Irrational Man

On a small town college campus, a philosophy professor grapples with a creeping sense that life should mean more. Abe Lucas, a weary lecturer, moves between sharp insights and muddled certainty as he encounters Jill, a bright and inquisitive student who unsettles his routines and awakens a dangerous curiosity. What starts as a charged flirtation soon tests the boundaries of mentor student trust and the ethics of desire, pushing Abe to weigh risk against responsibility. As the relationship deepens, choices ripple through the lives around them, turning ordinary days into questions about fate, luck, and the price of seeking significance. The tone blends Woody Allen's dry wit with a subtler intensity that hints at darker consequences without fully revealing them.

Directed by Woody Allen, Irrational Man was released in 2015. It is based on an original screenplay and stars Joaquin Phoenix as Abe and Emma Stone as Jill, with Parker Posey and Jamie Blackley in supporting parts.

The film grossed about 27.39 million worldwide against a budget of 11 million, reflecting modest box office performance for a Woody Allen drama with a literary tilt.

Critical response was mixed, with some praising Phoenix and Stone for their performances and Allen's brisk dialogue while others felt the movie lacked emotional warmth. The work centers on questions about choice, responsibility, and the tension between intellectual certainty and real world action.