Few modern filmmakers have an aesthetic or tone as distinctive and recognizable as Wes Anderson, whose latest film The French Dispatch promises that rich Andersonian symmetry and color palette that sets his movies apart from just about everyone else.
Along with the signature look, Anderson's films have increasingly larger casts filled with his constant collaborators like Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, and Tilda Swinton (to name a few) which adds to Anderson's appeals as very few (if any) of his films have been a critical failure. But which are considered the best, at least according to critics?
10 The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou Follows Bill Murray Into The Deep Blue Sea As He Seeks Revenge (Score: 62)
Starring Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Cate Blanchett, Anderson's 2004 dramedy follows Steve Zissou, an oceanographer and documentarian who takes his crew on a journey to find the "jaguar shark," a mysterious animal that had eaten his best friend so that he can kill it. Along for the ride is a man named Ned who believes himself to be Zissou's long-lost son and a pregnant reporter named Jane. Many found the film's use of deadpan humor to be less charming than in Anderson's previous films.
9 Bottle Rocket Is The First Of Many Collaborations With Owen & Luke Wilson (Score: 66)
Based on his early-'90s short film of the same name, 1996's Bottle Rocket was Anderson's first feature-length film which he co-wrote with Owen Wilson. Starring Wilson and his younger brother Luke, Bottle Rocket is about three friends who pull off a robbery and hit the road.
While the film was a box office failure, it has since gained a cult following while putting Anderson and the Wilsons on the cinematic map, leading to more and more of Anderson's unique film aesthetic and tone.
8 The Darjeeling Limited Brings Three Estranged Brothers Together (Score: 67)
Starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman— who also co-wrote the screenplay with his cousin Roman Coppola along with Anderson— Anderson's 2007 film The Darjeeling Limited is about three brothers looking to bond on a train traveling across India a year after the death of their father. A comedy and drama, as Anderson's films often are, The Darjeeling Limited follows the estranged brothers as they attempt to reconcile with the eldest (played by Wilson) concocts a plan for the brothers to meet with their mother.
7 The French Dispatch Is Wes Anderson's Love Letter To Journalism (Score: 74)
Anderson's latest film The French Dispatch, which premiered in October 2021, is an anthology film (new territory for Anderson) that boasts an enormous cast of high-profile actors like Benicio del Toro, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, and Christoph Waltz. The film is about the death of the editor of a newspaper called "The French Dispatch" whose final wish was for the newspaper to reprint three past articles along with an obituary. The film first premiered at Cannes in 2021 and has received rave reviews.
6 The Royal Tenenbaums Is Considered One Of The Greatest Movies Of Modern Cinema (Score: 76)
After leaving his family, Royal Tenenbaum returns years later to reconcile with his ex-wife and their three gifted children who are all struggling as adults. Filled with yet another star-studded cast that includes Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, and Gwyneth Paltrow, 2001's The Royal Tenenbaums is considered one of the best films of the early 21st-century with a Golden Globe win for Hackman and an Academy Award Best Original Screenplay nomination for Anderson and Owen Wilson, who also starred in the film.
5 Isle Of Dogs Finds Inspiration In Akira Kurosawa & Man's Best Friend (Score: 82)
Anderson's second stop-motion animated film is 2018's Japan-set Isle of Dogs (or Inu-ga-Shima in Japanese) which envisions a futuristic city called Megasaki where a disease forces all dogs to be sent to an island so as not to infect humans.
A dog called Chief (voiced by Bryan Cranston) and his pack help a young boy named Atari search the island for his dog Spots. The film is noted for its use of both English and Japanese as well as its enormous cast.
4 Fantastic Mr. Fox Is Anderson's First Stop-Motion Animation Film (Score: 83)
Based on the Roald Dahl novel of the same name, Fantastic Mr. Fox was Anderson's first stop-motion animated film and it was met with critical acclaim. It stars George Clooney as the titular character alongside Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman as his fox wife and fox son. Their world is turned upside down when the local farmers retaliate against Mr. Fox after he and his friend Kylie the opossum steals from them. Co-written with Noah Baumbach of Marriage Story fame, this film was nominated for two Oscars.
3 Moonrise Kingdom Is A Story Of Pre-Teen Love In The 1960s (Score: 84)
A 2012 coming-of-age film co-written with Roman Coppola, Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom is one of his more beloved films as it delves into young love. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward play 12-year-old pen pals Sam and Suzy who decide to run away together during the summer of 1965.
As they explore nature and their feelings for each other, the town searches for them. The film was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar and it was awarded "Movie of the Year" by the American Film Institute.
2 Rushmore Was The Film That Brought Wes Anderson & Bill Murray Together (Score: 86)
Anderson's second film, 1998's Rushmore, is undoubtedly one of his best, and the director's first collaboration with Bill Murray who's been involved with many of Anderson's films ever since. Murray stars alongside Jason Schwartzman in the young actor's film debut, playing two unlikely friends that end up pining for the same woman, though Murray's Herman Blume is age-appropriate for her and Schwartzman's teenage Max Fischer vows revenge. A huge part of Rushmore's appeal is what's become known as Anderson's signature aesthetic and humor which was unique at the time.
1 The Grand Budapest Hotel Is Wes Anderson's Crowning Achievement (Score: 88)
Starring Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H, Tony Revolori as Zero Moustafa, and Saorise Ronan as Agatha, 2014's The Grand Budapest Hotel is by far Anderson's most successful film. Not only did it receive multiple accolades and awards, but it also out-grossed Anderson's other films at least $100 million. Grand Budapest is a film rich with color, friendship, humor, tragedy, and murder as fascism rises throughout Europe. Like most of Anderson's later films, the cast is filled with big names familiar to Anderson's filmography.