The Complete Paul Thomas Anderson Streaming Guide

Where to stream all of the master filmmaker's movies before 'One Battle After Another' comes out this fall!

In reflecting a bit on last week’s sad admission that movie fandom has effectively died in this country, I want to acknowledge the place where it is likely to be rekindled — not in any wide-sweeping sort of way, but one-person-at-a-time.

It’s not an exciting or sexy answer, bu that place is obviously the past. And in fact we live in a time where the masterpieces of the past 100 years have never been more accessible, lining the libraries of all the major streaming services (no doubt seen as niche programming in much the same way reality TV or horror movies are on the same service).

When asked the best way to “get into movies,” I always say the same thing. Pick a director — maybe one who made your favorite movie, or one whose name you’ve heard of, or…if you must, pick Chris Nolan — and watch all their movies from first to last.

That progression will teach you, just as it taught me when I started this journey, so much about directorial style and authorial intent and movie history, all without ever reading a book or listening to a lecture.

If you find one movie you love, chances are you’ll find a couple more you love from the same filmmaker. Next thing you know you’re the type of person that has a favorite filmmaker!

This is my second edition of the filmmaker streaming guides. I did one for Quentin Tarantino a few months ago. This time I picked the man best known as PTA.

Why Paul Thomas Anderson?

You won’t hear a single cinephile who will tell you that PTA is anything less than a master, yet even his most decorated movies are not ones that I think the average person has seen…or even heard of.

Admittedly, he is definitely an artistic director before he is a commercial one.

But that label will obviously be put to the test this fall, when his $150 million new movie One Battle After Another (starring Leonardo DiCaprio) will not only be relied upon for Oscar nominations but also major box office receipts for Warner Bros.

So in anticipation of that movie, and to more fully “understand” it (since it is likely to not be quite so straightforward as most $150 million movies), I thought he was the perfect candidate for a full streaming guide.

I’d challenge anyone to watch all these movies and then try to tell me that PTA is not a great director. At the very least, you’re going to find these nine movies VERY different than what’s at the box office.

So without further ado:

Where to stream all of PTA’s movies (in order)