Johnny Depp create an acid trip of a movie. An unforgettable adventure through the "heart" of America, Dr.Raoul Duke and his pal Gonzo go through ridiculous journey and find things that not only entertain them but lead them into insanity. Great Film and crazy effects, congrats to anyone who survived watching this on any type of drug!
Greg S

Unhinged drug-abusing reporter Raoul Duke accepts a gig from Rolling Stone magazine to cover a dirt bike race in Las Vegas, but spends the entire assignment experimenting with the massive collection of psychedelics he and his Samoan (?) lawyer prepared for the trip. An excellent… More
Unhinged drug-abusing reporter Raoul Duke accepts a gig from Rolling Stone magazine to cover a dirt bike race in Las Vegas, but spends the entire assignment experimenting with the massive collection of psychedelics he and his Samoan (?) lawyer prepared for the trip. An excellent adaptation of the counterculture classic that took swipes at the venal culture of "straight" society while simultaneously depicting the premature burnout of the hippie alternative; Terry Gilliam delivers wall-to-wall hallucinations and gonzo freakouts.
Lewis C

"A drug person can learn to cope with things like seeing their dead grandmother crawling up their leg with a knife in her teeth, but nobody should be asked to handle this trip." I'm officially not a fan of "drug trip" movies. I'm not talking about all… More
"A drug person can learn to cope with things like seeing their dead grandmother crawling up their leg with a knife in her teeth, but nobody should be asked to handle this trip." I'm officially not a fan of "drug trip" movies. I'm not talking about all movies that feature people using drugs (Pineapple Express and Requim for a Dream are both favorites of mine). I mean movies that revolve entirely around the experience people have when they're using. At their very best, I find them tolerable (like Smiley Face). At their worst, it's a struggle for me to watch them until the end. This adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson novel of the same name definitely falls into the latter category. Fear and Loathing is really just one sequence or events, repeated ad nauseam. Depp and Del Toro take drugs, see crazy stuff, freak out, and then take drugs again. If there's a point to it all, it's buried so deeply underneath the hallucinations and narcotics-fueled paranoia of the pair that I couldn't be bothered to try to find it. I found the movie to be annoying and repetitive. I guess it's an understatement to say that I wasn't the target audience for this one.
Cherry D

"Jesus God almighty look at that bunch over there man!"<br>
Conner R

It is one of the few movies that actually capture the mind of someone. The feel of it is so out of its mind that it could only belong to that of Hunter S. Thompson. I love the commentary about Las Vegas, it's not just another complaint about how horrible or fun it is. You get to… More
It is one of the few movies that actually capture the mind of someone. The feel of it is so out of its mind that it could only belong to that of Hunter S. Thompson. I love the commentary about Las Vegas, it's not just another complaint about how horrible or fun it is. You get to feel the escapism it brings, the lack of purpose or direction. Everything is just so one dimensional and skewed, much like a story you'd hear from someone. I loved Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro in this, they're what truly sell the believability of the story. They play some of the most convincing wackos i've ever seen.
Anthony L

They said it could never be adapted into film and they were wrong. Gilliam, Del Toro and Depp on top of their game. Brilliant.
Chris G

The kids have this thing they do late at night on the weekends called Road Tripping. You go out in your vehicle and drive around all night drinking and smoking dope. Apparently it's a good old time, yet I don't know how safe it actually is. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is… More
The kids have this thing they do late at night on the weekends called Road Tripping. You go out in your vehicle and drive around all night drinking and smoking dope. Apparently it's a good old time, yet I don't know how safe it actually is. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a film about the ultimate road trip to Sin City with an unlimited supply of booze, drugs, and bullshit as two guys plot a collision course to disaster. The film, base on Hunter S. Thompson's book, is the story of Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) which is actually Thompson's interpretation of himself and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) as they travel to Las Vegas for an article assigned to Raoul Duke. They load up their car an embark on a journey fueled by drugs and booze causing a normal working trip to Vegas to become a hallucinatory nightmare and a comment on the post hippie era in the United States. Both Depp and del Toro fill their roles as we see them spiral out of control, hell they're already out of control when we meet them in the desert. Depp fills Thompson's shoes as an over the top drug hogging maniac that has temporary moments of clarity and comment on how Las Vegas has become a microcosm of American life. The pair are great at playing lunatics binging on the contents of their little brown briefcase. The film is a really masterpiece in the way it's shot. Terry Gilliam, who is no stranger to odd films, creates a drugged out atmosphere that pulls you into the chemical haze, yet leaves the audience to realize how ridiculous Las Vegas actually was in that era. Pink encrusted rooms and acrobats on the gaming floor are not hallucinations- they're the real thing, even though it seems totally out of place in the situation. The thing about Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is that it isn't just a film about road tripping. In between the the freak outs and stealing towels and soap the film really becomes a commentary about how the generation that felt that they changed the world in the 1960's somehow got derailed in the 1970's. The whole idea of freeing ones mind in the flower power era suddenly becomes excessive in the decade of excess. The film is more a commentary on what went wrong when the decade rolled over. When you really look at it Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas isn't as strange a tale as it seems. It's just enhanced a bit.