Wes Anderson's newest feature, The French Dispatch, is finally set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in July after being pushed back an entire year. Following its festival run, the film will open in theaters on Oct. 22. The comedic drama will be Anderson's 10th feature film, following a string of mostly successful, now cult-favorite indie comedies and Criterion Collection staples dating back to 1996.
Below is a ranking of Anderson's nine features released thus far, according to their Rotten Tomatoes scores, with the Metacritic score used as a tiebreaker where needed.
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou - 56 Percent
While the audience score is drastically more favorable at 82 percent, critics were on the fence about Wes Anderson's ocean-themed action-adventure. Anderson's only "Rotten" flick on the review aggregator, The Life Aquatic stars Bill Murray in the titular role of Steve Zissou, an oceanographer hellbent on avenging his friend who was eaten by a "jaguar shark."
The Life Aquatic is where Anderson first truly hits his distinctive stylistic stride. Employing the use of stop-motion animation for creature scenes -- accentuating his bright color palettes and adept use of symmetry -- the auteur goes full whimsy in a film that also offers moments of intense gunfire and tragic loss. While some praise it as a "minor masterpiece," critic Sukhdev Sandhu at The Telegraph called The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou "shallow and annoying."
The Darjeeling Limited - 69 Percent
Following his two previous films with large casts, Anderson scaled things down with The Darjeeling Limited in terms of actor count, but took his three leads -- Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson -- on a journey to India. Playing three brothers reuniting for the first time in a year since their father's funeral, the aforementioned trio head out on an introspective adventure filled with bickering and bonding.
India's vibrant backdrop lends itself beautifully to Anderson's affinity for primary color palettes and symmetrical architecture, with the titular train setting being particularly eye-catching. But, while reviews were mostly favorable, The Darjeeling Limited does seem to catch flack for being one of Wes Anderson's most pointedly pretentious pieces of work. Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal said, "The film as a whole operates in Mr. Anderson's patented, semi-precious zone of antic and droll," while also using train puns to suggest Anderson wasn't quite on track with this one.
The Royal Tenenbaums - 81 Percent
The Royal Tenenbaums was Anderson's first outing with an ensemble cast. Starring Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller and narrated by Alec Baldwin, Anderson's third feature focuses on the titular patriarch and his expansive family -- primarily his three genius, adult children. There's dysfunction, love, hurt, betrayal and charm; a mature dramedy with a lot of heart and a lot of heartbreak.
Once you've seen it, you'll have plenty of quirky quotes at your disposal, and Elliott Smith's "Needle in the Hay" will affect you in a whole new way.
Bottle Rocket - 85 Percent
Wes Anderson's directorial debut is also the debut of the Wilson brothers, Owen and Luke. Almost entirely void of Anderson's later signature style, Bottle Rocket is a charming little crime comedy that could be likened to a more hipster take on a Coen Brothers classic.
Praised by Martin Scorsese himself as funny and moving, the film legend referred to Bottle Rocket as a film "without a trace of cynicism, that obviously grew out of its director’s affection for his characters in particular and for people in general. A rarity."
Isle of Dogs - 90 Percent (Metascore 82)
While its story might not be as accessible as Anderson's first stop-motion feature, Isle of Dogs ups the craft with incredible character design and meticulous detail. It's a feat in animation, once again showing Anderson's range as a creator. It's characteristically deadpan but adventurous and fun with a canine cast voiced by greats like Bryan Cranston, Ed Norton, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum.
David Stratton, critic for The Australian, called Isle of Dogs a "unique experience, and a thoroughly enchanting one" -- the general consensus among critics.
Rushmore - 90 Percent (Metascore 86)
Jason Schwartzman made his film debut in Anderson's sophomore effort, Rushmore, at just 17 years old. He went on to become a frequent collaborator with Anderson, starring in his six straight films since The Darjeeling Limited -- including the forthcoming French Dispatch -- plus a short film co-starring Natalie Portman.
Following Bottle Rocket, Rushmore saw Anderson finding his stylistic footing as a still-budding creative talent. It's a coming-of-age story that's sophisticated beyond its years, with a sort of cocky charm. Desson Thomson of the Washington Post said it best: "Rushmore is an almost indefinable genre of its own."
The Grand Budapest Hotel - 92 Percent
Thanks to a prominent presence in the award circuit, The Grand Budapest Hotel picked up significant steam well after release and was subsequently nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Director and the coveted Best Picture. The film ended up taking home four Oscars and sealed itself as Wes Anderson's most decorated film.
With one of Anderson's most notable casts to date, The Grand Budapest Hotel features a charming lead turn from Ralph Fiennes and impeccable support from Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Saoirse Ronan, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and many others. The film is a master class in set and costume design, attention to detail and witty screenwriting.
Fantastic Mr. Fox - 93 Percent (Metascore 83)
To completely shift gears from your medium and deliver an instant gem in an entirely new genre seems improbable, if not impossible. But when Anderson decided to give animation a go, he knocked it out of the park on his first swing. The announcement of Anderson's stop-motion take on Roald Dahl's beloved children's novel, Fantastic Mr. Fox, was a head-scratcher to say the least, but by his sixth film there should have been no doubt that Anderson would deliver.
Led by George Clooney and Meryl Streep, Anderson's first stop-motion outing was an outright success. Richard Brody of the New Yorker said, "Visually, the movie is a wonder, with its profusion of detail and exquisitely focused "performances" by the figurines, whom Anderson frames in images as precisely composed as those in his live-action work."
Moonrise Kingdom - 93 Percent (Metascore 84)
Taking the number one spot by a single Metacritic point is 2012's Moonrise Kingdom. What's ostensibly a simple coming-of-age story of young love and adventure is dressed up with Anderson's seasoned sense of aesthetic, quirky characters, set and costume designs, locations and dry sense of humor.
Moonrise Kingdom might have the most heart out of any of Anderson's films, with a timeless and relatable feel for preteens and adults alike. Blending the realities of growing up with an almost surreal world, seemingly filtered through a childlike imagination, Anderson's seventh feature found the perfect formula to win over critics and remain his best-reviewed flick nearly a decade since its release.