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Every Paul Thomas Anderson Movie Ever Made Ranked

Paul Thomas Anderson accepts the Best Director Award for ‘One Battle After Another’ onstage during the 83rd Annual Golden Globes®, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/CBS ©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the most accomplished filmmakers of his generation … and now he is an Oscar winning director and screenwriter!

He began his career with ‘Hard Eight‘ starring Gwyneth Paltrow, but it was ‘Boogie Nights’ that made him one of the most popular directors in Hollywood. Since then he has helmed such acclaimed films as ‘Magnolia‘, ‘Punch-Drunk Love‘, ‘There Will Be Blood‘, ‘The Master‘, ‘Inherent Vice‘, ‘Phantom Thread‘, and ‘Licorice Pizza‘.

The filmmakers latest movie, ‘One Battle After Another,’ which stars Leonardo Di Caprio, and recently earned him Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture.
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In honor of Anderson’s recent Oscar wins, Moviefone is counting down every film Paul Thomas Anderson has ever directed from worst to best, including his latest.

Let’s begin!

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘One Battle After Another’

10. ‘Hard Eight‘ (1997)

Gwyneth Paltrow in ‘Hard Eight’. Photo: Rysher Entertainment.

A stranger (Phillip Baker Hall) mentors a young Reno gambler (John C. Reilly) who weds a hooker (Gwyneth Paltrow) and befriends a vulgar casino regular.
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9. ‘Punch-Drunk Love‘ (2002)

(L to R) Emily Watson and Adam Sandler in ‘Punch-Drunk Love’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

A socially awkward and volatile small business owner (Adam Sandler) meets the love of his life (Emily Watson) after being threatened by a gang of scammers.
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8. ‘Phantom Thread‘ (2018)

Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘Phantom Thread’. Photo: Focus Features.

In 1950s London, a renowned dressmaker’s (Daniel Day Lewis) meticulous lifestyle begins drastically changing as his relationship with his young muse (Vickey Kreps) intensifies.
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7. ‘The Master‘ (2012)

Philip Seymour Hoffman in ‘The Master’. Photo: The Weinstein Company.

Freddie (Joaquin Phoenix), a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), the charismatic leader of a new “religion” he forms after World War II.
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6. ‘Licorice Pizza‘ (2021)

(L to R) Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in ‘Licorice Pizza’. Photo: United Artists Releasing.

The story of Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) and Alana Kane (Alana Haim) growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
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5. ‘Magnolia‘ (2000)

Tom Cruise in ‘Magnolia’. Photo: New Line Cinema.

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father (Jason Robards), a young wife (Julianne Moore), a male caretaker (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a famous lost son (Tom Cruise), a police officer (John C. Reilly) in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius (William H. Macy), a game show host (Phillip Baker Hall) and an estranged daughter (Melora Walters) will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.
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4. ‘Inherent Vice‘ (2015)

Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Inherent Vice.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterson).
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3. ‘Boogie Nights‘ (1997)

The cast of ‘Boogie Nights’. Photo: New Line Cinema.

Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams’ rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, “Dirk Diggler”. Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams’ dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.
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2. ‘One Battle After Another‘ (2025)

Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

When their evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years, a band of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own. (Leonardo Di Caprio)
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1. ‘There Will Be Blood‘ (2008)

Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘There Will Be Blood’. Photo: Paramount Vantage.

Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis), moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) suspects Plainview’s motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.
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March 28, 2026
10 Best Daniel Day-Lewis Performances of All Time

Daniel Day-Lewis at the premiere of ‘Anemone’. Photo: Focus Features.

Daniel Day-Lewis is widely considered the greatest living actor!

He has been awarded three Academy Awards for Best Actor for his work in ‘My Left Foot‘, ‘There Will Be Blood‘ and ‘Lincoln‘, which is more than any other male actor in history!

