Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the greatest film directors working today. PTA has 10 films under his belt and his latest One Battle After Another has a very good chance to earn him his first Academy Award for Best Picture (There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread and Licorice Pizza all received the nomination but lost). PTA has something special with getting the most out of his actors and showcasing his talents with unique stories. Lets hope he doesn’t stop telling these tales anytime soon.
10. Inherent Vice
Jason – 10, Steve – 10, Kyle – 10
Jason: I think PTA has only had one below average film…and this is it. I didn’t get the story at all and much of it was just too weird for me. It was promoted as a comedy, but I never found myself laughing. It is a rare miss for PTA in my opinion. The cinematography is good, I guess? Joaquin Phoenix seemingly plays himself, a weirdo, if you are into that.
Steve: I saw this one at the Ritz in Old City Philadelphia after downing two strong beers and a big ass burger at Eulogy (RIP to one of the great Philly bars). This was not the ideal condition to watch this film. I was very sleepy. Regardless, this is not my favorite of the PTA bunch. I found it confusing and the humor never quite lands. It’s far from a bad movie, it just falls short for this tremendous director.
Kyle: This was probably the easiest one to rank of the bunch. I’ll echo Steve- even though it’s 10th with a bullet for us, it’s far from a bad movie. I had a friend who really loved this one and he would quote it a lot, which helped me kinda get more into it. There are some hilarious moments, to be sure: Josh Brolin eating that frozen banana, him eating the plate of weed, the scene where he’s eating pancakes, etc. Basically, whenever Josh Brolin eats in this movie it’s really funny. I have a feeling in like 10 years, we’ll all remember Inherent Vice exists and it’ll have another moment in the sun because it’s pretty silly and fun.
9. Hard Eight
Jason – 7, Steve – 8, Kyle – 9
Jason: Such a fantastic debut film from a future star director. I didn’t watch this until recently, but it holds up incredibly well. Philip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly shines in this simple movie about a down on his luck gambler and his future mentor. Much more a character study than a transcending plot. You get pulled into these flawed characters and this Las Vegas life. You also get some memorable turns from Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson.
Steve: Echoing a lot of what Jason wrote here. You can really see the bones of who PTA is in this film.
Kyle: Jason and Steve already laid out a lot of my comments on this one. It’s a great debut that lays the groundwork of who PTA is as a filmmaker and the stories he likes to tell. After watching OBAA, I realized that Hard Eight might be the only other PTA movie where there’s a clear-cut “bad guy”, in Samuel L Jackson’s character Jimmy.
8. Phantom Thread
Jason – 8, Steve – 5, Kyle – 8
Jason: This is a good film, but it can be hard to watch at times when it has no one to actually root for. Like all his roles, Daniel Day Lewis is absolutely phenomenal and gets lost in the role. You believe and he believes he is a world famous dressmaker. It also makes me a bit sad that this was his final acting role before his abrupt retirement. PTA really brings out the set-designs and camera-work in this one to give it one of the most unique feels from any of his previous films.
Steve: I absolutely believe my high placement of this film on the list was due to seeing this in the theater early in the afternoon. Well-caffeinated and full but not overly full is ideal movie watching conditions, in my humble opinion.
I found this tale of toxic love in the world of high fashion to be oddly charming. It’s not the most compelling PTA story on paper – it’s about a 1950s dressmaker and the woman who inspires him. However, Daniel Day Lewis makes Reynolds Woodcock (WHAT A NAME) compelling. The character is an awful person and his relationship with Alma (Vicky Krieps) is as toxic as they come. The film is often haunting, between the cinematography and the score.
Kyle: For as great as DDL is, Lesley Manville & Vicky Krieps steal the show in this one. Reynolds Woodcock is a fastidious prick and his sister Cyril (Manville), and his muse Alma (Krieps) test his every nerve. The breakfast scenes in particular are a delight, with Cyril refusing to take Reynolds’ bullshit. I love Alma’s character. She proves herself a worthy challenge for Reynolds, who gets off on bullying and getting his way. Alma stands up for herself and what she wants, and the two end up in a freaky deaky relationship that’s all about dominance and submission.
7. Licorice Pizza
Jason – 5, Steve – 6, Kyle – 7
Jason: I watched this on an airplane, but despite that it held a lasting impression. Yes, the age gap between the two main characters is kind of the point of the film. If you are grossed out by that, then this won’t be for you. PTA gets the most out of his actors and does so again with newcomers Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, both in their first ever film roles. The dynamic between the two is captivating and heartbreaking in a way. You want to root for them both, but the barriers are apparent and justified in a way. This is one of PTA’s more rewatchable films because of its cool 70’s setting and killer score.
Steve: This is a nice slice of life in the 1970s film. Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim have great chemistry in this story of a boyhood crush. PTA has some very funny moments in his films and Licorice Pizza has so many good ones. Everything on the golf course is absolute gold. Bradley Cooper’s cameo as Jon Peters is extra funny to anyone who has heard Kevin Smith’s story about the making of Superman Lives (giant fucking spider!).
