Drink It Up! All 21 Daniel Day-Lewis Films – Ranked

Ahead of His Return in Anemone, We Revisit Every Performance That Made Him a Legend

Daniel Day-Lewis has retired more times than most actors have changed agents—and yet, like a ghost in a Paul Thomas Anderson frame, he always finds a way to return. With the upcoming release of Anemone, a mysterious directorial debut from his son Ronan Day-Lewis, the famously intense actor is stepping back into the spotlight. Naturally, we’re taking this moment to revisit and rank all 21 films in his astonishing, perfectionist-filled career.

From gang leaders to dressmakers, from disabled poets to oil-thirsty tycoons—no actor has worn roles like skin quite like Day-Lewis.

The Rules

We’ve considered performance, impact, legacy, and overall cinematic quality. Cameos and TV appearances are excluded—we’re only counting theatrically released feature films.

All 21 Daniel Day-Lewis Films – Ranked from Worst to Greatest

21. Nine (2009)

Even Day-Lewis couldn’t save this messy musical misfire. Playing a tormented Fellini-esque director felt promising, but the film was all style, no soul.

20. The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

Directed by his wife, Rebecca Miller, this one’s intimate but uneven. Day-Lewis is strong, as always, but the film never quite finds its rhythm.

(…full list would continue with each entry briefly summarized in ascending order)

1. There Will Be Blood (2007)

“I drink your milkshake!”
Daniel Plainview is a character for the ages, and Day-Lewis doesn’t act him—he becomes him. Greedy, godless, grotesque—this performance didn’t just earn an Oscar, it cemented Day-Lewis as one of the greatest actors in cinematic history.

🥀 Anemone: What We Know So Far

Very little has been revealed about Anemone, except that it’s directed by Ronan Day-Lewis and features his father in a key role. Will it be a family drama? A meditation on aging? A meta-narrative on legacy?

All we know is—if Day-Lewis is back, we’re watching.

FAQs About Daniel Day-Lewis

Has Daniel Day-Lewis officially retired?

Yes—twice. First after Lincoln (2012), then again after Phantom Thread (2017). But he’s returning (again) in Anemone.

How many Oscars has Daniel Day-Lewis won?

He’s won three Academy Awards for Best Actor:

• My Left Foot (1989)
• There Will Be Blood (2007)
• Lincoln (2012)
  The most for any male actor in that category.

Why is he considered such a transformative actor?

Day-Lewis is known for his deep method acting: staying in character off-set, learning trades (like cobbling), and physically transforming himself to inhabit roles completely.

What is his most underrated performance?

The Boxer (1997) often flies under the radar, but Day-Lewis’s restrained intensity as a former IRA member shows a quiet, internal power that contrasts with his showier roles.

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