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Over twenty years into his filmmaking career, writer/director Noah Baumbach has built an impressive cinematic résumé. His films are notably grounded, talkative, and deal with complicated dynamics between families and friends. He also frequently uses the same cast of actors, including but not limited to Adam Driver, Ben Stiller, and Greta Gerwig.
Baumbach has also built himself a reputation for his writing. Aside from penning scripts for Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and the upcoming film Barbie co-written and directed by Gerwig, his partner, he’s also co-written scripts with acclaimed director Wes Anderson. With the release of his latest film, these are Baumbach’s eight best works so far.
8/8 White Noise
Noah Baumbach’s latest film stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, two of his most frequent collaborators. Unlike some of his other projects, this film is an adaptation of a 1985 novel by Don DeLillo, following a dysfunctional family who is forced to quarantine during a sudden air contamination incident. Needless to say, the film is timely and right up Baumbach’s alley.
Although some reviewers criticized the film as an adaptation, Baumbach’s signature touch shines through. Furthermore, the cast’s chemistry with one another, particularly Driver and Gerwig, make this film an entertaining watch nonetheless. Though it’s far from Baumbach’s best work, especially in recent years, it’s a noteworthy contribution from the director.
7/8 Greenberg
Greenberg was Noah Baumbach’s first collaboration with actor and comedian Ben Stiller, who stars as a man recently released from a mental hospital. Again, Greta Gerwig co-stars as Florence, the personal assistant to the titular family who forms an awkward yet oddly sexual relationship with Stiller’s Roger following his release.
Despite the film’s positive reception, it was unfortunately a box office bomb. Nevertheless, it netted several nominations at the Gotham Awards and Independent Spirit Awards in 2010. It also features a pretty stellar soundtrack helmed by LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy, with additional tracks by Duran Duran and Steve Miller Band.
6/8 While We’re Young
Stiller and Baumbach collaborated again in 2014 with While We’re Young. Stiller stars alongside Naomi Watts as an older married couple who form a friendship with a younger couple, played by Driver and Amanda Seyfried. Stiller and Driver’s characters likably bond over their shared love of filmmaking, which quickly grows into a fierce falling out.
Critics praised While We’re Young for its thematic resonance and use of comedy, which would be frequent compliments of Baumbach’s films in the 2010s. The real shining star of the film is the chemistry between the cast, who bounce off each other spectacularly as the two couples meet, mingle, intertwine, and eventually tear each other apart.
5/8 Mistress America
Mistress America was Baumbach’s second co-writing collaboration with actress and partner Greta Gerwig. Gerwig stars as Brooke alongside Lola Kirke as Tracy, playing soon-to-be-stepsisters who are swept up in each other’s complicated lives. It’s a film that truly showed that Baumbach and Gerwig made great filmmaking partners in more ways than one.
The film also features a standout performance by Kirke, the sister of Girls star Jemima Kirke. Its other supporting cast of women, including Jasmine Cephas Jones and Heather Lind, also shine. It’s overall a wonderful addition to Baumbach’s growing filmography and further proof of his behind-the-camera chemistry with Gerwig.
4/8 The Meyerowitz Stories
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is one of Baumbach’s most acclaimed projects, starring Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller as the estranged brothers of their dispassionate father, played by Dustin Hoffman. This film is a shining example of Baumbach’s strength in character dynamics and realistic dialogue, as Sandler and Stiller shine on screen together.
The film also features supporting roles from Elizabeth Marvel, who plays the sister of the two brothers, as well as Emma Thompson and Candice Bergen. Notably, Sandler received critical acclaim for his nuanced performance as Danny, which would become one of his career’s best reviews until he topped it years later with films like Hustle and Uncut Gems.
3/8 The Squid And The Whale
One of Noah Baumbach’s earliest films, The Squid and the Whale, remains a memorable entry in his filmography for fans. Like The Meyerowitz Stories, it centers on two brothers, played by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline, grappling with their lives following their parents’ divorce, with their mom played by Laura Linney, and father played by Jeff Daniels.
It was an early career highlight for Eisenberg, who would go on to earn acclaim in films like The Social Network. Despite being released in 2005, the film has a distinctly vintage feel thanks to Baumbach’s choice to shoot it in 16mm. It also netted Baumbach his first nomination for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
2/8 Frances Ha
Although the collaboration between Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig has shined in many films, few capture their raw talent together better than Frances Ha. The film was co-written by the two and directed by Baumbach, with Gerwig starring in the titular role as a dancer in her 20s living in New York City, struggling with a dwindling friendship and confusing romances.
For a film depicted in black-and-white, Frances Ha is one of Baumbach’s most colorful pieces. That’s mainly due to the lead performance by Greta Gerwig, who dazzles on screen as the messy and mumbly Frances. As if that’s not enough, Frances Ha also features some scene-stealing performances from Michael Zegen and Adam Driver as her roommates.
1/8 Marriage Story
Noah Baumbach hasn’t had as big of a success as Marriage Story, his semi-autobiographical tale of a husband and wife whose falling out of love reaps disastrous consequences. It features some career-best performances from Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern, the latter of whom won Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards for her role.
Although the film’s climactic argument scene has been meme’d to death, it remains one of the most intense sequences Baumbach has shot in his entire career. Johnasson and Driver completely inhabit their roles as a married couple whose initial desires to have an amicable divorce go out the window as their legal battle grows higher and higher in stakes.
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