Day-Lewis returns to the big screen on October 3rd in his latest film called ‘Anemone‘, which he co-wrote with his son Ronan Day-Lewis, who also makes his directorial debut.
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In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down the 10 best Daniel Day-Lewis Performances of all time.

Let’s begin!

10. Guido Contini in ‘Nine‘ (2009)

Daniel Day-Lewis stars in ‘Nine’. Photo: The Weinstein Company.

Arrogant, self-centered movie director Guido Contini (Lewis) finds himself struggling to find meaning, purpose, and a script for his latest film endeavor. With only a week left before shooting begins, he desperately searches for answers and inspiration from his wife, his mistress, his muse, and his mother.
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9. Newland Archer in ‘The Age of Innocence‘ (1993)

(L to R) Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer stars in ‘The Age of Innocence’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

In 19th century New York high society, a young lawyer (Lewis) falls in love with a woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman’s cousin (Winona Ryder).
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8. Reynolds Woodcock in ‘Phantom Thread‘ (2018)

Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘Phantom Thread’. Photo: Focus Features.

In 1950s London, a renowned dressmaker’s (Lewis) meticulous lifestyle begins drastically changing as his relationship with his young muse (Vicky Kreps) intensifies.
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7. Christy Brown in ‘My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown‘ (1989)

Daniel Day-Lewis stars in ‘My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown’. Photo: Palace Pictures.

No one expects much from Christy Brown (Lewis), a boy with cerebral palsy born into a working-class Irish family. Though Christy is a spastic quadriplegic and essentially paralyzed, a miraculous event occurs when, at the age of 5, he demonstrates control of his left foot by using chalk to scrawl a word on the floor. With the help of his steely mother — and no shortage of grit and determination — Christy overcomes his infirmity to become a painter, poet and author.
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6. Nathaniel “Hawkeye” Poe in ‘The Last of the Mohicans‘ (1992)

Daniel Day-Lewis stars in ‘The Last of the Mohicans’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

In war-torn colonial America, in the midst of a bloody battle between British, the French and Native American allies, the aristocratic daughter of a British Colonel and her party are captured by a group of Huron warriors. Fortunately, a group of three Mohican trappers comes to their rescue.
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5. Danny Flynn in ‘The Boxer‘ (1997)

Daniel Day-Lewis stars in ‘The Boxer’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Nineteen-year-old Danny Flynn (Lewis) is imprisoned for his involvement with the I.R.A. in Belfast. He leaves behind his family and his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Maggie Hamill (Emily Watson). Fourteen years later, Danny is released from prison and returns to his old working class neighborhood to resume his life as a boxer.
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4. Gerry Conlon in ‘In the Name of the Father‘ (1993)

(L to R) Daniel Day-Lewis and Emma Thompson stars in ‘In The Name of The Father’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

A small-time Belfast thief, Gerry Conlon (Lewis), is wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing in London, along with his father (Pete Postlethwaite) and friends, and spends 15 years in prison fighting to prove his innocence.
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3. Bill “the Butcher” Cutting in ‘Gangs of New York‘ (2002)

Daniel Day-Lewis stars in ‘Gangs of New York’. Photo: Miramax Films.

In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father’s killer, William Cutting (Lewis), a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting’s inner circle. Vallon’s journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people.
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2. Abraham Lincoln in ‘Lincoln‘ (2012)

Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘Lincoln.’ Photo: Walt Disney Studios.

The revealing story of the 16th US President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln (Lewis) pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.
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1. Daniel Plainview in ‘There Will Be Blood‘ (2008)

Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘There Will Be Blood’. Photo: Paramount Vantage.

Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview (Lewis), moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) suspects Plainview’s motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.

