Wes 101: three Wes Anderson films you must see

illustration by eliot schlaack

I’ve always been a huge Wes Anderson fan. From my childhood and watching Fantastic Mr Fox, to now, watching and thoroughly enjoying what I’d like to call the Wes Anderson Cinematic Universe. But before you enter the WACU, you gotta watch the three classics I handpicked for your enjoyment. 

The Darjeeling Limited (2007):

Three brothers take a trip across India on a train to grieve their father and discover their spirituality––but it all goes awry. The brothers are played by Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman––all of which have become great friends and recurring actors for Wes Anderson.

The way in which Wes Anderson covers grief really stuck with me––turning what would usually be sad into an oddly feel-good film.

And the visuals are jaw-dropping. According to the Criterion Collection, it was actually shot on-site in India. 

I’d say this was a turning point in Wes Anderson’s career. All his films after this one began taking a more avant-garde approach to simple topics like death and love. This is my favorite film of all time, so I might be a bit biased to tell everyone to watch it, but whatever.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014):

As Mr. Anderson’s most acclaimed film, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a total powerhouse. There’s a reason it won three Oscars.

No spoilers, but the movie is about a concierge named Gustav (played by Ralph Fiennes), who is framed for a murder by the victim’s son (played by Adrien Brody), and chaos ensues as they fight over a painting titled “Boy with Apple”.

Some of its main themes--bisexuality, facism, and greif--couldn’t be more different, but this film covers them all so well.

It’s definitely a great starting film for any newbie Anderson fan. And in my opinion, it’s his most whimsical and inspiring film, from an art standpoint. “Grand”, truly. 

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004):

In The Life Aquatic, An oceanographer, played by Bill Murray, goes on a trip to kill a shark that killed his best friend. But along the way, his long-lost son (played by Owen Wilson) comes back to reconcile with his father. 

This film contains one of the best soundtracks for a film, right up there with Marie Antoinette and Black Panther. The soundtrack consists entirely of David Bowie songs, with a good portion performed in Portuguese by Seu Jorge. I’m a strong believer in soundtracks making or breaking the film, and this is the kind of movie that would definitely be hurting without a soundtrack like this. 

Plus, it’s already a very unique plot line. But Mr. Anderson takes it even further by combining underwater shots with stop-motion animation––a style that he would delve into in his hit film Fantastic Mr Fox.

Also, this film is where the iconic picture of Willem DaFoe in a blue jumpsuit comes from,  if you needed any more convincing.