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Poster for The Master

The Master

2012 · 2h 17m · R Drama
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

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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

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
85%
Tomatometer
Rotten

It's a mess; it's pretentious; it is thundery with dismay.

David Thomson, The New Republic
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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