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September 30, 2025
Daniel Day-Lewis Returning to Acting for ‘Anemone’
Daniel Day-Lewis presents during the live ABC Telecast of The 86th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, CA. Credit/Provider: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Preview:
- Daniel Day-Lewis will appear in a movie for the first time since 2017.
- He’s co-written ‘Anemone’ with his son Ronan, who is also directing.
- Sean Bean, Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley co-star.
With three Oscars under his belt and a long, successful career, Daniel Day-Lewis could be well forgiven for dedicating the rest of his days to other pursuits.

And indeed, it appeared he might be doing just that, having not graced screens since 2017’s ‘Phantom Thread,’ directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
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But when Day-Lewis was spotted by British tabloid newspapers apparently on location shooting a new movie, interest naturally peaked. Was he really back? Would it be a cameo?

Now, we have confirmation from Focus Features, which is backing the new film, titled ‘Anemone’ alongside production company Plan B.

But this isn’t just any movie –– it’s the directorial debut of Day-Lewis’ son Ronan Day-Lewis, and Daniel co-wrote the script with his son.

Related Article: Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn Join Paul Thomas Anderson’s New Film

What’s the story of ‘Anemone’?

Daniel Day-Lewis presents an Oscar® during the live ABC Telecast of The Oscars® from the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 2, 2014. Credit/Provider: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

There aren’t many official details yet, but the plot “explores the intricate relationships between fathers, sons, and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds.”

Focus Features Chairman Peter Kujawski shared his enthusiasm in a statement:

“We could not be more excited to partner with a brilliant visual artist in Ronan Day-Lewis on his first feature film alongside Daniel Day-Lewis as his creative collaborator. They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.”

Ronan Day-Lewis is better known as an artist than a filmmaker at this point, though he did create 2018 short ‘The Sheep and the Wolf’ and the Sargasso music video ‘Snow and Sun.’ He’s known for his painting, which has been included in several public exhibitions over the past few years.

Who else stars in ‘Anemone’?

Sean Bean in ‘Game of Thrones’. Photo: HBO.

The cast also includes Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley and Safia Oakley-Green. Day-Lewis was spotted filming with Bean this week, which is likely why the statement was released. We’re fairly sure all involved might have wanted to wait until the first trailer.

Crew-wise, the movie features Director of Photography Ben Fordesman, Costume Designer Jane Petrie and Production Designer Chris Oddy.

Does this mean Daniel Day-Lewis is officially back?

The Oscar® for performance by an actor in a leading role goes to Daniel Day-Lewis for his role in “Lincoln” during The Oscars® from the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, February 24, 2013 live on the ABC Television Network. Credit/Provider: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

That remains to be seen at this point –– while he’s clearly happy to work alongside his son, Day-Lewis has expressed little interest in otherwise getting back to work on a more regular basis.

But who knows? Perhaps this small taste will spark his desire to act more often again. Either that, or he’ll vanish back into the off-screen world in much the same way as Gene Hackman.

When will ‘Anemone’ be in theaters?

With shooting ongoing, there is no indication when ‘Anemone’ will arrive on screens, but if it turns out well, we could conceivably see it landing in a 2025 awards slot.

Actor Daniel Day-Lewis poses backstage with his Oscar® for performance by an actor in a leading role for his role in “Lincoln” during the live telecast on the ABC Television network from the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, February 24, 2013. Credit/Provider: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Daniel Day-Lewis Movies and TV Shows:
- ‘Gandhi‘ (1983)
- ‘The Bounty‘ (1984)
- ‘My Beautiful Laundrette‘ (1986)
- ‘A Room with a View‘ (1986)
- ‘Nanou‘ (1988)
- ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being‘ (1988)
- ‘My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown‘ (1989)
- ‘Eversmile New Jersey‘ (1991)
- ‘The Last of the Mohicans‘ (1992)
- ‘The Age of Innocence‘ (1993)
- ‘In the Name of the Father‘ (1993)
- ‘The Crucible‘ (1996)
- ‘The Boxer‘ (1997)
- ‘Gangs of New York‘ (2002)
- ‘The Ballad of Jack and Rose‘ (2005)
- ‘There Will Be Blood‘ (2008)
- ‘Nine‘ (2009)
- ‘Lincoln‘ (2012)
- ‘Phantom Thread‘ (2018)
Buy Daniel Day-Lewis Movies on Amazon
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October 2, 2024
Daniel Day-Lewis Opens Up About Retirement From Acting

Daniel Day-Lewis doesn’t intend to see his last film performance.

