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Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #179 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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View There Will Be Blood film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

A relentless oil prospector builds an empire in early twentieth-century California.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Prospector Daniel Plainview discovers oil in California and builds a drilling business with his adopted son H. W. When young Paul Sunday reports petroleum beneath his family's land, Daniel enters a community shaped by preacher Eli Sunday's rival authority.

Why it belongs

Through oil, earth, fire, Jonny Greenwood's dissonance, and Day-Lewis's monumental self-creation, There Will Be Blood makes capitalism elemental.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Long stretches of labor without dialogue, Robert Elswit's scorched landscapes, derrick machinery, sudden flame, and Jonny Greenwood's abrasive score give extraction physical and spiritual violence. Daniel Day-Lewis transforms persuasion itself into an instrument of conquest.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Academy Awards2 wins2008 · official ceremony record ↗
Actor in a Leading Role2008 · Daniel Day-Lewisofficial ceremony record ↗

Plus 1 additional win

Golden Globes1 win2008 · official film record ↗
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama2008 · Daniel Day-Lewisofficial film record ↗
BAFTA1 win2008 · official BAFTA 2008 Film Awards results ↗
Best Actor2008 · Daniel Day-Lewisofficial BAFTA 2008 Film Awards results ↗
Berlin2 wins2008 · official festival record ↗
Silver Bear for Best Director2008 · Paul Thomas Andersonofficial festival record ↗

Plus 1 additional win

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Film Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound122IMDb Top 250142AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.6
Engagement9.0
Ease7.8

English · R
Narrative Feature
Mood: Gripping