Paul Thomas Anderson’s Typical Vibe
Signature vibe

Highest-ranked title
Highest-ranked title
Paul Thomas Anderson has 11 titles in the CriticCrunch catalog across a career spanning the 1990s through the 2020s. 1 sits in the Top 1% of all titles we track — including There Will Be Blood.
Recurring themes

Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview, 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 suspects Plainview's motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor

Washed-up revolutionary Bob exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti

On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman

In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an era before their never-ending party collides with cold, hard reality.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore

A socially awkward and volatile small business owner meets the love of his life after being threatened by a gang of scammers.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman

In 1950s London, a renowned dressmaker's meticulous lifestyle begins drastically changing as his relationship with his young muse intensifies.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville
In a short musical film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Thom Yorke of Radiohead stars in a mind-bending visual piece. Best played loud.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Thom Yorke, Dajana Roncione, Frida Dam Seidel

Freddie, 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, the charismatic leader of a new "religion" he forms after World War II.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams

The story of Gary Valentine and Alana Kane growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn

A stranger mentors a young Reno gambler who weds a hooker and befriends a vulgar casino regular.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow

In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend.
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson · With Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson