The Best Wes Anderson Movies, for When You Need a Bit of Whimsy
It's time to check into the Grand Budapest Hotel (among other things).
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There's nothing like turning on a Wes Anderson movie when you need to absolutely turn out the world. The Texas-born director has a knack for taking the real world and turning it into a super-heightened and eccentric version of itself, to very fun effect. We've rounded up his best movies for you here so you can catch up before his next two projects, Asteroid City and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
(There are actually only 10 Wes Anderson movies, so eliminating any of them would be silly. Therefore, they're all on this list with info on how to watch.)
Bottle Rocket (1996)
In his first of many script collaborations with Owen Wilson, Anderson's directorial debut features the brothers Wilson (Owen and Luke) also in their screen debuts. It follows them as they go on a wild crime spree.
Rushmore (1998)
In Anderson's second feature film, Jason Schwartzman stars as Max, a high school kid who's friends with a rich industrialist (Bill Murray). They're both conveniently in love with Max's high school teacher.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
This is the real start of Anderson's style of visual symmetry and lots of color. Who isn't in this movie? It's Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke and Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray, Gene Hackman, and more.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
I watched this movie in November 2020 when I was desperately trying to avoid watching election results on CNN. Ask me anything!! (It's a good distraction movie.)
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
This is maybe one of Anderson's more simple movies in terms of cast number and location, but it's one of his most emotionally moving. Three brothers take a journey across India one year after their father's death.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Anderson's style perfectly lends itself to animation, and this movie is all the proof you need.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Ah, adolescent love. This movie will send you down memory lane so fast you won't know what to do with yourself.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
An inheritance! A murder! A lot of pastries! An absolutely stacked cast! This movie has it all.
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Anderson's second round with animation and it's just as charming as his first. This movie takes place in the aftermath of a (fictional) Japanese mayor banishing all the dogs in the city to Trash Island to stop the spread of disease.
The French Dispatch (2021)
Anderson's most recent movie is actually three separate vignettes, that function as some of the last stories written by the fictional Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun newspaper. Two words: Timothée Chalamet.
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