Best paul thomas anderson movies ranked 11. "Cigarettes and Coffee" (1993)

"Cigarettes and Coffee" - Full Movie

PT Anderson’s "Cigarettes and Coffee" was made on an ultra-low $10,000 budget. Yet, despite its small scope, this short has a lot of character. Anderson's script and shot choices, here, are an early showcase of the writer-director's rigorous attention to detail.

75% story 70% acting 50% visuals 70% direction 66% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Phillip Baker Hall

Vision

Story Arc Weaknesses Set Dressing

Soundtrack

Close-Up Framing BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion "Cigarettes and Coffee" may not be Anderson’s best work, but it's an impressive first outing, especially when considering the limitations he had to work within. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 10. Junun (2015) Junjun is the sole documentary in PT Anderson's filmography. The film explores the making of an Indian album of the same name. This ambitious project reunited Anderson with frequent collaborator Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead fame). But rather than provide the film's score, as he did for There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Phantom Thread, Greenwood instead becomes one of Anderson's subjects, as the director films him performing with the band behind Junjun, Rajasthan Express.

Junun - Trailer

70% Story N/A% acting 80% visuals 75% direction 75% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Authenticity

Unique Direction

Insightful and Educational Weaknesses Low "Entertainment"

Singular Focus

Lack of Story BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion Music fans will adore this unlikely exploration of world music as filtered through PT Anderson's perspective. The director brings visual vibrancy to this unique "making of" story. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 9. "Anima" (2018) Another collaboration between PT Anderson and a member of Radiohead—this time the band's frontman, Thom Yorke—"Anima" is an eye-popping visual trip. This short film delves into the subconscious, taking inspiration from philosopher Carl Jung’s interpretation of the dream state.

Anima - Video Essay

60% story 60% acting 95% visuals 90% direction 76% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Stunning Visuals

Philosophical Subtext

Camerawork Weaknesses Lack of Narrative

Plodding

Limited Acting BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion At just 15 minutes long, "Anima" memorably melds music and imagery to offer a glimpse into the minds of two of the world’s greatest living artists.

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 8. Hard Eight (1996)

PT Anderson - On Hard Eight

PT Anderson is the first to admit that Hard Eight didn’t turn out exactly how he wanted. "I just bluffed my way through it," Anderson told Marc Maron on Maron's WTF with Marc Maron podcast. "I should have had a 90-minute movie and I cut together this two and a half hour thing. I didn't have enough time to cut it properly." Eventually, he managed to cut the film down to a version he was moderately satisfied with. Production obstacles aside, Hard Eight turned out quite good. It's loosely based on the plot of "Cigarettes and Coffee": Both films begin in a roadside diner with tobacco smoke and cups o' Joe in spades. But Anderson fleshes out the narrative at feature length by showing us events that are relegated to mere backstory in his short.

80% story 80% acting 70% visuals 75% direction 76% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Characters

Cast

Script Weaknesses "Studio" Vision

Visually Uninspired

N/A BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion The feature-length debut from PT Anderson, Hard Eight is an essential film in the writer-director's catalogue. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 7. Inherent Vice (2015)

Inherent Vice - Anatomy of a Scene

Inherent Vice may better suited with the title Incoherent Vice. This bizarro pseudo-satire, based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon, is about as narratively obtuse as stories come. Yet, there’s something about the film’s style that's simply irresistible. Composer Jonny Greenwood recorded the score alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the result is infectious. But the film's visuals—expertly crafted by Anderson and cinematographer Robert Elswit—are what truly put it over the top.

65% story 85% acting 85% visuals 85% direction 78% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Joaquin Phoenix

Visually Expressive

Strong Direction Weaknesses Hard to Follow

Narratively Dense

Not Much Substance BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion PT Anderson’s Inherent Vice is one of the most confounding movies I’ve ever seen, but it’s one I’d recommend to fans of film noir and enigmatic narratives. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 6. Magnolia (1999)

Making of - Magnolia

New Line Cinema gave Paul Thomas Anderson complete creative control after the success of Boogie Nights, which resulted in the deeply personal, yet somewhat flawed Magnolia. Although Anderson gives us an intimate look at the lives of nearly a dozen characters in his home area of the San Fernando Valley, the film's scope proves too wide for those separate character threads to work seamlessly together. Magnolia is at its best when it’s not trying to connect everything in its narrative together. One great example: An explosive monologue from motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise) as he reflects on the life of his dying father. Magnolia is at its best when it’s not trying to connect everything in its narrative together. One great example: An explosive monologue from motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise) as he reflects on the life of his dying father.