The three-time Oscar winner announced in June that he would retire from acting after “Phantom Thread,” which re-teamed him with “There Will Be Blood” director Paul Thomas Anderson. Now, in an interview with W magazine, Day-Lewis commented for the first time on his retirement.

“I haven’t figured it out,” he revealed of his decision. “But it’s settled on me, and it’s just there.”

Day-Lewis has flirted with quitting acting before, but it seems this experience was the final nail in the coffin.

“Before making the film, I didn’t know I was going to stop acting,” he explained. “I do know that Paul and I laughed a lot before we made the movie. And then we stopped laughing because we were both overwhelmed by a sense of sadness. That took us by surprise: We didn’t realize what we had given birth to. It was hard to live with. And still is.”

In “Phantom Thread,” Day-Lewis stars as a fashion designer who engages in a tumultuous relationship with his muse. The actor hasn’t seen the movie — and doesn’t ever plan to.

“Not wanting to see the film is connected to the decision I’ve made to stop working as an actor,” he said. “But it’s not why the sadness came to stay. That happened during the telling of the story, and I don’t really know why.”

Day-Lewis acknowledged it was “uncharacteristic” for him to make the public announcement of his retirement, “but I did want to draw a line. I didn’t want to get sucked back into another project,” he said.

“All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.”

“Phantom Thread” opens in theaters December 25.

November 28, 2017
‘Phantom Thread’ Trailer: Daniel Day-Lewis Takes Bow in Final Movie

The clothes make the man — and the woman — in the first trailer for “Phantom Thread,” the last movie Daniel Day-Lewis will star in before his retirement.

The Oscar-winning actor re-teams with “There Will Be Blood” director Paul Thomas Anderson for another gorgeously lush period piece. This time, he plays a dressmaker who finds a muse in a young woman (Vicky Krieps), but is haunted by the idea that love is doomed for him.

The trailer follows the release of the official synopsis of the movie, which finally gave more insight into the secretive project. Here it is:

Set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutants and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love. With his latest film, Paul Thomas Anderson paints an illuminating portrait both of an artist on a creative journey, and the women who keep his world running

The collaboration between Day-Lewis and Anderson should prove fruitful. The film is already garnering Oscar buzz, and Day-Lewis won his second of three Oscars for “There Will Be Blood.”

“Phantom Thread” opens in theaters December 25.

October 24, 2017
Daniel Day-Lewis Retires From Acting

Daniel Day-Lewis is retiring from acting.

His spokeswoman told Variety, “Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor. He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject.”

Day-Lewis is the only male actor to win three Oscars in the lead category, for “My Left Foot,” “There Will Be Blood,” and “Lincoln.”

The 60-year-old has one upcoming film, “Phantom Thread,” which reunites him with “There Will Be Blood” director Paul Thomas Anderson. The story of a royal dressmaker, the movie opens on Christmas Day and Day-Lewis reportedly will help promote the movie.

After winning the Oscar for “Lincoln” in 2013, it looked like Day-Lewis would take another long break. Then again, he’s always been notoriously choosy about projects. And he has flirted with leaving the profession before. Between 1997 and 2002, he worked as a cobbler in Italy.

“It’s an antidote to this other thing I do. Most particularly, perhaps, because you see this visible evidence, you have this tangible thing at the end, and if you f— up, you can see it very clearly and do it again,” Day-Lewis told Rolling Stone in 2003.

Day-Lewis is married to writer/director Rebecca Miller and has three children.

June 20, 2017