Paul Thomas Anderson's most recent film, Licorice Pizza, has earned the acclaimed writer/director three Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, as well as achieving box office success with a traditional theatrical release during the pandemic.
PTA is one of the last remaining auteur film makers having directed nine feature length films, as well as many short films and music videos, throughout his career. The filmmaker has been working at an extremely high level since his early 20s, making his first three feature films before the age of 30. What better time then to rank Paul Thomas Anderson's legendary work according to their success at the box office, via Box Office Mojo.
Hard Eight (1996) - $222,559
Hard Eight is a neo-noir crime drama, set in Las Vegas, about a professional gambler who takes a young student under his wing teaching him his ways. The young student does well until he falls for a cocktail waitress and things take a turn.
Hard Eight is Paul Thomas Anderson's first feature film, as he was only 26 when he wrote and directed the project. The movie stars Philip Baker Hall and features early performances from John C. Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow. Despite being an incredible film with great performances all around, it's by far Anderson's lowest grossing film.
Inherent Vice (2014) - $14.7 Million
Inherent Vice is a noir crime/detective story set in LA in the 70s as private investigator Larry "Doc" Sportello, played by Joaquin Phoenix, as he investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend, played by Katherine Waterston. The film is based on a Thomas Pynchon novel of the same name as is definitely one of the Paul Thomas Anderson's harder films to follow as the narrative bounces around between various characters and settings.
Fans have noted this as being one of Anderson's funniest film's due to the outstanding performance from Joaquin Phoenix. Despite having an incredible cast of big names like Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, and Reese Witherspoon, Inherent Vice didn't receive much success at the box office.
Licorice Pizza (2021) - $23.8 Million
Licorice Pizza is Paul Thomas Anderson's newest feature film starring Cooper Hoffman, the son of the late and great Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Alana Haim of the popular LA pop band HAIM. The film is a coming of age love story about two young individuals finding first love as they grow up in the San Fernando Valley in the early 70s.
The film has received three Academy Award nominations and has been a true return to form for the Auteur as he revisits many themes, and a few settings, from his previous work. Despite being relatively low on the list, Licorice Pizza is still widely considered a success at the box office because of releasing theatrically during the pandemic.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002) - $24.7 Million
Punch-Drunk Love is a romantic dramedy about frustrated businessman Barry Egan, played by Adam Sandler, as he navigates anxiety, a new love interest, and a pudding promotion involving frequent-flyer miles. At the time of it's release, Punch-Drunk Love was a drastic new direction for both Paul Thomas Anderson and Adam Sandler, as Sandler was mainly known for his comedic acting and hadn't done much dramatic work while Anderson hadn't made a comedy or romance film yet.
Punch-Drunk Love is now considered a favorite among Paul Thomas Anderson fans for it's uniqueness and incredible performance by Sandler, but wasn't as popular initially as it wasn't a huge draw at the box office.
The Master (2012) - $28.3 Million
The Master is a psychological drama about a naval veteran returning from the war and getting swept up in something called The Cause. At first, he believes The Cause is going to provide him with purpose but slowly figures out the true cultish meaning behind the group and it's charismatic leader.
The Master stars Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. Phoenix's performance is considered one of the best in any Paul Thomas Anderson film, and he was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. This is definitely one of Paul Thomas Anderson's more underrated masterpieces, as far as box office earnings.
Boogie Nights (1997) - $43.1 Million
Boogie Nights is a drama comedy about the porn industry in the 70s in Los Angeles. It follows the meteoric rise of a new star, and the crew that surrounds him. The film takes a truly provocative look at the industry as a whole and the people involved in it. This is arguably one of Paul Thomas Anderson's most famous and notorious films.
It was only his second feature he wrote and directed but it really helped him achieve the auteur level filmmaker status that he has. The film has an insanely good cast, featuring Mark Wahlberg, Bert Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, and William H. Macy. Despite being one of Anderson's best, it didn't perform the best at the box office, likely due to the provocative subject matter.
Phantom Thread (2017) - $47.8 Million
Phantom Thread is a drama romance set in London in the 50s about a renowned dress maker who's very strict lifestyle is disrupted by a young women who he quickly falls madly in love with. It's a deep character study that displays two strong willed individuals going at it in a truly toxic relationship.
The film stars Vickie Krieps in a role many fans consider to be one of Paul Thomas Anderson's best female characters, and Daniel Day-Lewis in his final role before announcing retirement. After the massive success of Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis' first collaboration it's only natural that Phantom Thread was also a hit at the box office.
Magnolia (1999) - $48.5 Million
Magnolia is best described as a drama, but it also has action, comedy, and romance. The film is Paul Thomas Anderson's three hour magnum opus about life in the San Fernando Valley featuring many interrelated characters and story that interact and collide throughout a single days time.
Including incredible performances from Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and Jason Robards, this was Anderson's third feature, and it followed the big success of Boogie Nights. Anderson notoriously wanted to provide audiences with something much different tonally than he had before and he definitely did with Magnolia. Despite being a three hour R-rated film in the late 90s, it was still a huge box office success.
There Will Be Blood (2007) - $76.2 Million
There Will Be Blood is a drama that takes place at the turn of the century and follows a prospector as he navigates the early days of the business, his family, and religion. The film is widely considered Anderson's best work earning him nine Academy Award nominations.
It also features two of the best performances of this generation in Paul Dano and Daniel Day-Lewis. Daniel Day-Lewis even won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Daniel Plainview. There really can't be enough said about how great this film is, and it truly deserves to be Anderson's top earner at the box office.