Four years after “Licorice Pizza,” Paul Thomas Anderson has returned to theaters with “One Battle After Another.” The writer/director’s latest stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a stoner ex-revolutionary attempting to rescue his daughter (Chase Infiniti) from an old enemy (Sean Penn).
The film, loosely adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s novel “Vineland,” open to rapturous reviews, with many critics citing it as a potential best for PTA. A week before release, “One Battle After Another” sits at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 4.3 on Letterboxd and a 96 on Metacritic.
Fans looking to dive into PTA’s full filmography before his latest are in luck. Almost every one of the director’s nine movies leading up to “One Battle After Another” is currently available on streaming — though, they’re not all in the same place.
Here’s where you can watch every PTA movie before “One Battle After Another.”
“Hard Eight” (1997)
Where to stream: Kanopy
PTA’s first feature is a slick, stylish drama about a mysterious gambler (Philip Baker Hall) taking a young down-on-his-luck man (John C. Reilly) under his wing in Las Vegas. It’s hard to tell that this is a first feature — the film, which features strong direction from PTA, premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 1996. This may rank toward the bottom of the director’s filmography for most people, but it’s still an engaging crime flick grounded by an exceptional Philip Baker Hall performance at its center.
“Boogie Nights” (1997)
Where to stream: Paramount+, Fubo
PTA evaded the sophomore slump by following “Hard Eight” with one of the signature films of the 1990s. “Boogie Nights” follows Mark Wahlberg as Dirk Diggler, a porn star on the rise and fall as the industry changes through the 1970s and 1980s. The movie features a stunning performance from Burt Reynolds as Jack Horner, a pornography filmmaker who strives to be an artist in an industry of journeymen. It’s a massive step up from PTA’s first feature, and one that helped land him on the “must-watch” map.
“Magnolia” (1999)
Where to stream: Rental/purchase only
PTA’s third feature is one of his most ambitious, a sprawling story about the loosely interconnected lives of a series of eclectic individuals across the San Fernando Valley. The film features performances from PTA newcomers like Tom Cruise, Melinda Dillon and Jason Robards (in his final cinematic role), as well as a returning ensemble of Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy and John C. Reilly (the last of his three major collaborations with Anderson).
The complex nature of “Magnolia” made it a big swing following the success of “Boogie Nights,” and one that is held in extremely high regard. Writer/director Zach Cregger cited the film as an inspiration for the recent Warner Bros. horror hit “Weapons,” which itself features a narrative of interconnected characters across a single city. Though it’s available for rental and purchase online, “Magnolia” is the only PTA movie not currently available on a major streaming service.
“Punch-Drunk Love” (2002)
Where to stream: The Criterion Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla
PTA followed up on the ambition of “Magnolia” with a more intimate (yet no less bizarre) film, almost exactly half as long. “Punch-Drunk Love” saw Adam Sandler take on a high-anxiety dramatic role long before the words “Uncut Gems” ever entered his IMDb page. Sandler channels both the rage and the softness of his comic persona in his warm, complex portrayal of leading outsider Barry Egan. To date, it’s one of Sandler’s greatest performances.
“There Will Be Blood” (2007)
Where to stream: Kanopy, Hoopla
After taking the longest gap of his career so far, PTA returned with what remains his most widely celebrated film (at least, until “One Battle After Another”). “There Will Be Blood” sees the filmmaker unite with Daniel Day-Lewis for the first time, loosely adapting Upton Sinclair’s “Oil!” for a big-screen period epic. For a long time, “There Will Be Blood” was viewed as PTA’s best chance at winning big at the Academy Awards, though it had the misfortune of competing in one of the most celebrated cinematic years (and losing to the Coen Brothers’ Oscar-winning hit “No Country for Old Men”).
“The Master” (2012)
Where to stream: Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla, Fandango at Home, Plex, Fawesome
In “The Master,” Anderson gives Philip Seymour Hoffman his biggest role among their numerous collaborations. In the film, Hoffman plays charismatic cult leader Lancaster Dodd opposite Joaquin Phoenix as impressionable WWII veteran Freddie Quell. The pair both earned Oscar nominations for their roles, as did Amy Adams for portraying Lancaster’s wife, Peggy Dodd.
“Inherent Vice” (2014)
Where to stream: Prime Video
Immediately after “The Master,” PTA and Joaquin Phoenix reunited for “Inherent Vice.” Phoenix stars as Larry “Doc” Sportello, a stoner/private eye who goes on a series of strange investigations through LA’s underworld. The 70s-set crime comedy often falls toward the bottom of rankings of the director’s illustrious filmography, though it has become a bit of a cult classic in the subsequent decade since its release.
“Phantom Thread” (2017)
Where to stream: Netflix
In 2017, Daniel Day-Lewis starred in PTA’s “Phantom Thread,” a film known as his retirement project — that is, until Day-Lewis’s son Ronan directed 2025’s “Anemone” starring DDL. The film follows London dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock and his twisted, tortured romance with waitress-turned-muse Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps).
“Licorice Pizza” (2021)
Where to stream: Prime Video
PTA’s latest pre-“One Battle After Another” effort, Licorice Pizza, sees the filmmaker return to the San Fernando Valley in a 70s-set coming-of-age story. The film follows the developing relationship between 15-year-old entrepreneur Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) and the 20-something Alana Kane (Alana Haim). Bradley Cooper stuns in a brief appearance as Hollywood producer Jon Peters.
