My mom and I recently had a week long movie binge where we chronologically watched all of Wes Anderson's films, one each night. I then came up with a 100% definitive and totally not subjective order of his films from least to most enjoyable.
All of his films are great and I highly recommend you watch all of them like I did, it's just there are some that are better than others. BTW this is actually spoiler free because it's purely me imploring you to watch these films.
9. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Now don't get me wrong, the last third of the movie was very enjoyable.
Honestly this movie doesn't really stand close to his other work. It carries the same whimsy and flavour as all of his films (honestly this film has the most whimsy tbh), but it's really missing an emotional core till the very end. Not to mention Owen Wilson's reappearing/disappearing southern accent and Bill Murray's inability to play a serious yet likable character. Also Willem Dafoe CARRIED this film.
This is also Anderson's longest film and it just feels like after his success with The Royal Tenenbaums in 2001 the producers let Anderson keep in as many scenes as he wanted without cutting anything out. There's a lot of unnecessary exposition and other pointless scenes. Overall, this is a cool film with some great sequences and effects but it just gets a little boring. 5/10
8. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
OK I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED THIS IS SO LOW ON MY LIST but I have my reasons. Reason number 1, this movie traumatized me as a child because (spoiler) a dog gets shot and a child gets stabbed. Reason 2, idk why I just don't like that it's focused on childhood romance. I just didn't find myself liking Sam or Suzy. BUT, this in my opinion is Bill Murray's best Anderson film role. He really found the mark on this character and brought such heart to it. Moonrise Kingdom's a cool movie and definitely a fan favourite, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the seven other films on this list. 6.5/10
7. Bottle Rocket (1996)
As much as I fell in love with this film while watching it, it has some flaws. For example, the main guy who's not Luke or Owen Wilson. He's just kinda flavourless and unmemorable. I do love the engaging and inconsistent plot and the awesome atmosphere. This film is more lowkey than Anderson's other work and it doesn't convey all the elements of his style, simply because it's his first feature. This film has a lot of heart and it's actually really funny. Very much enjoyed. 7/10
6. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Another cult classic of Anderson's and his first real success as a filmmaker. This movie was extremely beautiful. Luke Wilson was perfect. Gwenyth Paltrow was perfect. Ben Stiller is perfect. All of the acting (except Owen Wilson) is perfect. I really enjoyed this film and it's one I think everyone should see once in their life. You just have to ignore the fact that the main love interests grew up as siblings. 8/10
5. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Ok I like this movie mainly because it stars Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman bUT the story really got me in my feels. In super basic terms it's a story of three brothers coming together for a spiritual journey in India. The sets are amazing, the vibes are amazing and I have 10/10 fallen in love with the characters. If you're looking for a movie about a brotherly bond and coming together, WATCH DIS. 7.5/10
4. Isle of Dogs (2018)
I'm a sucker for stop motion animation and this film did not disappoint. The scenery and craft of this film is top tier and the puppets are gorgeous. The story was masterfully crafted and the way they dealt with the language barrier is so cool. This is just an overall great film and will really pull on your heartstrings by the end. Enjoyed to the max. 5/10
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The third titled classic of Anderson's films. I watched this film for English class last semester and it did not disappoint. The film is dripping in gorgeous settings and atmosphere. The cast is stellar and though it touches on darker themes it still carries that ever so important Wes Anderson whimsy. If you like the colour pink you'll enjoy this film. 8.5/10
2. Rushmore (1998)
This film was an INSTANT classic for me. From the moment Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) solved a near impossible math equation in a dream sequence I knew I loved this movie. It's hard not to love this movie. It's a coming of age tale about young Max Fischer and old Herman Blume. There are so many hilarious scenes as well. This movie is a gift. Every character is lovable and I can guarantee you have known someone in your life exactly like Max Fischer. 9/10
1. Fantastic Mr.Fox (2009)
If you know me you KNEW this was gonna be first.
This is my favourite movie of all time. Number one on a list of over 100.
This film is insanely heartwarming, has amazing characters, amazing voice work, beautiful atmosphere, beautiful settings, a great soundtrack, and the perfect amount of that Wes Anderson whimsy. Ash and Kristofferson are my favourite characters of all time (my son will be named Kristofferson). This movie is amazing. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now!!!!!!!!!!! 84000000/10
Now all we have to do is wait for The French Dispatch in 2021.
If you're all the way at the end for the funny ha ha meme/joke here:
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