Paul Thomas Anderson is a Hollywood legend with a creative library of films that have been worthy of sweeping the floor at the Oscars. But despite delivering artistic and creative masterpieces throughout his prolific career, most of Anderson’s films were left without an Academy Award win in the end.
Though films like Magnolia, Boogie Nights, and There Will Be Blood keep echoing in pop culture as some of the best films of this century, they do not earn a single Oscar win for Anderson.
Below is a list of every Paul Thomas Anderson movie that should have won an Oscar, but were left unrecognized by the Academy, ranked in order of magnitude:
1. Magnolia (1999)
In the whole oeuvre of Paul Thomas Anderson’s brilliant filmography, Magnolia is the one deserving the greatest recognition at the Oscars. However, the brilliant collage of grief, tragedy, and intersecting lives not only lost out on a Best Picture and Best Director wins, but were never mentioned in the category entirely.
Instead, the film was only nominated for 3 Oscars: Best Supporting Actor (for Tom Cruise), Best Screenplay (P.T. Anderson), and Best Original Song (Aimee Mann).
American Beauty won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, overshadowing Magnolia at the 72nd Academy Awards (IMDb).
2. Boogie Nights (1997)
The film that launched Paul Thomas Anderson and Mark Wahlberg’s careers failed to win any Oscars. Like Magnolia, Boogie Nights was also fated to receive only three nominations without scoring any wins. The famous film, based on The Dirk Diggler Story, was elevated by Anderson’s refined work as a director.
Its 3 Oscar nominations include: Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds), Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore) and Best Screenplay (P.T. Anderson).
Titanic sweeped the Oscars floor at the 70th Academy Awards, including winning Best Picture and Best Director for James Cameron (IMDb).
3. There Will Be Blood (2007)
There Will Be Blood still resonates today as one of the best movies of the 21st century, with a story that overshadows most of Anderson’s other works. This Daniel Day-Lewis film is deserving of more recognition and respect than mere mentions at the Academy Awards.
The movie won 2 Oscars for Best Actor and Best Cinematography (via IMDb) while securing six other nominations, including for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (all for PTA).
No Country for Old Men won the Best Picture Oscar while the Coen Brothers took home their Best Director award at the 80th Academy Awards, outshining P.T. Anderson’s film (IMDb).
4. Phantom Thread (2017)
Phantom Thread may be Paul Thomas Anderson’s boldest and most disturbing works to date, but it is still a discering masterpiece with an unmatched script and unparalleled acting. The 2017 film earned Daniel Day-Lewis an Oscar nod for Best Actor and marked his last Hollywood role, until the recent surprise comeback announcement with Anemone in 2025.
The film got 5 nominations and 1 win at the 90th Academy Awards, the latter was for Costume Design. Phantom Thread was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director (via IMDb), adding another notch of Oscar nods to P.T. Anderson’s belt.
Guillermo Del Toro‘s The Shape of Water took home the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars that year (IMDb).
5. The Master (2012)
The Master has several factors working in favor of the film’s reputation. It is not only Paul Thomas Anderson’s most favorite film that he has made, but also ranks in top 25 in the BBC’s 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century [BBC]. With stellar acting from Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, two of the greatest character actors of Hollywood, The Master is more than mere art or storytelling. It is an absolute masterpiece of the cinematic medium.
The film won only 3 nominations at the Oscars: Best Lead Actor (Phoenix), Best Supporting Actor (Hoffman), and Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams). Although, it did win the prestigious Silver Lion for Anderson’s direction at the Venice International Film Festival.
Ben Affleck‘s Argo won Best Picture that year, while Ang Lee earned his second Best Director Oscar for The Life of Pi at the 85th Academy Awards, Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor for Lincoln, outshining Joaquin Phoenix in the category (IMDb).
The remaining 4 films: Hard Eight, Punch-Drunk Love, Inherent Vice, and Licorice Pizza were all impressive in their own rights. The latter two also earned Anderson 4 more Oscar nominations in Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay categories, winning none.
To date, Paul Thomas Anderson remains the only director with the most number of Oscar nominations (11) and not a single win. Contrarily, he is also the only person to win all 3 prestigious Best Director awards at Cannes, the Silver Lion at Venice, and the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Below is a table of all 5 films mentioned above and their critics ratings along with box office performance:
| Movie | Rotten Tomatoes | IMDb | Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia | 82% | 8.0 | $48.5 million |
| Boogie Nights | 94% | 7.9 | $43.1 million |
| There Will Be Blood | 91% | 8.2 | $76.4 million |
| Phantom Thread | 91% | 7.4 | $52.2 million |
| The Master | 85% | 7.1 | $28.7 million |
Which of P.T. Anderson’s films do you think deserved the Best Director and Best Picture Oscars? Drop your choices in the comments below.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming film, One Battle After Another, will star Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro, and is slated to premiere on September 26, 2025.
