Hepworth (Katherine Waterston) looking for help for her new lover, real estate mogul Mickey Wolfmann (Eric Roberts), as she suspects his wife and her boyfriend are planning to have him institutionalized. As Doc looks into this case, he becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving the FBI, a drug cartel, and the Aryan Brotherhood. The film and all its characters and storylines are like a well oiled machine, all in constant motion, building together into one cohesive narrative surrounding Doc’s quest to find Mickey Wolfmann, who disappears right after Shasta’s visit. There’s always something going on so that it never feels boring; it's consistently engaging throughout, and despite all the moving parts, it never feels confusing. Everything feels organic, with new characters being introduced and inserted into the main plotline naturally, though at times the number of names thrown around can get
confusing. The film does try to avert this with its unique naming, such Detective “Bigfoot” Bjornsen (Josh Brolin) and Puck Beaverton, but it still manages to remain an issue when characters are referenced with no real understanding of how they tie into everything.
While the characters names can be difficult to keep track of at times, the character writing is incredibly enjoyable in spite of it. Doc, despite appearing as a burned-out hippie, is actually surprisingly competent at his job. He continues to push the plot along, even if he’s not always in control of it. However, he still absolutely is a hippie, in every sense of the word.