Paul Thomas Andersonis one of the most talented, unique, and creative filmmakers Hollywood has had in the last 30 years. As with his friend Quentin Tarantino, every time he makes a new movie, it’s an event that has to be seen in the nearest cinema. Here are his best movies ranked byRotten Tomatoes.
9Inherent Vice (2014) - 74%
Inherent Viceis adapted from a novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon, and it might be one of the most strange movies Anderson has ever directed, as the film is searching more for a vibe than a dramatic story. The movie is all about private detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix), who is looking for Shasta (Katherine Waterston in her breakout role), a former girlfriend who has disappeared without a trace.
With a tricky tone between comedy and a marijuana-induced fog vibe, and the craziness of ’70s Los Angeles, this story is not for everyone, even with some famous actors like Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, and Reese Witherspoon playing supporting characters.
8Punch-Drunk Love (2002) - 79%
Punch-Drunk Loveis a surprisingly moving love story between anxious Barry (Adam Sandler) and Lena (Emily Watson). Paul Thomas Anderson is a fan of Sandler, and he believed that inside all his rage and comedy, there was a dramatic actor, so he wrote this film for him, and Sandler delivered. In his moments of rage, audiences can see the comedian’s most exaggerated tendencies, but Anderson also shows a sweeter, more dramatic side; one that allows his character to leave his shell and fall in love.
It’s possible that without this film, we might have never hadUncut Gems, as this was the first opportunity the actor had to show he could be more than a comedic actor.
7Hard Eight (1996) - 82%
Hard Eightwas Anderson’s first movie ever. Starring John C. Reilly, and Phillip Baker Hall, the movie is about gambling in Las Vegas, where the old Sydney (Baker Hall) teaches John (Reilly) how to become a professional gambler. It also has three incredible, colorful supporting performances by Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. This was Anderson’s first film, and as such he didn’t have full control of it, something that caused him grief, as he didn’t have the final cut, and the movie title was changed from hisSydneytoHard Eight. Even then, this debut showed how talented the director was, something he proved again one year later withBoogie Nights.
About writing the film, Paul Thomas Anderson toldCinephilia and Beyond: “Philip Baker Hall was an actor who was in my short, who I really admired. And I wanted to get to know more about him. So my thinking in writingSydneywas that it was a kind of love letter, trying to figure out this man I didn’t really know.”
6Magnolia (1999) - 83%
IfBoogie Nightswas the announcement Paul Thomas Anderson was a director to watch,Magnoliawas his confirmation. Even though the film is a bit too long (Anderson himself has admitted so), this story uses some of the structure from Robert Altman’sShortcutsand tells different, slightly interconnected adventures about love and getting to know oneself in California.
This isone of Anderson’s best movies, where he shows all his maturity in where and how to use the camera, gets great performances, and tells a story with many layers. As with many of his movies, he has an incredible cast to work with here: Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Baker Hall, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, and Tom Cruise. The Cruise role deserves special attention, as it might have been the last time the actor-turned-stuntman had a meaty role that wasn’t all about action, and he nailed it, getting an Oscar nomination; his last for the moment.
Related:10 of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Favorite Movies
5The Master (2012) - 85%
The Masteris what happens when you put two incredible actors in roles that are opposite of each other, as you get an acting masterclass. Both Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman are spectacular in this movie about a lost guy who comes back from the war and a charismatic leader of what might be a cult. This isone of the best movies of the 2010s, one that is about friendship, but also control and power.
The film has a great cast, with Phoenix and Seymour Hoffman being supported by Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, Rami Malek, and Laura Dern. Anderson has always had a mischievous streak, and in this film, he shows it more than in most.
4There Will Be Blood (2007) - 91%
There Will Be Bloodmight be the bestThe Treasure of Sierra Madrehomage any director has ever done. Anderson’s film is all about greed, and it gives Daniel Day-Lewis a great sandbox (pun not intended) to play in, as the character has everything the talented actor would want,making it one of his best performances.
His Daniel Plainview wants oil and money over everything else, and he doesn’t mind ruining lives to get it, making for one of the most interesting characters who is an anti-hero, but also the villain in his own story. This film also showed Paul Dano’s talents as he was able to have an actor combat with Day-Lewis and almost win a couple of rounds, which is not a small feat as the British actor, who has also been Abraham Lincoln,was at the top of his game.
Phantom Threadtells the story of Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis in what’s for now, his last performance ever), a dressmaker in 1950s London, who has every woman under his spell, as they all want him and his designs. He then meets Alma (Vicky Krieps), someone who will become his muse and love of his life. The movie is a bit more subdued in style than most directed by Anderson, but that helps sell the unique, strange relationship between the two leads.
About writing the film,the director told Vulture: “Time’s running out. I had a desire to make a film in England, and an appreciation for couture and those gowns and that kind of world, and the genre of Gothic romance that was so appealing to me, too. And I’ll name-drop: Chris Rock once said to me, “Man, when are you gonna make a relationship movie?” I was like, “Hmm, that’s a good one.” If Chris Rock gives you a piece of advice, you should run with it.”
2Licorice Pizza (2021) - 91%
Licorice Pizzais the latest movie Anderson has released; one that tells the love story between a teenager named Gary (Cooper Hoffman) and a down-in-her-luck woman in her early 20s named Alana (Alana Haim). The film is another period piece for Anderson (more than half his movies are period pieces), as this time everything happens in 1973 in the San Fernando Valley.
The older Anderson gets, the more interested he is in love and relationships, as his last two films, this one andPhantom Threadare both centered on it, although they couldn’t be more different, as one is about a first love, and the other is centered on an adult couple. WhatLicorice Pizzahas for itself, other than young love, is an incredible soundtrack, fun performances by both leads, but also by more known actors like Sean Penn, Maya Rudolph, and Bradley Cooper in this story that’s almost more an anthology of the adventures of Gary and Alana than the typical romantic story.
Related:Licorice Pizza Is the Coming-Of-Age Story We Needed This Year
1Boogie Nights (1997) - 94%
Boogie Nightstells the story of Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), a porn actor in 1970s Los Angeles, while also showing all the people he meets and becomes friends with. This might beAnderson’s best film, and it’s for sure the one that showed Hollywood what the director could do, as it was only the second film he directed.
Even then, Anderson created an incredible movie full of fun quotes, with a big, talented cast (from Julianne Moore to Philip Seymour Hoffman, Burt Reynolds, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, and Heather Graham, to name a few), and a story mixing many genres, from comedy to an underdog story, to porn parody, to drama, drug-addicted tragedy, and loss. Anderson wrote the script himself and was one of those that every actor who read it wanted to be a part of. If all that wasn’t enough, the director showed all his technical prowess with incredible long shots like the one that ends with the camera jumping inside the pool. With all that in mind, it makes perfect sense forBoogie Nightsto be Paul Thomas Anderson’s best-ranked on Rotten Tomatoes.
