All Paul Thomas Anderson films in order, best way to watch the iconic filmmaker's movies, revealed

Paul Thomas Anderson films come with a range of characters that we, especially the flawed ones (according to society), can resonate with. The master of psychological dramas has finished his ten feature films with One Battle After Another, where he took his flawed characters to another level.

On one hand, Leonardo DiCaprio's Bob Ferguson was a revolutionary turned pot-smoking paranoid in his latest film, and on the other was Sean Penn's lunatic character, Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw.

During his career, PTA has given us a great deal of characters ranging from anxious to desperate. And every time he puts his characters on the screen, chaos is bound to follow in their lives and in the lives of those who are around them.

We don't know what Paul Thomas Anderson is up to for his next project, but we can say this for sure: It just gets better with every film he directs. So, until we get to his next feature, here are all of his films for you to watch.

Paul Thomas Anderson films in order

Director Paul Thomas Anderson (Image via Getty)

Hard Eight (1996)

Among all the Paul Thomas Anderson films, this is the only film that keeps gambling at its center. Philip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly were in the lead, where the latter finds the former, becoming, sort of, a mentor to the latter. But Reilly's character remains a mess until the end.

Boogie Nights (1997)

This is perhaps Mark Wahlberg at his finest in a movie. He was in the lead as Dirk Diggler, a man with an exceptionally large penis, which makes him a superstar in the adult industry. However, this stardom takes over him, and he suffers an insufferable time in his life.

Magnolia (1999)

This is among the Paul Thomas Anderson films that made it to the Oscars stage. Sadly, none of them won. There's no one character in the lead in Magnolia, but you will never see Tom Cruise in a much more messed-up role. Maybe the actor's performance in 1989's Born on the Fourth of July can be compared to this when it comes to messed-up characters.

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Paul Thomas Anderson films certainly bring anxiety with them. However, with Punch-Drunk Love, the director gave us a character in the form of Adam Sandler's Barry Egan that every introvert living on this planet will cherish and keep close to the heart once encountered.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

This is widely considered the magnum opus of all the Paul Thomas Anderson films. Daniel Day-Lewis plays an oilman who is all about business. In his pursuit of creating an empire, he goes to lengths that will give a capitalist motivation and a normal being butterflies in the stomach.

The Master (2012)

Paul Thomas Anderson films aren't really coming-of-age, and neither was this. But if you look closely at the character Joaquin Phoenix played, Freddie Quell, his mental age sort of grows by the end of the story, making it almost a coming-of-age story.

Inherent Vice (2014)

Joaquin Phoenix acted as the lead character in two back-to-back Paul Thomas Anderson films. After appearing as a struggling Navy veteran in a post-war society, he played a private investigator in Inherent Vice, who, which goes without saying, was a "dirty f**king hippie."

Phantom Thread (2017)

Paul Thomas Anderson again put characters in love with each other in his next film, where Daniel Day-Lewis was again in the lead. Like his character in There Will Be Blood, he was a dedicated man to his work. However, he was more of a little boy who was annoyed by even the smallest of sounds while he was working. Maturity went on a vacation here.

Licorice Pizza (2021)

If you want to see a glimpse of one of Quentin Tarantino's films in Paul Thomas Anderson's films, Licorice Pizza is your go-to film. There's no gore or violence in it, but watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and then watch this one, and you will know.

One Battle After Another (2025)

One of the best movies of this year, Paul Thomas Anderson cast Leonardo DiCaprio in a role that will later haunt his life when his daughter goes missing. We won't spoil the ending for you, but the final scene of cars chasing each other on a wavy road is perhaps one of the best endings you'll see this year.

Which of these Paul Thomas Anderson films have you seen? We would like to hear from you in the comments.