Phantom Thread

A simple thing, a robe, and yet it captures so much of what it feels like to have passed so close to disaster...

Anderson has trouble coaxing this struggle to any sort of emotional climax; its fanciful, symbolic ending is the sort critics will praise for its careful ambiguity even as they overlook its narrative desperation.

Anderson makes movies that may refuse to explain themselves but nevertheless manage to engage the viewer, in part because he tends to cut from confined spaces to open ones as if inviting us to enter them.

As visual music grounded in a feeling of preposterous luxury, this is as enveloping and experimental as anything Anderson has done.

Artistically, Phantom Thread might be the best film of the year. Nevertheless...

Krieps... gives the impression of a woman who may well be able to stand still longer than anyone else, but who, on the inside, is trembling almost imperceptibly with energy, appetite, and rage.

A beautifully crafted, incredibly intentional film that doesn’t waste a single frame. The performances from Krieps and Day-Lewis will make you feel like you are watching a ceremonious dance performed by two highly seasoned veterans of the arts.

Paul Thomas Anderson knows how to surprise his audience, even his most devoted fans, and Phantom Thread continues that trajectory.

“Phantom Thread” reveals a dialed-back Paul Thomas Anderson in top form. His writing is spellbinding. His direction is daring and confident. The look of the film is as beautiful as rare Flemish lace.

Phantom Thread has more feeling and emotional range in its restrained drama than some of his other works - this is certainly the most raw emotion he's produced since Punch Drunk Love (2002).