Every Wes Anderson Film Ranked Worst To Best

9. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Although it has grown in reputation since the lukewarm reception it received upon release, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou still sits fairly comfortably as Wes Anderson’s weakest film. While the star-studded cast – including the likes of Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, and Willem Dafoe – is on top form, the plot can’t help but feel a little paper-thin.

Anderson usually manages to walk the tightrope between genuine emotional drama and his heavily stylised aesthetic. Unfortunately, this movie focuses a little too much on the latter at the expense of true character depth and several of the emotional beats don’t land as well as they should.

The main character of Steve Zissou was conceived as a part-parody, part-homage to famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau and he never really transcends that comparison. Therefore, the audience can only care so much about the emotional struggles of this noticeably fake person.

Still, Anderson’s natural eye for gorgeous visuals is as prominent as ever. The final scene with the shark, as Zissou tearfully wonders if it remembers him, is one of the most beautiful moments in his filmography.