Paul Thomas Anderson Movies Ranked: Is Boogie Nights Still The Best?

Chris

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the greatest directors of our time. He’s one of those rare filmmakers where almost everything he’s done is worth watching. Sure, some films are stronger than others, but has he ever made a bad movie? I don’t think so. Of course, that means there’s always going to be debate about which of his films are the best and which are the weakest. With that in mind, here’s our ranking of Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies:

Film	Greatest Strength	Weakest Aspect
Boogie Nights	Ensemble storytelling and energy	Occasionally indulgent runtime
Magnolia	Emotional depth and performances	Polarizing frog sequence
One Battle After Another	Ambitious scope and performances	Too new to fully evaluate historically
There Will Be Blood	Daniel Day-Lewis performance and atmosphere	Colder emotional tone than Anderson’s ensemble films
Punch-Drunk Love	Unique romance and Adam Sandler’s performance	Its quirky tone won’t work for everyone
Licorice Pizza	Nostalgic energy and chemistry between leads	Episodic structure
The Master	Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman	Intentionally opaque narrative
Hard Eight	Tight storytelling and performances	Smaller scale than Anderson’s later films
Inherent Vice	Psychedelic atmosphere and humor	Messy and difficult to follow
Phantom Thread	Elegant filmmaking and performances	Slower pacing and niche subject matter

10. Phantom Thread

• Release Year: 2017
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville
• Box Office: $47 million worldwide
• Composer: Jonny Greenwood
• Distributor: Focus Features
• Notable For: Daniel Day-Lewis’s final film role before retirement and its gothic romance atmosphere

Some PT Anderson fans might have this at the top of their lists rather than the bottom. For me, it lands last simply because the subject matter—1950s haute couture fashion—just isn’t in my wheelhouse. That said, the fact that Anderson can make such a topic engaging says a lot about his talent. Daniel Day-Lewis (in what was his “retirement” role) is excellent, as are Lesley Manville and Vicky Krieps. Still, I found it a little dull overall—though the ending is unquestionably great.

9. Inherent Vice

• Release Year: 2014
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Katherine Waterston, Martin Short
• Box Office: $14 million worldwide
• Composer: Jonny Greenwood
• Distributor: Warner Bros.
• Notable For: Adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel and its psychedelic noir style

Anderson’s fondness for Thomas Pynchon is on full display here. Despite flopping at the box office (and with some critics), it’s a wild, trippy ride through 1970 Los Angeles. Joaquin Phoenix is at his stoned best, Josh Brolin steals the show ordering pancakes in Japanese, and Martin Short pops up as a coke-snorting dentist. It’s messy but undeniably fun.

8. Hard Eight

• Release Year: 1996
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson
• Box Office: $222,000 worldwide
• Composer: Jon Brion
• Distributor: Rysher Entertainment
• Notable For: Anderson’s feature directorial debut and neo-noir gambling atmosphere

This modest debut put Anderson on the map. At under two hours, it feels like a product of the post-Tarantino Sundance indie wave of the mid-’90s. But Philip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly deliver powerhouse performances in this card-shark drama. It’s unlike anything else Anderson has made, and I have a soft spot for it.

7. The Master

• Release Year: 2012
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
• Box Office: $28 million worldwide
• Composer: Jonny Greenwood
• Distributor: The Weinstein Company
• Notable For: Loosely inspired by Scientology and acclaimed lead performances

A thinly veiled look at Scientology, The Master is a powerful, ambitious film. It helped relaunch Joaquin Phoenix’s career after I’m Still Here and gave Philip Seymour Hoffman one of his best showcase roles as cult leader Lancaster Dodd (Anderson’s take on L. Ron Hubbard). Striking, unsettling, and brilliantly acted, it remains one of his most discussed works.

6. Licorice Pizza

• Release Year: 2021
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Cooper Hoffman, Alana Haim, Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn
• Box Office: $33 million worldwide
• Composer: Jonny Greenwood
• Distributor: MGM / United Artists Releasing
• Notable For: Nostalgic San Fernando Valley setting and breakout performances

Here Anderson returned to the more energetic style of his early films, crafting a coming-of-age story starring Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Alana Haim. Their oddball romance is set against the backdrop of the San Fernando Valley, complete with classic Anderson flourishes—including Bradley Cooper’s hilarious turn as producer Jon Peters.

