Hard Eight kicks off our Paul Thomas Anderson arc as we focus on his first feature length film, which very few people have seen. Boasting a stunning cast of many actors before they became famous, including John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the film delivers extraordinary performances. The movie was made on a small $3 million budget and therefore focuses on the dialogue and performances in intimate locations instead of extensive action. Hard Eight serves as a foundation for understanding PTA's oeuvre and we heartily recommend watching it before delving deeper into his catalogue.

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