The Master

USA, early 1950s. Soldiers returning from the front struggle with post-war trauma and attempt to reintegrate into civilian life. One of them is Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), who desperately tries to control his inner demons with generous doses of homemade alcohol - with each nervous outburst he sinks deeper, until he becomes a drifter.

By chance, he meets the charismatic Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who travels with his devoted wife (Amy Adams) and a group of loyal followers to New York, where he intends to present his new teachings to the world. Lancaster Dodd, called "The Master" by those around him, is fascinated by Freddie's volatility and takes on his "treatment" according to his own theory, which will soon become an imposing faith. A very strong and extraordinary bond forms between the two men.

The character of The Master was inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, the actual founder of the Church of Scientology, which sparked outrage among parts of the American public. The film is another original epic work by director Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Inherent Vice), which examines faith, addiction, the search for inner freedom, and manipulation as fundamental phenomena of American history.