80% story 90% acting 80% visuals 90% direction 85% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Excellent Cast

Emotional

Strong Script Weaknesses Aspects of Ending

Too Ambitious

N/A BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion Magnolia has one of the best ensemble casts in cinema history. Their performances are worth the price of admission alone. Cruise famously received an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film, and Julianne Moore and Phillip Seymour Hoffman also turn in iconic performances. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 5. Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights - Video Essay

Boogie Nights put Paul Thomas Anderson on the map, announcing him as a force of nature within the American filmmaking landscape. The film unflinchingly recreates the milieu porn industry of the 1970s and '80s, with all its graphic sexuality and expressive characters. Ultimately, Boogie Nights is a uniquely American tragedy on the dueling forces of love and hedonism.

90% Story 80% acting 90% visuals 90% direction 88% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Tragic Story

Clear Direction

Location Shooting Weaknesses Tad Too Long

N/A

N/A BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion Boogie Nights perfectly captures the complex nature of overt sexuality and its relationship to the camera. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 4. The Master (2012)

Paul Thomas Anderson on The Master

The Master is PT Anderson’s deconstruction of cultist psychology, modeling the new age movement it depicts after L. Ron Hubbard’s founding of Scientology. The film boasts an excellent cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. All three stars give riveting performances, but it’s Hoffman who steals the show in one of the last films before his untimely death. As cult leader Lancaster Dodd, he commands each frame with fervor, all the while conveying the deep insecurities that plague his character.

90% story 100% acting 90% visuals 90% direction 93% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Masterclass Acting

Bold Story

Period Detail Weaknesses Insanely Weird

N/A

N/A BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion The Master is an imposing piece of cinema, but a necessary watch. The film shows how desperation can be the undoing of rational thought. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 3. Punch-Drunk Love (2012)

PT Anderson and Adam Sandler on Punch-Drunk Love

There’s so much to love in Punch-Drunk Love, a film that may well contain the best performance of Adam Sandler’s legendary career. Punch-Drunk Love is a romantic-comedy by definition, but is full of nuanced drama as well. Sandler is often associated with his bumbling roles in cheesy comedies—unfortunate considering the impressive range he displays here. As the emotionally frustrated Barry Egan, Sandler's performance in Punch-Drunk Love makes us feel as though he's up against the entire world. The film's oft-brutal dramatic moments never weigh it down, and that's what ultimately enables it to subvert the rom-com formula.

95% story 90% acting 90% visuals 90% direction 93% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Adam Sandler

Set Production

"Phone-Sex" Scene Weaknesses Strange Antagonism

N/A

N/A BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion Punch-Drunk Love's characters exude energy in every scene, but it’s Sandler as the sensitive romantic Barry Egan who steals the show. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 2. Phantom Thread (2017)

Behind the Scene of Phantom Thread

Anderson’s most recent feature, Phantom Thread, reaffirmed his status one of cinema's preeminent modern masters. Phantom Thread is a wonderfully realized character study that delights and harrows audiences in equal measure. The delightful: production designer Mark Tildesley's set dressing and costume designer Mark Bridges' character clothing, which both masterfully convey rich period detail. The harrowing: the film's ending, which makes its sometimes slow-burn pace well worth sticking through.

90% story 100% acting 95% visuals 100% direction 96% OVERALL SCORE

Strengths Lead Performances

Costuming

Soundtrack Weaknesses Story Resolution

N/A

N/A BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion Phantom Thread is an intoxicating story of love and obsession, anchored by excellent lead performances from Daniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps. Watch It Now

BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED 1. There Will Be Blood (2007)

PT Anderson & Daniel Day-Lewis Discuss There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood is one of the greatest films of the 21st century. The movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as an ambitious oil driller who becomes embroiled in the ongoings of a complicated California settlement. Much of There Will Be Blood revolves around the epistemological quandary of faith versus knowledge and the religious and capitalistic structures that surround them.

100% story 100% acting 100% visuals 100% direction 100% OVERALL SCORE Strengths Story Arc

Iconic Acting

Clear Direction Weaknesses N/A

N/A

N/A BEST PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON MOVIES RANKED Conclusion At once quintessentially American and internationally resonant, There Will Be Blood remains the definitive Paul Thomas Anderson picture for filmmakers and film lovers. Perhaps no film of the past two decades has been praised, studied, and emulated as much as this one. Watch It Now