Licorice Pizza (2021)

Licorice Pizza (2021)

[8] Hollywood often waters down characters and storylines to make them universally appealing. Filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson with Licorice Pizza, or David O. Russell with Joy and The Fighter, are challenging that notion with stories of tremendous specificity --…
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

[4] About two minutes into Punch-Drunk Love, an absurdist romance from Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia), you learn the movie doesn't really take place in the real world and none of the characters are real, either. It's all... some…
The Master (2012)

The Master (2012)

[5] Gosh. I guess I just don't get this movie. I mean, it's beautiful and all, and the performances are certainly something special. But what the hell do I take from the story? It's so open-ended (thematically), it's practically a…
There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

[10] Director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) serves up a masterful study of two ambitious men -- a turn-of-the-century oil prospector driven by capitalism and a young preacher eager to grow his flock. The two men come to conflict…
Magnolia (1999)

Magnolia (1999)

[9] Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson follows Boogie Nights with another sprawling emotional epic full of spectacular acting and rich directorial style. The screenplay is an exercise in whimsical allegory, connecting the lives of nine different characters in a sometimes obtuse…
Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights (1997)

[9] Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s ode to the '70s porn industry brings poignant depth to its sensational subject matter.  It’s also an amazing showcase of top-notch acting and directing.  Anderson is a rare creative talent, as skilled with actors as…