There’s not doubt that Wes Anderson has brought a distinct arthouse movie style to wider audiences, and with the recent news that the filmmaker’s next movie, The Phoenician Scheme, will be released this June, it’s got me thinking about his best movies that are available on the best streaming services.
Anderson’s movies are renowned for many of their distinct characteristics, be that their heavyweight ensemble casts, their picturesque color palettes, or infusion of slapstick comedy elements with drama and light action.
So, while you wait for more news of The Phoenician Scheme to be unveiled, I’ve compiled a selection of five of the best Wes Anderson movies that are available to stream. Whether you’re subscribed to Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, or all three, there’s no way you can miss one of his movies.
Isle of Dogs (2018)
RT score: 90%
Runtime: 101 minutes
Main cast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray
Where to stream: Disney Plus, Hulu (US); Disney Plus (UK and AU)
Anderson has yet to venture back into the art of stop-motion animation, which is a shame because, most of the time, I find his animated features more visually pleasing and comforting to watch. All the best parts of his live action features are channeled in Isle of Dogs, but for some reason they hit harder on an emotional level.
In the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki, as a result of a canine influenza outbreak all dogs are banished to a remote island inundated with trash and waste following an order imposed by Mayor Kenji Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura). His 12 year-old nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin) has his bodyguard dog Spots (Liev Schreiber) taken from him, prompting him to journey to Trash Island to get his best pal back, and free the other trapped canines along the way.
Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)
RT score: 93%
Runtime: 88 minutes
Main cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray
Where to stream: Disney Plus (US, UK and AU); Stan (AU)
Prior to the release of Isle of Dogs, Anderson started dabbling in animated features in 2009 with the release of his first stop-motion movie Fantastic Mr Fox, which was one of five of my favorite Anderson movies that were removed from Hulu last year. The movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book landed into the hands of the perfect filmmaker for such a project, and since its release, Anderson has gone on to adapt a number of Dahl’s short stories into short features for Netflix – and now I’m waiting for his next full feature Dahl adaptation.
Obsessed with raiding farms, Mr Fox (George Clooney) makes a promise to his wife (Meryl Streep) to put a stop to his thieving ways. Now with a teenage son 12 years later, Mr Fox breaks the promise he made to his wife and plots to raid the farms of their agricultural neighbors Borgis, Bunce, and Bean. This puts a strain on his marriage as well as endangering his family and animal friends, and when the human farmers drive them deeper underground they have no choice but to face the wrath of the farmers face-on.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
RT score: 92%
Runtime: 109 minutes
Main cast: Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe
Where to stream: Hulu (US); Disney Plus (UK and AU)
For me, The Grand Budapest Hotel is the ultimate Wes Anderson movie; theatrical yet thrilling, but by all means camp and slapstick in its humor and pace. Its eastern European setting adds to its grandeur, making it easily one of Anderson’s most visually-striking movies.
The movie is told through a writer who recites the story of M. Gustave, the famous concierge of The Grand Budapest Hotel who upholds the hotel’s gold standard for hospitality and first-class service – even of that means satisfying the needs of his female guests. When one of his lovers and wealthy countess Madame D (Tilda Swinton) mysteriously dies leaving him a priceless work of art, he becomes the main suspect in her murder case.
The French Dispatch (2021)
RT score: 75%
Runtime: 107 minutes
Main cast: Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet
Where to stream: Hulu (US); Disney Plus (UK and AU)
The French Dispatch was released while I was studying journalism at university, and though it’s a slightly above average movie from Anderson compared to others in his catalog, I nonetheless really enjoyed its journalistic premise. Unlike his previous works, The French Dispatch is a departure from Anderson’s usual storytelling ways and adopts an anthology approach with three distinct stories representing different sections of a magazine; art, politics, and food.
The first one examines the hidden artistry of a prison inmate, whose nude painting of a prison guard makes him a sensation within the art world. Following this romantic account, the second story looks at a student protest that evolves into a political uprising, and the third story in the anthology accounts an infamous private dinner party with a renowned chef.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
RT score: 95%
Runtime: 39 minutes
Main cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley
Where to stream: Netflix (US, UK and AU)
Anderson is no stranger to a Roald Dahl novel. After taking on Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox, Anderson went on to direct and produce a series of short movies for Netflix based on the works of the children’s author. Out of the four shorts in the series, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, is his most notable as it earned him the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
When the wealthy Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch) learns about a psychic guru who can see without using his eyes, he decides to master this skill by participating in a style of yoga that will help him unlock this power. Once he attains this ability, he uses it to cheat at gambling and predict the future.
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rowan.davies@futurenet.com (Rowan Davies)
