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The Master
2012 137 min United States of America R 18+
★7.6
Drama
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Trailers
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Description
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.
Budget:
$32M
US Gross:
$16.38M
Worldwide:
$28.26M
Starring
Joaquin Phoenix
Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Actor
Amy Adams
Actor
Awards
Venice Film Festival 2012
— Silver Lion – Best Director
Venice Film Festival 2012
— Volpi Cup – Best Actor
Venice Film Festival 2012
— FIPRESCI Prize – Best Film of the Year
BAFTA 2013
— Best Original Screenplay
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Supporting Actress
Venice Film Festival 2012
— Volpi Cup – Best Actor
Golden Globe 2013
— Best Actor (Drama)
Venice Film Festival 2012
— FIPRESCI Prize – Best Film of the Year
BAFTA 2013
— Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe 2013
— Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA 2013
— Best Supporting Actor
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Supporting Actor
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2013
— Best Supporting Actor
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Actor
Venice Film Festival 2012
— FIPRESCI Prize – Competition
BAFTA 2013
— Best Actor
Key opinion
The Master is widely regarded as a technically masterful, emotionally complex, and demanding character study that explores the volatile bond between a traumatized veteran and a charismatic cult leader. While it receives significant acclaim for its powerhouse performances and atmospheric depth, it remains a polarizing work that some viewers find inaccessible, self-indulgent, or narratively aimless.
| Acting | Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman deliver intense, transformative performances that anchor the film's complex dynamic. | |
| Production | The film features impeccable, high-quality production design and cinematography that meticulously capture the post-war American aesthetic. | |
| Theme | Paul Thomas Anderson creates a demanding, thought-provoking experience that rewards those seeking deep, ambiguous thematic exploration. | |
| Score | The score by Jonny Greenwood creates an atmospheric, period-authentic backdrop that effectively complements the narrative's tension. | |
| Pacing | The film's slow, meditative pacing and lengthy runtime divide viewers between those who find it immersive and those who find it bloated or dull. |