Journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) set out on an assignment to Las Vegas in a convertible, armed with a suitcase full of drugs. What begins as coverage of a desert motorcycle race quickly spirals into a hallucinatory journey of total breakdown and surreal chaos.
Under Terry Gilliam’s visually inventive direction, the pair plunge into a whirlwind of hallucinations and extreme encounters that blur the line between reality and nightmare. Based on Hunter S. Thompson’s iconic novel, the film delivers a dark and biting satire on the collapse of 1960s counterculture and the disintegration of the American Dream.
A wild cult classic, it has become one of the most talked-about and extreme cinematic experiences in Hollywood history.
Johnny Depp lived in Hunter S. Thompson’s basement for four months to study his voice and mannerisms, allowed the author to shave his head, and even used Thompson’s real clothes and car during filming.
Benicio del Toro gained around 18 kilograms in a short period—reportedly by eating large quantities of donuts daily – to achieve the disheveled look of Dr. Gonzo, and conducted extensive research on the real-life inspiration for the character, Oscar Zeta Acosta.
