Best Paul Thomas Anderson Movies Ranked For Filmmakers

Junun is a documentary-feature from PT Anderson that explores the “making of” an Indian album of the same name. Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood collaborates with Anderson on this ambitious project in a capacity that’s larger than their previous works together.

Greenwood has worked on several soundtracks for Anderson over the years, including The Master and Phantom Thread. But with Junun, Greenwood takes to the stage with the band Rajasthan Express as a composer and performer.

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.

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.

Anderson's throwback teen romance has a lot to like and a lot to dislike. First, it's great to see another "love letter to the San Fernando Valley." The soundtrack is inspired, the vibe and the production design are pitch perfect. In many ways, this is like a return to form for Anderson, but that's not necessarily a good thing.

He started making movies like this but then his whole approach took a sharp right turn. His latest films have been deep and complicated character studies with big ideas with an art-house (aka inscrutable) flair. In other words, if he had released Licorice Pizza after Punch-Drunk Love, it would have fit right in. But after undeniable masterpieces like The Master and Phantom Thread, this seems like a tiny step back.

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. 

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. In the film, we have 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.

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. 

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.