The release of a new Wes Anderson movie is always cause for celebration. He’s the master of neatness, building perfectly symmetrical, intricate worlds and then populating them with the most absurd yet charming characters you’re ever likely to meet. Anderson’s quirky stories may not be for everyone, but there is simply no denying that he is one of the most sublimely stylish filmmakers around.
From his early indie work and stop-motion animation to Oscar-winning triumphs, we’ve ranked all the Wes Anderson movies (not including his collection of short films) to determine which is the best, and we can tell you where to watch them all, too.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The truth is, Wes Anderson peaked just over a decade ago, with his sumptuous concierge caper, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Not only is it one of the most stunning pieces of art in the 21st century, but it’s also incredibly funny and surprisingly heartfelt at times.
What is not surprising is that this beautiful picture won the Oscars for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Production Design. The attention to detail in bringing this film to life is astounding. Throw in a career-best performance from Ralph Fiennes and a razor-sharp script, and you have a truly perfect movie.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Turns out, the irreverent humour and quaint charm that comes with Anderson’s work translates wonderfully into stop-motion animation. His take on this classic Roald Dahl story is full of warmth and playfulness, and it’s the kind of film that leaves you marvelling at how anyone is capable of pulling off such a technical feat.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a very special film. It works for young viewers thanks to its silly, slapstick comedy, but it also has a deeper, more mature edge that’ll give older viewers a slice of the fun, too. This is Wes Anderson at his most creative, and it’s a real treat to behold.
Bottle Rocket (1996)
Anderson’s debut came almost 30 years ago now, but it still stands the test of time as one of his finest works. Bottle Rocket is a film brimming with confidence and swagger, and while it still leans into the comedic side of things, there’s also a real grit to this most accomplished indie feature.
It’s so rare to see someone come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders in this way, but Anderson and his cohort deliver something truly special here. The Wilson brothers are in fine form, while Robert Musgrave offers up one of those lightning in a bottle performances alongside them to steal the show.
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
One criticism that has sometimes been sent Wes Anderson’s way, rather unfairly, perhaps, is that his work is more style over substance. With The Darjeeling Limited, that’s certainly not the case. Of all Anderson’s work, this is his most powerful and poignant, and you can feel how personal this is to him.
Of course, there’s still that trademark eccentricity we know and love, but it all feeds into the highly cathartic conclusion. Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, and Owen Wilson have phenomenal chemistry together, and it’s because of them that everything collides in such a satisfying way by the end.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
From Anderson’s most warm and powerful films to his coldest, The Royal Tenenbaums is incredibly raw and bleak at times, with some truly harrowing moments that feel out of place in Anderson’s oeuvre, and yet it all still works.
Gene Hackman carries the film on his shoulders, which should come as no surprise, but the likes of Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson are outstanding in support. What’s interesting with this picture is, it’s the last time we saw Anderson working without the shackles of symmetry. That precision in his work is so often the source of success, but with The Royal Tenenbaums, he is firmly focused on story alone, and the film flourishes because of this.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
If The Royal Tenenbaums marked the end of Anderson’s more linear and straight-shooting era, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou was certainly the start of his affinity for the grandiose and extravagant. It’s a film rich with verve and visual flair and also really began to introduce that off-kilter comedy he is now renowned for.
It’s an absurd film, really, taking a mockumentary approach to riff on the life of famed French oceanographer, Jacques Cousteau, and yet it all works so brilliantly. In many ways, this experimental effort could be the most important Wes Anderson movie of all, for what it stirred inside the filmmaker creatively.
Isle of Dogs (2018)
While not as strong as his previous stop-motion work on Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs is still a masterful animated effort. What it lacks in warmth and whimsy, Isle of Dogs more than makes up for in its provocative messaging and slick technical elements. Almost ten years on from his first foray into the medium, it’s clear to see Anderson had evolved as an animated storyteller by this point.
There’s incredible worldbuilding on display here, as Anderson drops us into the fictional city of Megasaki. But, it is the ensemble of voice actors who bring it all to fruition that is the real triumph here.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
In this ranking of Wes Anderson movies, Moonrise Kingdom is the final divider between the very, very good and the very, very disappointing. There’s a lot to love about Anderson’s offbeat camping adventure, with a heavy reliance on child actors that pays off and then some, bringing a cute romantic tale to life.
In truth, there’s actually very little stopping Moonrise Kingdom from being higher up this list. Perhaps it merely lacks that splash of dynamism and energy that Anderson’s slightly more effective work possesses, but that’s nitpicking against a perfectly charming film.
The French Dispatch (2021)
Anthology films are always so hard to judge. Had Wes Anderson opted to simply make a feature film expanding on the first segment, “The Concrete Masterpiece,” we would potentially be looking at one of his best films. Benicio del Toro is outstanding as the enigmatic and unhinged artist, but his story is over far too soon.
Next up in The French Dispatch we see Timothée Chalamet and Frances McDormand combine for a perfectly fine if unremarkable story of political rebellion. Sadly, it all wraps up with a very stylish yet rather dull storytelling session from Jeffrey Wright. In short, The French Dispatch is a mixed bag that ends up being less than the sum of its parts.
The Phoenician Scheme (2025)
The latest Wes Anderson movie has plenty of positives; Benicio del Toro is once again superb, the film looks absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, and there are some truly hilarious moments. Sadly, they are too few and far between in The Phoenician Scheme, and Anderson fails to give us a story we can actually care about, leaving audiences wanting so much more on all fronts.
Those style over substance accusations are getting harder and harder to deny, it seems. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with The Phoenician Scheme, but it’s largely very forgettable and is guilty of failing to get the best out of Michael Cera and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Rushmore (1998)
While Bottle Rocket was a riveting and spectacular debut, Wes Anderson’s follow-up, Rushmore, lacks any of that energy and intrigue. In many ways, this film contains the early seeds of that gratuitous quirkiness that has come to tarnish Anderson’s work in recent years.
Of course, it’s all subjective, but Rushmore is tedious, pretentious, and none of its humour quite works. It’s a shame; what could have been a very interesting idea just seems to lose its way and becomes muddied by the urge to be outlandish.
Asteroid City (2023)
At the bottom of the pile, Asteroid City commits the ultimate cinema sin; there’s no two ways about it, it’s just plain boring. It’s a horrible oversimplification, but it’s the truth. The production design is perhaps the greatest Anderson has ever put in place, and yet it all counts for nothing when the film has nothing to say.
A story about UFO sightings, a quarantined city, and meteorite crash sites sounds like a fascinating tale, but it’s severely let down by stilted dialogue and sluggish pacing. Something is drastically wrong here, with Anderson failing to get the best out of his incredible ensemble cast and struggling to handle the story he created.
Where To Watch The Best Wes Anderson Movies Online
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