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Phantom Thread backdrop

Phantom Thread

9 February 2018English2h 10m
out of 10
Exceptionalcritics broadly rave
Monk Score · 9 scored reviews · 1 not rated

Weighted from an 8.1 average · Why?

A stifling, meticulous portrait of obsession, held together by Day-Lewis at his finest.

Verdict tier Exceptional, critics broadly rave, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: visual craft and claustrophobic atmosphere
  • Criticised: slow pace, limited broad appeal

Audience

User score 6.0 out of 10 from 1 rating, not enough ratings for a verdict yet

Critic consensus

What 10 critics are saying

Critical reception for Phantom Thread is largely positive, with most reviewers praising its visual craftsmanship, claustrophobic atmosphere, and layered portrayal of a toxic, unconventional love story. The production design, costumes, and Daniel Day-Lewis's performance draw repeated admiration, while Paul Thomas Anderson's precise direction is credited for creating a stifling yet riveting world. A few critics note that the film's slow, inward-turning narrative may test viewer patience and limit its appeal to a wider audience. No major criticism emerges beyond its deliberately restrained and niche quality.

How the 9 scores spread

1 not-rated review isn't plotted

The Monk Score is weighted from a plain average of 8.1 · how scores work

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 10 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (10)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Film Companion

    Film review ·

    Phantom Thread is breathtakingly elegant. The costumes by Mark Bridges aren't ostentatious but they are drop-dead gorgeous. I usually start noticing clothes in a movie when I'm bored but here costumes are one of the many elements to savour. As is the production design by Mark Tildesley. With extreme precision, director Paul Thomas Anderson creates a beautiful but claustrophobic world. And you are trapped in here with three individuals who are fascinating but not very likeable.
  2. Top critic

    Indian Express

    Film review ·

    This Daniel Day-Lewis starrer is visually delightful...With Daniel Day-Lewis declaring Phantom Thread to be his last film, it adds a secondary layer of sadness to this story about an artiste learning to "take it easy".
  3. Fully Hyderabad

    Film review ·

    The story is set in an elegantly designed house that is brilliantly rendered as a claustrophobic nightmare. This is achieved in no small part due to the efforts of the set decorators, designers, prop masters and the many other unsung heroes of every movie who bring their A-game to this one.
  4. DNA India

    Film review ·

    It's a story of intrigue and tension in a relationship, and it will leave you wondering how far will you go for love.
  5. Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    Daniel Day-Lewis's final film is strange and sadomasochistic, it's Freudian and bizarre. It is also director Paul Thomas Anderson's answer to Fifty Shades of Grey.
  6. Rediff

    Film review ·

    Unravelling in the splendid but stifling interiors of his grand abode, Phantom Thread barely ventures into fresh air for a break. But it's the most real, most riveting portrait of toxic love you're likely to witness in a long, long time.
  7. Times Of India

    Film review ·

    The narrative spins around itself in ways that will test your patience. But 'Phantom Thread' questions your outlook on love and what it means to different people. It looks at how people tailor themselves in accordance with those they love.
  8. Sify

    Film review ·

    Phantom Thread" is a subtly layered romantic melodrama that would appeal to a few.
  9. Gulf News

    Film review ·

    The wrenching tale of a woman's love for a man and a man's love for his work. A dry, comic study of the asymmetries and conflicts at the heart of a marriage. A refined gothic nightmare in the manner of Henry James. A perverse psychological fable of unchecked ego and unhinged desire. That's a partial catalogue, and one that can't quite capture how bizarre this movie is. Or how bizarrely true to life — to art, to love, to itself — it feels.

Credits

Cast & crew

Cast

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