5. Punch-Drunk Love

• Release Year: 2002
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Box Office: $24 million worldwide
• Composer: Jon Brion
• Distributor: Columbia Pictures
• Notable For: Adam Sandler’s acclaimed dramatic turn and unconventional romance story

Anderson made this as a kind of love letter to Adam Sandler, building a film around his familiar man-child persona but giving it real depth. Sandler plays a meek bathroom supply salesman with flashes of uncontrollable rage who falls in love with Emily Watson’s character. Scored beautifully by Jon Brion (with Shelley Duvall and Harry Nilsson’s “He Needs Me” from Popeye as a recurring motif), it’s a strange, sweet, and unforgettable romance. Plus, Philip Seymour Hoffman is perfect as the bullying owner of a phone-sex service—his final confrontation with Sandler is Anderson gold.

4. There Will Be Blood

• Release Year: 2007
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano
• Box Office: $76 million worldwide
• Composer: Jonny Greenwood
• Distributor: Paramount Vantage / Miramax
• Notable For: Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar-winning performance and iconic score

For many, this is Anderson’s masterpiece. I get it: Daniel Day-Lewis delivers perhaps his greatest performance, the cinematography is stunning, and Jonny Greenwood’s score is iconic. Personally, I’ve always preferred Anderson’s more kinetic, Altman-esque films like Boogie Nights and Magnolia over his more stately works. But there’s no denying this is one of the defining films of the 21st century.

3. One Battle After Another

• Release Year: 2025
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti
• Box Office: $213 million worldwide
• Composer: Jonny Greenwood
• Distributor: Warner Bros.
• Notable For: Large-scale father-daughter story and Anderson’s most ambitious production to date

Some are already calling this Anderson’s greatest film. I think it’s too early to say—it deserves time to marinate before we place it in the canon. Still, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and newcomer Chase Infiniti anchoring a sweeping father-daughter story, it’s absolutely one of his most impressive works. (Read my review HERE.)

2. Magnolia

• Release Year: 1999
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, John C. Reilly
• Box Office: $48 million worldwide
• Composer: Jon Brion
• Distributor: New Line Cinema
• Notable For: Ensemble storytelling, emotional intensity, and famous raining frogs sequence

When it hit in 1999, Magnolia divided audiences—especially the famous shower of frogs. But to me, it’s ALMOST Anderson’s best film. It’s an emotionally devastating, sprawling story of LA misfits reckoning with their past sins. The ensemble cast is flawless: Tom Cruise (in one of his best roles), Jason Robards, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Philip Baker Hall, and William H. Macy all deliver career-high performances. Plus, Aimee Mann’s songs tie it all together beautifully.

1. Boogie Nights

• Release Year: 1997
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Box Office: $43 million worldwide
• Composer: Michael Penn
• Distributor: New Line Cinema
• Notable For: Epic portrait of the 1970s adult film industry and breakout mainstream success for Anderson

Not only my favorite PT Anderson movie, but one of my favorite movies ever. His affectionate yet gritty homage to the 1970s porn scene is endlessly rewatchable—every time I revisit it, I find something new. Mark Wahlberg is perfect as Dirk Diggler, John C. Reilly is hysterical as his best friend Reed, and Burt Reynolds steals the show as patriarch Jack Horner (even if he didn’t appreciate the film himself). It’s bold, funny, tragic, and endlessly alive—Anderson at his very best.

FAQ

What is Paul Thomas Anderson’s best movie?

We believe Boogie Nights is Paul Thomas Anderson’s best film thanks to its unforgettable ensemble cast, emotional depth, and endlessly rewatchable energy.

Is There Will Be Blood considered Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece?

Many critics and fans consider There Will Be Blood Anderson’s masterpiece, especially due to Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar-winning performance and the film’s striking cinematography and score.

Which Paul Thomas Anderson movie is the most accessible?

Boogie Nights and Licorice Pizza are often considered Anderson’s most accessible films because of their humor, energetic pacing, and crowd-pleasing ensemble casts.

What actors frequently work with Paul Thomas Anderson?

Several actors have become closely associated with Anderson’s films, including:

• Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Joaquin Phoenix
• John C. Reilly
• Daniel Day-Lewis
• Julianne Moore

Which Paul Thomas Anderson movie stars Adam Sandler?

Adam Sandler stars in Punch-Drunk Love, which is widely regarded as one of the strongest dramatic performances of his career.

Is The Master based on Scientology?

While not officially about Scientology, The Master is widely viewed as heavily inspired by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and the origins of the movement.

What is Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest movie?

One Battle After Another is currently Anderson’s newest film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn.

Which Paul Thomas Anderson movies feature music by Jonny Greenwood?

Jonny Greenwood composed scores for several Anderson films, including:

• There Will Be Blood
• The Master
• Inherent Vice
• Phantom Thread
• Licorice Pizza
• One Battle After Another

Has Paul Thomas Anderson ever made a bad movie?

We would argue that Anderson has never made a truly bad film, even if some entries are stronger or more accessible than others.

Which PT Anderson movie is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!