With Asteroid City hitting UK cinemas today, we’ve decided to rank all Wes Anderson’s 10 films to date.
Asteroid City is the latest project from Wes Anderson, set to be released on June 23rd. This will be his eleventh feature-length film and it surely boasts the most star-studded cast yet, with Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson among the newcomers joining Anderson’s ever-growing line-up.
To celebrate the director’s fondness for ordering things, here’s a definitive, objective and purely scientific ranking of all his films to date – all that remains is to decide where Asteroid City will place on the list.
10: Rushmore
Starting in dead last and we have the 1998 release, Rushmore. In truth, this is the only film where the signature style of Wes Anderson crosses over into being annoying and unlikable.
It all starts with the characters and (as is intended, to be fair) Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is really hard to get on board with. Hats go off to Schwartzman as he plays the role well but it is nigh on impossible to remain on his side when he is so irritating. As his second release, it is clear to see that Anderson was in the early stages of perfecting his craft, and his signature style would come on leaps and bounds in the films to follow.
9: Bottle Rocket
There is already a significant jump from tenth to ninth with Rushmore being the film bringing up the rear. Bottle Rocket was Anderson’s first release, two years prior, and Luke and Andrew Wilson are two of the actors to feature once again. Returning actors is a recurring theme on this list.
The chemistry between Luke Wilson and his older brother Owen shines through from the very start – already this film is on to a winner. A cameo from the late great James Caan is something to be appreciated and this project, despite being released nearly 30 years ago, has all the hallmarks of a Wes Anderson classic. It is by no means perfect, but it is still relentlessly enjoyable, and definitely one to revisit in the future.
8: The Darjeeling Limited
Brotherhood is a prevalent theme in a lot of these projects, and none more so than The Darjeeling Limited, which follows a trio of American siblings. Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Schwartzman) are on a mission to rekindle their fractured relationship as they travel across India by train.
There are a number of bumps in the road on their journey, which allows the signature humour of Wes Anderson to come to the fore. Waris Ahluwalia, who plays the Chief Steward, is particularly funny, and his interactions with the triumvirate are a highlight of the number eight-ranked film.
7: Moonrise Kingdom
From 8th to 7th we encounter arguably the most straight-up charming Wes Anderson film. Released in 2012, Moonrise Kingdom has star names left, right and centre on the cast list, with this being one of Edward Norton’s best and most likable performances. He is a Scout Leader on the coattails of an escaped member of his team, who has run off with his young love Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward). Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) is the outcast of the Khaki Scouts, but by the end his reconciliation with the group is really heart-warming to see.
Seeing all of these different groups and stories converge on each other and the way they all intertwine, from Tilda Swinton’s Social Services worker to Bill Murray and the wonderful Frances McDormand as Suzy’s parents is breathtaking. It is impossible to not be enamored by Moonrise Kingdom, and it speaks to the excellence of Wes Anderson that it’s still so far down this list.
6: The French Dispatch
The French Dispatch is, by some distance, the most polarising film on this list. As Anderson’s latest release, the cast list is mind-blowing and many fans point to this being the most Anderson-y film of his to date, meaning that those who aren’t devout followers may struggle to see the charm in this one. Both sides of the argument are valid: this feels like the perfect film yet it only comes in at sixth and at times, the interest wains.
Lea Seydoux, Timothee Chalamet, Frances McDormand and Christoph Waltz are some of the most interesting and in-demand actors currently working, and so to see them all come together under the umbrella of a Wes Anderson film is a dream. The stories in The French Dispatch are perhaps the most interesting and intricate of his whole filmography – if you can tolerate the, well, Anderson-ness of it all.
5: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Now for the first of two animated films as Wes Anderson delivers a masterpiece of an interpretation of Roald Dahl’s iconic novel Fantastic Mr. Fox. George Clooney plays the titular fox and does so brilliantly, especially given that this is his only performance in the Anderson universe to date. Clooney isn’t the only legend of the acting scene to play a leading role either, as Meryl Streep, Michael Gambon and the late Helen McCrory also help take this film to the next level.
The brilliance of Anderson’s mind is on show with Fantastic Mr. Fox and so he deserves huge credit for this project, as does everyone else involved whether it be the producers and of course the animation team. It comes in under 90 minutes which, given the ever-growing length of modern films, sets Wes Anderson apart as he continues to deliver palatable projects for all audiences.
4: The Royal Tenenbaums
We are getting into the business end of things with another superb film. The fact that The Royal Tenenbaums came out over 20 years ago is ridiculously impressive when watching it in 2023 and being swept away in the story. Family and brotherhood again come to the fore with Gwyneth Paltrow doing a superb job of adding sisterhood into the mix too.
As is the case with the majority of Wes Anderson films, that the various life stories on show work just as well on their own as they do when they intertwine with those around them is at the heart of its genius. The simplest things in an Anderson film can produce a tear or two, but this time around he ramps the emotion up to another level, owing to the great performances from Paltrow, Bill Murray and the Wilson brothers in particular.
3: The Grand Budapest Hotel
We take our first step onto the podium and we have the film that propelled Wes Anderson to another level altogether, The Grand Budapest Hotel. You can track his success with the ever-growing star-studded cast lists, this year’s Asteroid City being a prime example.
The diversity of Ralph Fiennes’ roles are unbelievable and he, along with the young lovers Zero (Tony Revolori) and Agatha (Saoirse Ronan), makes The Grand Budapest Hotel the masterpiece that it is. It is such a shame that Fiennes doesn’t feature in more of these films. This is probably the most quintessentially Anderson film, from the colour palette to the score, from the various title screens to the wonderful storytelling.
2: Isle of Dogs
In second place is one of two perfect films and the second animated film on the list. Fantastic Mr. Fox is nigh on perfect and unexplainably so, Isle of Dogs is just that little bit better. Again, the flow of the film is so well observed, with the use of Frances McDormand as an interpreter and something of a narrator as well being as clever as ever from Wes Anderson.
The story of one boy (Koyu Rankin)’s defiance and his hunt for his dog who, along with all other pets, has been dumped on a vacated island due to the outbreak of a canine flu should not be this emotional and engaging. An uprising spearheaded by Rankin’s character Atari, the son of Major Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) and a number of abandoned dogs voiced by acting greats is a masterpiece.
1: The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Does The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou take top spot because it is the longest film, and so gives us the most Wes Anderson available? Maybe! But it really does belong on a very exclusive list that had me in disbelief from the start and gave me a film experience like no other.
Bill Murray alone makes this a must-see, but those around him, the likes of Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum and Michael Gambon also suck you into the brilliance of this project. The story of trying to avenge a fallen comrade who was eaten by a rare shark is very peculiar, and this film takes you on a real rollercoaster, with the conclusion with the shark being a very full-circle moment.
Words by Jamie Rooke
Asteroid City is in cinemas now.
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