P.T. Anderson: Every Feature Film RANKED

Set amidst the Golden Age of Porn, Boogie Nights was Anderson's breakout hit, building on the merits of Hard Eight to establish P.T.A. as one of Hollywood's best modern directors.

Featuring another of Anderson's stellar ensemble casts, with Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this is the sort of big, stylistic drama that Hollywood made its name on, even if the subject of pornography was one mainstream Hollywood was a touch apprehensive to tackle.

Based on a short film Anderson had made, the story charts Wahlberg's Dirk Diggler as he rises through 1970s Los Angeles' porn industry. As should be expected by now, the performances are a true strong point of any Anderson feature and Boogie Nights is no different. On show here however is also a certain directorial flair, reminiscent of Scorsese and especially Goodfellas (which directly inspired the film's opening shot), and it is this stylishness and energy which makes Boogie Nights into something particularly special.

With three Oscar nominations, it seems the Academy agreed, as did the critics more generally, with a Metacritic score of 85 out of 100.