Ranking the Films of Paul Thomas Anderson

There aren’t many filmmakers out there like Paul Thomas Anderson, that’s for sure. Not only is he one of the best directors working today, he’s constantly experimenting with different types of films. Early on, his work had a Martin Scorsese flair to it (or perhaps Robert Altman, ensemble wise), though he’s since gone in varied other directions with his movies. There’s just something about PTA that makes one of his flicks an event, which we don’t have enough of. As One Battle After Another hits theaters, it’s time to rank Anderson’s films, give the many his due, and appreciate a true auteur at the very top of his game.

In my review of One Battle After Another (here), I said the following about Anderson’s latest gem:

Paul Thomas Anderson is flexing a new directorial muscle here, giving us action scenes, a blockbuster scale (done on a blockbuster budget), and even making some moves towards the mainstream. One Battle After Another is almost certainly his most accessible film, yet at the same time, it’s also easily his most political. The fascist government the revolutionaries are fighting against are unnamed white supremacists, though you don’t have to squint too hard to see who Anderson is raging at. The loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon‘s Vineland never feels preachy, instead consistently seeking to entertain. The real world timeliness of the message just gives it all weight. PTA’s writing and direction is once again impeccable here, aided by another mesmerizing Jonny Greenwood score, as well as stunning cinematography (see it in VistaVision if you can!) from Michael Bauman.

Previously, when I reviewed Licorice Pizza (here), I had this to say about him:

Paul Thomas Anderson writes and directs this (as well as sharing cinematography duties with Michael Bauman) with a clear smile on his face. He’s pondering young love, as only he can do it. Not only is this about as funny as Anderson has ever been, it’s also as romantic. He’s not winking, either. PTA believes what he’s selling. There’s an earnestness we’ve never seen from him before. His portrait of young love is like a memory of a time gone by, with all the hazy recollections one might have. Truly, it works. As always, the technical aspects of his work is flawless, from his visuals with Bauman, to Mark Bridges‘ costumes, to the minimal yet effective Jonny Greenwood score. Meandering but always fun, 133 minutes flies by.

Below, you can see how PTA stacks up for me. I’ve said it for years now, but for my money, no filmmaker has ever had a three movie run like Anderson with Boogie Nights, Magnolia (one of my five favorite films of all time), and Punch-Drunk Love, so it shouldn’t be surprising that they occupy my top three slots. It does feel like, at least for yours truly, the next tier features spots for, in whatever order you fancy, The Master, One Battle After Another, and There Will Be Blood. When you see Licorice Pizza and Phantom Thread ending up towards the bottom of this list (which has Hard Eight and Inherent Vice there, mostly due to how amazing everything else is), you know you’re appreciate the resume of a master craftsman.

Here now is my ranking of the films of Paul Thomas Anderson. Behold:

10. Inherent Vice

9. Hard Eight

8. Phantom Thread

7. Licorice Pizza

6. There Will Be Blood

5. The Master

4. One Battle After Another

3. Punch-Drunk Love

2. Boogie Nights

1. Magnolia

As you can see, Anderson is, almost without question, one of the great auteurs working today. Now that One Battle After Another is in theaters, you can see it for yourself and decide where it ranks amongst his filmography. Regardless of where you slot it in, it’s more evidence that PTA is working in a register that few others can. Whether it results in his first Oscar win this season or not remains to be seen, but there’s no debate about whether he’s a master at his craft anymore. That verdict is decidedly in…

What are your favorite Paul Thomas Anderson films? Let us know!