Kyle: Licorice Pizza is such a joy to watch. This one feels like a throwback to the sprawling ensemble movies of PTA’s early career. It’s got a Boogie Nights feel, following the characters as they rollick through Southern California, with the heart of Punch-Drunk Love. Jason and Steve already shone some love on the main cast, so I want to shout out the hilarious performance by Skyler Gisondo, as Lance. The sequence set to Wings’ “Let Me Roll It” is electric – especially the two hands coming together on the waterbed.
6. The Master
Jason – 9, Steve – 2, Kyle – 6
Jason: This film is so odd and off-putting…I hated it. Maybe hate is a strong word, but I loathed absolutely everyone in this film but understood why this is viewed as one of PTA’s best films. It looks into the lives of these two men (Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman) as polar opposites who see the mutual benefits from one another. It is phenomenally acted and shot, as with all PTA films. This is a film that makes you incredibly sad that you will never get to see another performance from Phllip Seymour Hoffman, who is one of my favorite actors of all-time.
Steve: The Master is so odd and off-putting. I love it. This film has my favorite Phillip Seymour Hoffman performance. He is simultaneously charismatic, creepy, lovable, loathable, and a hot mess of a cult leader. If there are two films in my rankings that I felt were elevated the most by incredible performances, it’s The Master and There Will Be Blood. This goes down as what I think was his best performance. He truly does transform into Lancaster Dodd. Amy Adams is terrifying as Peggy Dodd. Grab a tall glass of paint thinner and get ready for a weird time.
Kyle: There are things about The Master that I don’t think I’ll ever fully unravel. It contains mysteries that I can’t quite understand just yet… compels me though, to quote Benoit Blanc. I watched The Master again in September (Bryn Mawr film institute played it in 70) and on this viewing, I realized “ohhhh, this movie’s really about your dad and why he is the way he is. Like, dudes of this generation have these two wolves (Dodd & Quell) inside them.” The informal processing scene between Hoffman & Phoenix is one of the most captivating things ever filmed. Just like Phoenix, you can’t even blink while you watch it. Absolute goddamn magic.
5. Punch Drunk Love
Jason – 7, Steve – 7, Kyle – 5
Jason: This really showed that Adam Sandler could do more than make silly voices. If it wasn’t for Daniel Day Lewis’ character in There Will Be Blood, this would be the single best character ever written by PTA. The film has a rare, crafted hopeful story and is a breath of fresh air to his filmography. It is one of the more unique “romantic comedies” you will find because it actually delves into much more than the grand overtures and makes you look at your own flaws in a way that you never expect. The film is a bit of a rollercoaster that you never really know when the big drop is coming.
Steve: This is one that I keep going back and forth on. Punch Drunk Love was the first time that we got to see Adam Sandler in a dramatic role. He had done some action before (Bulletproof) but certainly nothing like this.
Kyle: I was pretty surprised at where this ended up in my ranking when I was doing this exercise. It took me a few watches to get into this movie, but I’ve grown to love it more and more over the years. It’s just a great lil love story that’s told in a unique way, and it’s goddamn funny. The red and blue stuff in the background throughout is such a fun little game to try and catch it when it happens. Adam Sandler whips the shit out of 4 weird brothers, and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s “SHUT SHUT SHUT SHUT SHUT UP!” is iconic.
4. Magnolia
Jason – 6, Steve – 8, Kyle – 1
Jason: I’m a sucker for an ensemble piece with interconnecting storylines. This is Tom Cruise’s greatest dramatic performance of his career and that alone is nearly the price of admission. While I don’t think the ending of the film is the strongest, it’s the heavy lifting throughout that really carries it. From Julianne Moore to Philip Baker Hall to William H. Macy, it is so wonderfully acted that you can’t help but get invested in their clearly flawed or downright miserable characters.
Steve: Wow, our rankings are all over the place on Magnolia! This and Punch Drunk Love are the two PTA films that I really need to rewatch after this. My initial read on Magnolia is this is just not a film that appeals to my sensibilities. Unlike Jason, I am not a sucker for ensemble pieces with interconnecting storylines. The film is just an oddball that, while good, does not work for me. This however, seems to be far from the case for Kyle!
Kyle: This isn’t just my favorite PTA movie, it’s my favorite movie period. It is so many things wrapped into one: a great ensemble movie, a seriously heavy emotional journey, an exploration of life and love and death and family, it’s got a kinda sorta musical sing-a-long, it features an all-time Tom Cruise performance, frogs rain down, it speaks to the very core of what movies are and the audience’s agreement to suspend disbelief, and it contains so much more. But perhaps the greatest feat of Magnolia is that for 3 hours straight the film is relentless in the emotional weight it piles onto the viewer, but all of that sorrow, anger, & regret is wiped away by the final shot of the film as Melora Walters’ character Claudia (of all characters) looks directly into the lens and smiles at you. In that moment, it truly feels that even after everything these characters (and you) went through- everything will be okay.
