Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

A writer (Johnny Depp) and his lawyer (Benicio Del Toro) travel to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race and engage in prolific substance abuse.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a surprise, but it shouldn’t be. On the one hand, one would think that a movie with the sole premise of two men engaging in prolific amounts of substance abuse wouldn’t be that interesting, but on the other, any film by Terry Gilliam is bound to be interesting.

Johnny Depp carries Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with a finely tuned character performance. Benicio Del Toro is more than convincing as his sometimes psychotic lawyer, but this is Depp’s movie and he carries it well.

The other real star is Gilliam’s imagination, which he uses in full force to bring the drug addled visions of writer Hunter S. Thompson to life. His original and imaginative visuals are the heart of the movie, and they’re something to see.