Overview
A darkly comedic exploration of power and ambition in American politics.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- sardonic
- irreverent
- bleak
- political movie night
- modern history viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film ambitious, entertaining, and sharply funny, with Christian Bale's transformation and performance standing out despite its scattered structure and uneven pacing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cheney's rise through government and the vice presidency is presented as a study of how authority can be accumulated and deployed.
Adam McKay places broad comic performances and provocative jokes alongside the war on terror, 9/11, and the Iraq War.
The film uses a fictional narrator and stylized historical inventions to shape and complicate its account of Cheney's life.
Christian Bale's extensive physical transformation into Dick Cheney is central to the film's period reconstruction and satirical effect.
Films like Vice, and why
The Big Short
political biographical drama using dark satire to examine presidential power and institutional corruption
Wag the Dog
provocative political satire blending comedy, documentary-like devices, and contemporary American power struggles
The Ides of March
serious White House drama focused on executive power, political calculation, and national crisis
JFK
ambitious historical political drama portraying controversial leadership through a sharply critical lens
Movie Details
- Director
- Adam McKay
- Release Date
- 2018-12-25
- Runtime
- 132 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (3700)
Cast
- Christian Bale
- Amy Adams
- Steve Carell
- Sam Rockwell
- Alison Pill
- Eddie Marsan
- Justin Kirk
- LisaGay Hamilton
- Jesse Plemons
- Bill Camp
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Vice about?
- Adam McKay's audacious biographical satire turns Dick Cheney's ascent through American government into a darkly comic anatomy of political power and consequence.
- What is Vice like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Vice as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Vice violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Vice as moderate.
- What did critics think of Vice?
- Critics broadly found the film ambitious, entertaining, and sharply funny, with Christian Bale's transformation and performance standing out despite its scattered structure and uneven pacing.
- Which films are like Vice?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Short, Wag the Dog, The Ides of March, and JFK.
- How long is Vice?
- Vice runs 132 minutes.
- Where can I watch Vice?
- In United States, Vice streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
