Ranking the Films of Wes Anderson So Far

Wes Anderson is a filmmaker that I just rarely vibe with. That doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate what he’s up to, because I do. I completely get why so many love Anderson’s work. For me? More times than not, it all just comes off as too artificial. Over the years, I’ve detailed when he’s cracked the code with me and when he’s fallen short. With The Phoenician Scheme beginning its theatrical run, it seemed high time to put it all down and do an official Anderson ranking.

My review earlier on in the week of The Phoenician Scheme (here), includes the following about Anderson, in part:

A Wes Anderson film is always an uphill battle for me. I put that out in front here so you can understand where I’m coming from in this review. While I think his sensibilities lend quite nicely to animation, and I’ve really enjoyed both Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs, Anderson in live action is very much a mixed bag. I always keep an open mind, but his batting average with me is quite low. For every movie that works on me, like The Royal Tenenbaums or The Grand Budapest Hotel, there’s the rest, which leave me just shrugging my shoulders. Recently, Anderson made one film I didn’t care for at all in The French Dispatch (reviewed here), as well as one that nearly won me over in Asteroid City (reviewed here). Now, with The Phoenician Scheme, I was wondering whether he’d get me over the edge and back on his side, or fall back on the things that annoy me. Unfortunately, while there’s some solid humor on display, as well as the normal pristine visuals, it once again feels like watching him play with a diorama. I felt nothing, which means the flick has failed.

Wes Anderson directs a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Roman Coppola, and while some of the surprising violence is pretty funny, the whole thing does feel a bit stale. The visuals from Bruno Delbonnel and the score by Alexandre Desplat are Anderson approved, so if you appreciate his work, you’ll like what they’re up to even more. The failing here, besides the general twee feeling that I get from Anderson, is that Anderson and Coppola clearly want you invested in the family story. Especially considering where it leaves off, the intent is undeniable. The thing is, it just never sucks you in. You’re kept at a distance, admiring the pretty images, but never really caring much about the machinations of the plot, which is wildly obtuse and overcomplicated, let alone the characters within.

Below, you can see where I stand with Anderson overall. As mentioned above, his animated works are his best, so Fantastic Mr. Fox comes in at the top of the ranking, with Isle of Dogs not far behind. When it comes to live action, The Royal Tenenbaums is very good, while The Grand Budapest Hotel worked for me more than it didn’t. What of everything else? How about his recent collection of shorts, which I’m including as the single package that Netflix presents? You can find out below, as well as where The Phoenician Scheme debuts on the list

Here now is my ranking of the films of Wes Anderson to date. Behold:

13. Bottle Rocket

12. The Darjeeling Limited

11. The French Dispatch

10. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

9. The Phoenician Scheme

8. Rushmore

7. Moonrise Kingdom

6. Asteroid City

5. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More

4. The Grand Budapest Hotel

3. Isle of Dogs

2. The Royal Tenenbaums

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox

What are your favorite films from Wes Anderson? Let us know!