Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.
No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?
This past weekend, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, a thrilling action-comedy laced with sharp satire that’s already generating Oscar buzz, exploded into theaters, cementing PTA as one of today’s greatest filmmakers.
His films are terrific at taking snapshots that peer deep into the American soul. Whether it’s exploring the chaos of ambition in There Will Be Blood, the haze of paranoia in Inherent Vice, the quirky heart of Punch-Drunk Love, or the fractured dreams of Boogie Nights and Magnolia, PTA meticulously crafts worlds that provoke and linger.
One Battle After Another is PTA’s tenth film, allowing him to qualify for a Top Ten Tuesday post. So why not jump on that the second we can? Among his bold and unique filmography, one film stands out as his clear-cut masterpiece, a towering achievement I doubt he’ll ever surpass. But then again, very few in the history of cinema ever have.
As we celebrate his latest triumph, let’s rank his films, revealing that singular gem at the top.
10. Inherent Vice (2014)
9. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
8. Hard Eight (1996)
7. Licorice Pizza (2021)
6. Boogie Nights (1997)
5. One Battle After Another (2025)
4. The Master (2012)
3. Phantom Thread (2017)
2. Magnolia (1999)
1. There Will Be Blood (2007)
I haven't seen One Battle After Another or Junun yet:
1. Inherent Vice
2. The Master
3. Magnolia
4. Phantom Thread
5. Punch-Drunk Love
6. Licorice Pizza
7. There Will Be Blood
8. Boogie Nights
9. Sydney
I feel that it is very difficult to rank a new film I have just recently seen within an oeuvre — actually, I should also watch some other PT Anderson films again before I can place OBAA correctly, but I'll give it a try:
1. Phantom Thread
2. One Battle after another
3. The Master
4. Boogie Nights
5. There will be blood
6. Magnolia
7. Licorice Pizza
8. Punch-Drunk Love
(I need to see Inherent Vice again before ranking it, I felt that its much more Pynchon-esque than OBAA which is more accessible for a wider audience for sure)
I can't really argue with this order – I enjoyed Hard Eight better than you, but otherwise, nice job.