There are very few filmmakers working today whose works are as recognizable as contemporary king Wes Anderson’s. Working across a wide variety of genres, his films have a look completely uncategorizable by any common standards.
By using large ensemble casts and head-on symmetry, Anderson’s movies feel more reminiscent of stage plays, which he embraces and references many times across his filmography.
To honor his newest movie released earlier this year, I’ll give a ranking and short discussion of Wes Anderson’s 12 films.
Please follow me as I break down an illustrious (some might say fantastic) career that hopefully lasts for many years to come.
#12: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
It would be completely disingenuous to call The Life Aquatic Wes Anderson’s worst movie. While it’s ranked in the bottom spot of this list, it’s by no means bad. However, it is the film of his I believe has the least to offer. Everything about it is just fine, with every element of it being outdone by another film on this list. At least the ending is pretty cool and I love the pirate sequence, but I would much sooner rewatch anything else on this list.
#11: The French Dispatch (2021)
I have a soft spot for films about journalism (I wonder why?), so I thought The French Dispatch would strike a chord within me. And it did – partly. Due to the film’s anthology format, some of the stories are way more compelling and entertaining than others. The first story of the painter and the final one with the police commissioner are extremely entertaining, but the prologue and the middle story are way too long and exceedingly boring, really upsetting the pacing of the film. There’s real potential for a Wes Anderson movie with journalists, I just wish it was recognized a little more effectively.
#10: Isle of Dogs (2018)
Out of all of the repeated instances Wes Anderson could’ve included in his movies, why is dog death the one he chose? With the amount it happens, you’d think he really hates the adorable animals. However, it appears he wants to apologize to all of us with a love letter to canines with his second stop-motion film Isle of Dogs. There isn’t a whole lot to say about it, but the ensemble is incredible and the animation is so beautiful. Unfortunately, his other stop-motion work is just a little more magical (no spoilers for later!).
#9: The Phoenician Scheme (2025)
Anderson’s newest movie is arguably one of his goofiest, with so many scenes being filled with visual gags and hilarious lines. Everything out of Michael Cera’s mouth is gold, the basketball scene kills, and Benedict Cumberbatch and the ladder might be the funniest shot of the entire year. Unfortunately, the overstuffing of comedy means the emotional moments of the film are undercut a little too much. If there had been a little bit less comedy (let me emphasize: A LITTLE BIT), the family drama would have been more impactful and the film as a whole would have been majorly improved.
#8: Bottle Rocket (1996)
A lot of people consider Wes’s first film to be much too normal for what people have come to expect from him, but I don’t subscribe to this belief at all. Bottle Rocket is full of his iconic shots and snappy dialogue, even if they are less present than his current movies. It functions as a brilliant time capsule of film history, being not only Anderson’s debut but also the debut of its stars, Owen and Luke Wilson. All three are firing on so many cylinders here, and their partnership would forever change the filmmaking landscape from here on out.
#7: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
I’m not proud of this placement, but I don’t think Fantastic Mr. Fox is Anderson’s masterwork. Yes, the stop-motion animation is stunning and yes, it’s insanely funny. However, the film is so short that I couldn’t get invested quite enough into the story. It moves at a breakneck pace, and the heist feels a little bit rushed (even if it is hilarious). George Clooney and Meryl Streep are odd choices considering they’re not part of his usual rotating cast, and I think that pretty much every supporting character is more interesting than the couple. The secondary ensemble is outstanding, and every single joke with them lands. I just wish it was 15 or so minutes longer.
#6: The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Absolutely an emotional backhand, The Darjeeling Limited is one of Wes’s most compelling stories of family drama. Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman have such beautiful chemistry, and I was captivated by so many sequences (the funeral scene!!). However, there is one criticism lobbied against it that I fully agree with: the setting is very underutilized. This film could’ve been set anywhere, and the lack of acknowledgement for the Indian setting and culture is very detrimental to the film. At least it makes me want to hug my sister.
#5: Asteroid City (2023)
I can’t even think about Asteroid City without a pit forming in my chest. How can a movie be this emotionally crushing and at the same time have me laugh at almost everything onscreen? The silly moments and the powerful moments are perfectly balanced here, and it makes for such an engaging cocktail of happiness and sadness. Every performance in the ensemble rocks, the young geniuses are compelling, the meta level works wonders. I don’t want to give anything away about the brilliant story here, but it’s one of the best Wes Anderson movies to start with if you’re new to his recent films.
#4: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Broken record here, but The Royal Tenenbaums is the saddest Anderson by far. There’s such a deep tragedy behind every actor’s eyes, and the audience sees them go through some of the worst things that could happen to a family. Luke Wilson and Gwyneth Paltrow in particular have a connection that’s bound to put off some people, but for me it worked and shredded me to pieces. His now-eponymous style is fully locked in here and it makes for some of the best shots in his entire catalogue. And the “Needle in the Hay” scene? Destined to freeze your heart and thaw it in just 110 minutes.
#3: Rushmore (1998)
Rushmore is definitely the most layered and rich text in Anderson’s filmography, which makes it even more surprising that it features multiple explicit lines from children in wizard costumes. Every character is fully realized and all ties back to Max’s hatred and eventual acceptance of his age. I absolutely adore Olivia Williams’s performance as Rosemary Cross, and she may be my favorite character Wes has ever written (at least tied with someone in the next segment of the list). The prank war sequence is both hilarious and depressing, Jason Schwartzman’s first ever movie ignited a long friendship with the director, and it’s overall an outstanding story about the folly of youth.
#2: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Somehow, the sweetest romance movies are always about young love, and Moonrise Kingdom may be the best of them all. Suzy and Sam have a stunningly mature partnership, but it’s never lost on the audience that these are still children that just don’t know how the world works yet but are determined to make it through together. The beach scene in particular is on par for my favorite sequence in any romance movie for just how beautiful and endearing it is with our two protagonists. Suzy in particular is another of my all-time favorite characters Anderson created, and Kara Hayward brings her to life perfectly. I love all the sections with the adult relationships as well, and the hardships they go through to protect themselves and their kids in the most beautiful and touching movie in Wes’s entire catalogue.
#1: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
While Moonrise Kingdom is much more emotional, The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of the most entertaining movies ever made. Anderson fires on every single cylinder imaginable to create a madcap, intense, and uproariously funny film. For a movie under two hours, more things happen than most that are over three hours, and yet it never feels rushed or overstuffed. Each scene is given the perfect amount of time, with the ski chase and the prison escape being very obvious highlights. His iconic cinematography is at its most majestic here, with one angle of Saoirse Ronan on a carousel being one of the top 10 best-composed shots of all time. Her relationship with Tony Revolori (who is immensely charming in his own right) is perfectly paced and so tragically beautiful. Ralph Fiennes is clearly the star, however, and every line he says is dripping with class and annoyance at what the world is coming to. The Grand Budapest Hotel is undeniably Wes Anderson’s magnum opus, and consequently my favorite of his films.
Luckily for us, it seems that Wes is intent on making more movies, with his recent films receiving high critical and commercial acclaim. If one would take anything away from any of his movies, it’s this: you can have your own style. You can make something as instantly recognizable as he has if you’re willing to try something a little out of the box. You, too, can create the life fantastic.
