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Even as the year reaches and surpasses its midpoint, there are still countless highly anticipated movie releases on the horizon. Blockbuster fans are champing at the bit for any information about Superman, or the long-awaited third Avatar installment, while those who obsess over the Academy Awards are anxiously awaiting films like Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, or the Jeremy Allen White-led Deliver Me From Nowhere. One film that seems to slide neatly in between these two niche fan bases, however, is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. The high-budget, high-octane, auteur-led thriller comedy has been dubbed Anderson’s «most commercial work yet». Even if One Battle After Another stuns critics and audiences, it will have a hard time surpassing the film that many consider to be Anderson’s best work.
As fans of Paul Thomas Anderson furiously rank and debate the best works of his career, online discussions would lead one to believe that there is no agreed-upon best, a recent poll of fans, filmmakers, and critics just revealed that one entry stands as not only the greatest of PTA’s career but as one of the greatest of all time. Paul Thomas Anderson fans, western fans, or anyone just looking for a certified classic, would be remiss if they didn’t give There Will Be Blood a shot.
What is There Will be Blood?
Even those who haven’t seen the glory and greatness of There Will Be Blood are surely aware of the film’s existence. Clips and quotes from the film run rampant both in real life and on social media, and certain bits have taken on a life of their own (notably the Daniel Day-Lewis’ baptism scene, and the endlessly quotable «I drink your milkshake» moment). While these moments are masterful, iconic, and even funny in their own way, it isn’t even a sliver of what There Will Be Blood has to offer.
There Will Be Blood is a 2007 period drama that was destined for success from the moment it entered development. The film (which was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson) was loosely based on one of the most powerful novels of all time, Oil! by Upton Sinclair, and somehow surpassed the already high expectations that came with the territory. There Will Be Blood is a uniquely American film that seeks to expose capitalistic greed, religious indoctrination, and the negative effects of too much ambition.
The thematic content of the film is as heavy as it comes, but the cinematic experience crafted by PTA and company isn’t particularly daunting (hence the film’s placement atop the audience’s best-of-the-century list). Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic period western has something for every type of film buff and remains a must-watch.
The plot of There Will Be Blood primarily follows ruthless oil tycoon and purported «family man» Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), as he rises to power in the 20th-century West. While amid his dangerous career as a silver miner, Daniel discovers oil in California and is immediately inspired to acquire land to drill. After the death of one of his workers leaves a little boy orphaned, Daniel adopts him and quickly takes on a family man persona. He uses his new ingenious image to his benefit, using deception and manipulation to acquire land, close deals, and make money.
Plainview’s relentless pursuit of wealth is hindered when he crosses paths with Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), a local, honest-seeming preacher who is dedicated to expanding the influence of his church. Eli sees through the family man gimmick and seeks to take advantage of Plainview’s wealth, setting off a decades-long feud between two dueling parties who are desperate to make their mark on society.
The New York Times Revealed That There Will Be Blood Is a Consensus Favorite
There Will Be Blood is an epic Western tale that has routinely wooed audiences for almost two decades, and it has now officially earned the label as a top three film of the century. The New York Times recently conducted a poll of over 500 industry insiders, including directors, actors, critics, and more, and asked them to give their top ten films of the 21st century thus far. The competition was fierce, and thousands of different films were considered, but at the end of the day, There Will Be Blood earned the placement of third.
Only 120 or so ballots have been publicized since the poll was conducted, but There Will Be Blood places on over 20 of them. Among the notable names that voted for it are Robert Eggers (The Witch, Nosferatu), John Lithgow (Conclave, Terms of Endearment), Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, Insidious), Charles Melton (Riverdale, Warfare), Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time), and Best Adapted Screenplay-winner Cord Jefferson (American Fiction, Succession). Regardless of the genre they tend to work in, or the films they tend to make, everyone seems to have a distinct love for the epic rise and fall of Daniel Plainview.
The only films that managed to score more votes than Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic drama were the Best Picture-winning Parasite from Bong Joon Ho, and the undeniable Mulholland Drive from the recently departed David Lynch, neither of which are surprising. The real biggest surprise of the list came with the film in the sixth slot, No Country for Old Men. This Javier Bardem-led Coen brothers western was released the same year as There Will Be Blood and actually beat it out for Best Picture. Despite taking the win back in 2008 at the 80th Academy Awards, No Country for Old Men seems to have stood the test of time just a bit less than There Will Be Blood.
Audiences were also encouraged to submit their own ballots, and those votes were compiled into a separate list. The audience list has many similarities, including the same film in the #1 and #2 slots, but generally is a more populist ranking that includes blockbusters and popcorn favorites (Avengers: Endgame, The Dark Knight, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). Despite this clear adjudicating difference, There Will Be Blood still powered through and secured a placement of fourth, this time placing one slot behind the aforementioned Coen brothers joint, No Country for Old Men.
There Will Be Blood‘s domination of this list shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, as the film has routinely been listed as one of the best films of all time in poll after poll (including BFI’s Sight & Sound poll, where it tied for 122nd). Not to mention that the film has nearly perfect marks on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is certified fresh with a score of 91% from critics, and an equally respectable score of 86% from audiences.
A Few Other Paul Thomas Anderson Films Were Contenders
Paul Thomas Anderson has been consistently pumping out certified classics since his directorial debut (Hard Eight) all the way back in 1996. His output from the previous century, which also includes Boogie Nights and Magnolia, is impressive and evergreen, but he truly kicked it up a notch when the new millennium started. Besides, There Will Be Blood, three films from the genius mind of Paul Thomas Anderson seemed like legitimate contenders to make the New York Times’ list, and many of his rabid fans would argue that even more should have been included.
The best-placing film aside from There Will Be Blood was Phantom Thread, the other of PTA’s collaborations with Daniel Day-Lewis. The touching tale of co-dependency and love alienated some viewers upon release, but has slowly become one of the most universally acclaimed entries in the director’s catalog, and came in at rank 25. Following Phantom Thread is the movie that many consider to be a sister film to Phantom Thread in the sense that it analyzes co-dependency. The Master is a brawling bout between two of the greatest actors of all time, and it put up a good fight, falling at rank 42. The third, and unfortunately, the final PTA film on the list is the Adam Sandler-led romantic comedy masterpiece, Punch-Drunk Love, which despite being the subject of ire from true-blue Sandler fans, came in 56th, right in front of fellow Sandler film, Uncut Gems.
Even without the initial awards wins, There Will Be Blood still stands as one of the greatest films of all time, and is slowly attaining the accolades to prove it. As excitement for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another continues to brew, fans are certain to revisit this all-time great, which has somehow only gotten better in the eighteen years since its release.
