He's known for his wacky, symmetrical, artistic, and star-studded movies. Basically, he is the hero for hipster-movie fans everywhere. Wes Anderson's only made eight feature length films in his career, so far. Yet, each one is fantastic in its own right. So, naturally, ranking them is not an easy task. It's like ranking which puppy is the cutest. They're all cute, so let's just arbitrarily list them in order from best to most best.
8. "The Darjeeling Limited"
I have a personal attachment to this film, since it's about three brothers reconnecting on a trip through India. I have two brothers, but we haven't done a trip through India. It's got awesome sets and on-location shots and includes three actors very familiar to Wes Anderson films: Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, and Adrien Brody. It features at the bottom of my list because it doesn't have as much heart as the rest of his filmography. Though, when this movie is at the bottom of the list, the rest is bound to be good.
7. "Bottle Rocket"
This is Anderson's first feature length film, which was originally a 13-minute short starring the same actors who would appear in the feature length: Robert Musgraves and the little known brother pair, at the time, Owen and Luke Wilson. And it was the first written collaboration between Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson. Bottle Rocket is a charming, funny, low budget movie that's part heist movie and part love story. The most compelling elements come from Anthony's (Luke Wilson) relationship with Inez, the motel worker who he falls in love with. It's got a fun climax where Owen Wilson's character Dignan sacrifices himself and takes the cops on a run. And it ends with the Anderson signature slow-motion walk that he would go on to use in many of the endings to his films.
6. "Rushmore"
It kills me to put this so low on this list. "Rushmore" is so funny and so original. It stars Jason Schwartzman as Max, a precocious tenth-grader who falls for the new Elementary teacher (Olivia Williams) but then clashes with his classmates father (Bill Murray) who also falls for the same woman. It's a funny look at a prep-school that has some very memorable scenes including a Vietnam play and the best montage sequence I have ever scene displaying every club Max is a part of. It's truly a satisfying movie and a crime that I listed it as the sixth best Wes Anderson movie.
5. "The Royal Tenenbaums"
"The Royal Tenenbaums" has one of, if not, the finest cast Wes Anderson has ever assembled. Gene Hackman, Angelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, and Alec Baldwin as the narrator. It also earned him his first nomination for Best Original Screenplay alongside Owen Wilson. This movie cemented Anderson as an auteur. It's the tale of an estranged father who longs to reconnect with his family. Each character breathes a life of their own and you feel for every single one. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.
4. "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou"
Anderson's fourth feature length film was an original and beautiful one. It stars Bill Murray in his only lead role in a Wes Anderson film (he's been in 7 of the 8, 6 as supporting characters). He plays Steve Zissou, famed oceanographer who sets off on a mission to find the jaguar shark who killed his friend Esteban. It blends real on set locations with clever animation to create a quirky and mesmerizing world for Zissou and his team aboard the Belafonte. It boasts another impressive cast (a norm for Wes Anderson films) and cleverly uses classic David Bowie music translated into Portuguese by Seu Jorge. It makes me want to go exploring the world.
3. "Moonrise Kingdom"
Young Love. I can't think of another movie this past decade that has captured adolescent love in such a charming and unique way. "Moonrise Kingdom" is the story of two angry children who run away from their lives to start a new one together. It's fun and set on a fictional island in New England where Bruce Willis is the only police officer and Edward Norton is a camp counselor. The cinematography is gorgeous and the acting at its best for everyone involved.
2. "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Wes Anderson's latest film is also his best received. He personally was nominated for 3 Oscars for this film, for Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Picture. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" follows Zero (Tony Revolori) as he escapades with the owner of the hotel, Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes). The sets are impressive and the story intriguing. It's a simple mystery story compounded with fascinating characters and awe-inspiring set pieces. The best one is a sledding chase scene down a mountain. This one stuck with the critics and audiences alike, but it comes in at second on my list.
1. "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
Here it is. Wes Anderson's most underrated movie. It was the first of his films I ever saw and it has stuck with me ever since. It's a stop-motion film loosely based on the Roald Dahl story. But, Anderson added in his stylish tics and made it even better. George Clooney plays the title character in what I believe is his career best role. It's his funniest film and has some of the most human characters, even though it is completely populated by foxes, opossums, badgers, and rats.
Wes Anderson will be remembered as one of the best directors of all time by the end of his career. Mark my words.
His next film, "Isle of Dogs," a stop motion animated movie set in Japan about a boy's odyssey to find his dog is filming currently and slated for a 2018 release.