Paul Thomas Anderson: A modern Auteur

Paul Thomas Anderson is a filmmaker known for his deeply written characters and bold directing style. Anderson’s interest in filmmaking started at a young age where he worked as a production assistant on various film projects throughout Los Angeles and New York. Anderson’s filmmaking career spans almost 30 years and his films vary greatly in genre and setting.

Anderson’s debut “Hard Eight” (1996) follows a senior gambler who takes a young man under his wing as they become embroiled in crime. It fared well with critics and helped him put his foot in the door for making a new, bigger project. Anderson’s sophomore film “Boogie Nights” (1997) follows the rise and fall of a group of pornographic filmmakers in the late 70s and early 80s. It was lauded by critics for its direction, characters, and soundtrack.

Rounding out the decade was “Magnolia” (1999), a sprawling story set in the San Fernando Valley following ten distinct characters all going through an emotionally charged day. Anderson expanded on his ambitious scope with this project that boasts a large ensemble cast and clocks in just shy of three hours.

Anderson’s first project of the 2000s was “Punch Drunk Love” (2002). It starred Adam Sandler as a man romantically pursuing a woman while being the victim of extortionists. The film blends romance, comedy, and drama, and tons of praise went towards Sandler’s unconventional performance. Anderson’s next project, “There Will Be Blood” (2007), took audiences back to the oil boom in California during the early 1900s. It follows Daniel Plainview, a ruthless oil tycoon played by Daniel Day-Lewis and his destructive conflict over land ownership with a local preacher. The film did extremely well critically and financially, securing Day-Lewis his second Oscar win for Best Actor.

Set in post WWII America, “The Master” (2012) is the story of a veteran’s struggle to reintegrate back into society as he gets seduced by a cult known as The Cause. The film tackled subjects like PTSD, post war America, and the power of cults. The film was a critical success and appeared on multiple best of the year and decades lists. Next was “Inherent Vice” (2014), which follows a private investigator’s spiraling fall into the criminal underworld as he tries to track down a missing person in 1970s L.A. The film is based on the novel by the same name written by Thomas Pynchon and has a more comedic tone compared to Anderson’s heavier films.

The last project of the 2010s was set in 1950s London. “Phantom Thread” (2017) details the relationship between a meticulous dressmaker and his muse. The film did extremely well with critics and received multiple award nominations. The first project Anderson made in the 2020s was Licorice Pizza (2021). It follows the misadventures of a young actor and directionless woman in the early 70s. This was another one of his more comedic projects and did well with critics, being nominated for multiple awards.

Anderson is still an active filmmaker as he has an upcoming project “One Battle After Another” slated to release September 26, 2025. The film is loosely based on another Thomas Pynchon’s novel titled “Vineland” and follows a group of ex-revolutionaries reuniting to rescue the daughter of one of their own. With an estimated budget of $140 million, it will be the largest project Anderson has helmed. Whether it is a gritty period piece, an intimate romance, or a stoner comedy, Anderson shows that he is not confined to one genre. The consistent critical praise across all his projects shows he is doing something right with his versatile filmmaking.