3. There Will Be Blood
Jason – 3, Steve – 3, Kyle-4
Jason: One of the greatest acting performances of our time. Daniel Day Lewis is always a revelation, but this was his magnum opus. It is a great film that was overshadowed a bit by another great film at the time, No Country For Old Men. This, however, was the better film and should have won the Academy Award. It is PTA’s third best film and the story itself is a frightening true telling of American history. There are no punches pulled in its portrayal of a man with no moral conscience. This also served as Paul Dano’s coming-out-party of sorts after minor, but respectable roles in The Girl Next Door and Little Miss Sunshine. This performance, possibly his best, allowed him to go on to more incredible roles. Once again, there may not be a better director who gets the most out of his actors, which is a testament to PTA’s writing and direction.
Steve: I cannot tell a lie – I fell asleep the first time I saw this movie. I was living alone and had a long day and anyway I woke up to Daniel Plainview bashing a man’s skull in with a bowling pin screaming, “I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!”. I have since properly revisited this film and yes, it’s great.
It’s hard to really say which performance is Daniel Day Lewis’ best, he’s always tremendous. Plainview takes the cake for me. He’s so intense. “I’VE ABANDONED MY BOY!” God, man, the intensity, it’s unbelievable. Despite Quentin Tarantino’s objections, I think Paul Dano is quite good in this film as well.
PTA does such a great job capturing the rugged origins of the dirtiest business.
Kyle: One of the things I gave more weight in my rankings was: how often do I wanna put this on for a lil re-watch, whether it be the entire movie or a particular scene or two? That’s probably what put it at 4th for me. Make no mistake: this is A Great Film, and undoubtedly a modern classic. It’s a masterclass in every sense, regardless of Quentin Tarantino’s dorky-ass opinions. But it’s not something I put on just to hang out with (those are my favorite kind of PTA movies). This one is so different from the rest of his filmography, but it’s so cool he made this movie.
2. One Battle After Another
Jason – 2, Steve – 4, Kyle – 3
Jason: Rarely do you find a film that is so socially relevant and scary…but also be so damn funny doing it. Another amazing turn from DiCaprio that really takes the cake. Who knew that playing a quasi-scumbag would become his bread-and-butter, award-winning turn at this stage in his career. The film is gorgeously shot and once again PTA gets the most of his performances with those he casts. Benecio del Toro as a karate sensei, but also an underground leader for an immigrant community? Any scene with him in it had my side hurting by the end of it. This is an incredible piece of filmmaking and storytelling for this generation as Boogie Nights was in the 90’s.
Steve: One Battle After Another might go down as a definitive film for capturing the Trump era in America. It’s weirdly hilarious at times! Sean Penn’s macho gait as Colonel Lockjaw gets me every time I see it. Bob’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) frustration with remembering the actual passcode for the rebellion is so relatable, albeit for us trying to reach our bank and not an underground movement. SNL legend Jim Downey even shows up as part of the shadowy white power illuminati group, the Christmas Adventurers (you probably know Downey best from his role telling Billy Madison how stupid his speech was, or talking to Conan O’Brien about his financier buddy). The film is shot beautifully, with the rooftop scene and hilly car chase sticking out to me in particular.
Kyle: It took 3 viewings for this one to fully click with me, and yeah it’s pretty damn good. For all that the movie is about, so much of what makes this movie work is how funny it is. Sneaky funny. Sean Penn is disgusting, Leo’s physical comedy is so good in this, Chase Infiniti rules, Teyana Taylor is electric. I love the running bit with Leo trying to plug in the charger for his 1G phone. I like the way Leo delivers “what in the motherfucking fuck?” I love Sensei. Viva la revolución!
1. Boogie Nights
Jason – 1, Steve – 1, Kyle – 2
Jason: There really isn’t much to say here that hasn’t been said since the film came out 27 years ago. It is the ensemble piece to end all ensembles and is in my Top 5 favorite films of all-time. Every actor in this is at their peak and the set design and score is absolutely incredible. When a film firmly entrenched itself into the very fabric of American pop culture, you know it is a masterpiece.
Steve: I’m finishing up this piece in a silver bathrobe, blasting Sister Christian by Night Ranger and setting off random fireworks. What a film! God, Boogie Nights really does have it all.
- The name Chest Rockwell
- Alfred Molina on cocaine
- Rollergirl
- Burt Reynolds smoking thin cigars
There are so many great actors in Boogie Nights, and you can argue for a number of them that it’s their best performance. Burt Reynolds in particular, who was already a legend before making this film, is so good as smut peddler, Jack Horner.
It’s hilarious, it’s tragic, it’s tense, it’s Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece.
Kyle: PTA was 27 when this movie was released, and he’s got more than a handful of Absolute Bangers to his name since then. The first half of this movie is so much fun. It’s unquestionably one of those movies where if you’re flipping channels and it’s on… you put it on. It’s a movie you can hang out with- even through the hell of the 80s portion. It’s hard to look away because even when the shit hits the fan, it’s too damn good a movie to stop watching cuz the fun’s over. To quote the legendary Ricky Jay from this very film, “it’s a real film… you made it fly.” It’s got the touch. It’s got the power.
