Director Paul Thomas Anderson is one of those names that gets audiences excited when it's attached to a movie trailer or posters. The Oscar-nominated auteur has such a unique style, sense of humor, and all-around vision. And, since he takes so much time off between movies, it's been hard for fans to remain patient for his upcoming movie, Licorice Pizza, a 70s-based drama about a teenager with a dream of becoming an actor.
The movie had a limited release on the 26th of November, and the few who have seen it have praised it to no end. But it won't get its wide release in the US until December 25th. However, there are loads of movies in the same vein as Licorice Pizza to fill the void until then. Between other dramas set in the decade of disco, raunchy 2010s comedies, and biographical epics, these movies are essentials before seeing Licorice Pizza.
The Master (2012)
A lot of people might be wondering who plays Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman), the lead of Licorice Pizza who has a higher billing than the likes of Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn. The actor has no other credits to his name and has seemingly come out of nowhere, but in fact, Cooper is Philip Seymour Hoffman's son. Anderson had a great working relationship with Seymour Hoffman and together they made magic.
One of the best examples of that is The Master. The 1950s-based movie is loosely based on Scientology, and it follows Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a science fiction novelist who begins a cult called The Cause. It's one of the most powerful movies of the 21st century in terms of acting, and if Cooper Hoffman turns out to be half as good as his father, he'll have an amazing career.
American Hustle (2013)
In the upcoming Licorice Pizza, there is a character who goes by the name of Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper) and is a film producer. Again, not much is known about the character, but he looks like he's going to be one of the most eccentric of the cast. In the trailer, he can be found flexing and posing, desperately trying to get people's attention.
While the characters might have different personalities, it's massively reminiscent of another Bradley Cooper film. Just like Licorice Pizza, American Hustle is set in the 70s and makes the most use out of the fashion and the popular music of the decade. And Cooper's character has a similarly amusing hairstyle.
Boogie Nights (1997)
It's a scary thought that the world is now as far away from 1997 as Boogie Nights is from the year it's set. It's hard to imagine a 90s-based movie with the same kind of campy throwbacks. 17 years after the decade isn't even that much later and it just goes to show how nostalgia for the 70s hit as soon as the era ended.
Anderson clearly loves the 70s, as Boogie Nights is the first of three movies set in the era. The movie follows several different professionals in the adult film industry and all of their downward spirals at the turn of the decade. It's equal parts fun and depressing. Though it isn't in Anderson's nature to make overt references to his own work, and his filmography doesn't take place in the same world as Tarantino's movies do, it'd be fun to see a few easter eggs in there.
Bridesmaids (2011)
There are loads of great female characters in PTA's movies, and Alana Kane (Alana Haim) is shaping up to be one of the best yet. But there's another female character in the upcoming movie, Gale (Maya Rudolph), who could steal the show too. Not much is known about Gale other than that she's played by Rudolph, Anderson's wife.
Funnily enough, the director rarely casts Rudolph in his films, and that might be because the difference between Anderson's movies and Rudolph's movies is like night and day. Where Anderson makes intense character studies, Rudolph stars in raunchy comedies, and the best example of that is Bridesmaids. The comedy sees Rudolph as the bride-to-be, and there's one scene where she has diarrhea and ends up defecating on a public street in her wedding dress. It'll be interesting to see if she brings that humor to Licorice Pizza.
Inherent Vice (2014)
Inherent Vice is another 70s-based movie that indulges in the flares, the music, and the hippies, and it's again directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. In Anderson's second movie based in the 70s, he expertly mixes that aesthetic with hardboiled crime, and it's almost like the spiritual successor of The Big Lebowski.
The movie follows stoner private investigator Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) who has the same airheaded personality as The Dude. When Inherent Vice was first released in 2014, it was criticized by critics for being close to impossible to follow. And while that is true at times, it's hard not to be charmed by the film and the surrealist-like vignettes that make up its 2.5-hour runtime. Some even think Inherent Vice is PTA's best film.
Almost Famous (2000)
Almost Famous has a lot in common with Licorice Pizza, as not only are they both set in the 70s, but the 2000 movie is a coming of age story too. The film is about a young teenager who dreams of becoming a music journalist for Rolling Stone magazine.
There are also so many similarities in themes, as the teenager is thrown into such a grown-up world that's idolized by many, the music industry. That seems to be the case with Gary Valentine, as he's rubbing shoulders with movie producers and directors too. Almost Famous is a beautifully heartfelt movie that uses music in unique ways, and it's full of eccentric musicians.
Phantom Thread (2017)
Paul Thomas Anderson usually takes a longer than normal amount of time between movies, and his last movie arrived four years ago. Phantom Thread follows a 1950s haute couture dressmaker, Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), who falls in love with his muse, and it marks the last film before Daniel Day-Lewis's retirement.
There aren't any striking similarities between the 2017 movie and Licorice Pizza, but the main thread of the film is how Woodcock is easily influenced by the women around him. Licorice Pizza seems to follow suit on that theme, although it's wrapped up in a fun 70s decade of disco vibe as opposed to a 1950s period drama. It's a common theme among Anderson's movies, as that also happens in The Master, and to an extent, Inherent Vice.
Good Time (2017)
Paul Thomas Anderson loves to work with the same actors, and that's no different with Licorice Pizza. The 2021 movie sees the director reunite with John C. Reilly, he's continuing his work with Alana Haim, and he cast his wife with Maya Rudolph. But one first-time collaborator of Anderson's is Benny Safdie, who is playing real-life politician Joel Wachs.
Though Safdie is a great actor, he is a writer and director first and foremost, and together with his brother Josh Safdie, they wrote and directed Good Time, where Benny also plays Nick. The movie follows two amateur bank robbers whose lives get worse and worse within a span of just 24 hours. It's a tough watch, as it's one of the most intense and draining movies of the past 10 years, but it's riveting filmmaking.
Capote (2005)
Capote is another movie that shows the potential that Cooper Hoffman could grow into. The movie follows real-life American Novelist Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) as he writes his magnum opus, In Cold Blood, and the absolute encapsulating performance is unbelievable.
The way Seymour Hoffman transforms himself into Truman Capote, with the whispery voice, judgmental stare, and delicate manner, is the sort of thing that inspires young people to become actors. And with the movie now being 16 years old, it's safe to say that Capote is now considered a classic.
Milk (2008)
Milk is one of the best 70s-based period dramas, but it's much more reserved than the others of its kind. It isn't as in-your-face with all of the 70s novelties, but it instead uses San Francisco in the 70s as a backdrop to tell the biographical story of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn).
The politician was the first openly gay man to be elected for office in California. The movie spans years of Milk's life and ends with his assassination in 1978. Just as is the case with Benny Safdie, Sean Penn has never worked with Anderson before, but that'll change soon, as he'll be playing the fictional actor Jack Holden in Licorice Pizza.