---
title: "Phantom Thread"
year: 2017
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/phantom-thread"
fi1m_id: "phantom-thread"
imdb_id: "tt5776858"
tmdb_id: 400617
wikidata_id: "Q28840386"
fi1m_score: 87
critics_score: 87
critics_reviews: 18
published: "2026-09-16"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:43.589836+00:00"
region: "NL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Phantom Thread (2017)

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson · 2h 10m · Kijkwijzer 12 · Drama, Romance

## Identity

Phantom Thread

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/phantom-thread
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** phantom-thread
- **IMDb ID:** tt5776858
- **TMDB ID:** 400617
- **Wikidata ID:** Q28840386
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5776858/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/400617, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28840386

**Fi1m score: 87** · Critics 87 from 18 reviews

*In a sentence:* Beautiful dresses, difficult company, and no guarantee that being in love will improve anyone’s manners

> Paul Thomas Anderson makes a funny, disquieting romance about a dressmaker who expects love on his own terms. The enclosed setting can grow airless, but Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville keep us absorbed.

## Synopsis

In 1950s London, couturier Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) wants to make dresses without interference. His sister, Cyril Woodcock (Lesley Manville), shares a life organised around his work. When he meets Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps), he finds a muse and begins a romance, expecting her to accommodate his habits. Alma has wishes of her own, and admiration does not make her willing to accept every condition he imposes. Between Reynolds’s exacting standards, Cyril’s authority and Alma’s determination to be heard, the couturier’s carefully managed household begins to feel crowded.

## Review

Paul Thomas Anderson’s *Phantom Thread* is a funny, unsettling romance, and we recommend it with a warning about the company it keeps. Reynolds Woodcock makes dresses and expects the people around him to accommodate the work. The film takes his talent seriously while looking closely at how he uses it to justify his behaviour. The women expected to supply the necessary patience have their own say, and we soon have reasons to listen to everyone involved.

Daniel Day-Lewis gives Reynolds Woodcock a fastidiousness that can look reasonable until someone else has to live beside it. His restraint matters: a broader performance would make the man easy to dismiss, whereas here we can understand the attraction without excusing the behaviour. We laughed at his petulance, then felt uncomfortable about how much deference he could command with it. The humour comes from an accomplished adult expecting his wishes to settle a disagreement, and the actor never begs us to find that charming.

Vicky Krieps makes Alma Elson an equal presence without turning her into a ready-made corrective to a selfish man. She makes Alma’s admiration and stubbornness equally convincing, so loving Reynolds never seems to mean accepting his terms. Lesley Manville, as Cyril Woodcock, is just as important: her authority gives the romance a third person whose judgement cannot be ignored. The performances keep us interested in what each person wants, even when we would rather they asked for it differently.

The production design by Mark Tildesley makes the couture surroundings imposing enough to explain why somebody might accept those terms, at least for a while. Mark Bridges’s costumes give Reynolds’s skill something we can actually look at, a necessary courtesy in a film asking us to take an artist seriously. Paul Thomas Anderson’s cinematography keeps those surroundings intimate, so the people remain more compelling than the finery. The enclosed compositions also make it easy to understand why someone might want a little more room.

Dylan Tichenor’s editing handles the shifts between courtship, comedy and hostility without making them feel like separate films. He allows the performances to establish the tension instead of hurrying us towards the next confrontation. Jonny Greenwood’s melodic score gives the romance an emotional warmth that its participants do not always manage between themselves. It is an important contribution: the music helps us understand why these people might stay together despite the difficulty of their conversations.

There are stretches when the enclosed setting becomes oppressive, and some disputes establish a selfishness we have already understood. Alma’s determination also feels more fully explored than her life beyond this relationship, which narrows our attachment to her. These are limits that matter, particularly in a romance asking us to invest so much in its central pair. Yet within the genre’s familiar story of the demanding artist and his muse, Paul Thomas Anderson allows an unusual amount of comedy without treating desire as a joke.

Give its 130 minutes an evening without distractions. The small changes in manner deserve attention, and the humour is liable to pass by if we are waiting only for the next declaration. We recommend it warmly, though perhaps not as a peace offering after a domestic argument.

*Fi1m score 87, published 16 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics warmly praise Phantom Thread as a darkly comic romance about obsession and control. Daniel Day-Lewis’s fastidious designer draws consistent admiration, while Vicky Krieps receives particular credit for making his partner equally compelling; Lesley Manville’s supporting performance also earns notice. The reviews repeatedly praise Anderson’s precise direction, detailed period setting and movement between cruelty, comedy and tenderness. Jonny Greenwood’s score attracts strong praise, with The Hollywood Reporter identifying it as the largest individual contribution to the film’s impact.

The disagreement concerns how much feeling comes through that careful construction, rather than the quality of the acting or craft. Most critics find the central relationship moving or psychologically absorbing, but Collider finds it short on emotional depth. The New Yorker offers the clearest dissent, admiring the workmanship while finding the enclosed atmosphere oppressive and sickly. Reservations remain limited within a strongly positive consensus.

## Straight answers

**Is Phantom Thread worth watching?**

*Phantom Thread* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a romance with sharp edges, and we scored it 87. Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville keep us absorbed in a household organised around one man's dressmaking, and the comedy is real. Give it an evening without distractions; the enclosed setting can grow airless, and the humour is easy to miss.

**How long is Phantom Thread, and what is it rated?**

*Phantom Thread* runs 2h 10m and is rated 12 by the Kijkwijzer in the Netherlands. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Phantom Thread in the Netherlands?**

*Phantom Thread* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Phantom Thread, and is it suitable for children?**

*Phantom Thread* carries a UK 15 certificate, and its difficulty lies in manners, not violence or fright. The unease comes from a demanding man expecting deference and two women declining to give it, which is unsettling in the way a tense dinner is unsettling. Younger children would find little to alarm them and less to hold their attention.

**How does Phantom Thread compare to Rebecca?**

*Phantom Thread* and [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca) both set a romance inside an imposing household where established loyalties resist a newcomer, but they differ in temperature. Hitchcock's film runs on dread and insecurity, while Anderson's is funnier and more evenly matched, with Alma pushing back where Fontaine's heroine shrinks. *Rebecca* is the stronger film for suspense; *Phantom Thread* suits anyone who prefers their romance argued rather than feared.

**What should I watch after Phantom Thread?**

After *Phantom Thread*, try [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca) (1940, Fi1m 85): For another imposing household where romance must contend with established loyalties. Then [*The Piano*](https://film.one/film/the-piano) (1993, Fi1m 88): For a stubborn woman’s desires expressed through music, work and difficult intimacy; and [*The Servant*](https://film.one/film/the-servant) (1963, Fi1m 89): Another elegant household where apparently settled positions become difficult to maintain.

### Reviews we read (25)

- **Radio Times**, Emma Simmonds (5/5): The critic calls it a divine, poetically scripted melodrama that examines the artist’s vulnerability and emotional upheaval in an intimate portrait, especially fitting as a potential swan song for Day-Lewis. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-6l3ius/phantom-thread/)
- **The i Paper**, Matthew Turner (★★★★★): Day-Lewis delivers a magnificent performance as the fastidious designer Reynolds Woodcock, retiring in style, while newcomer Vicky Krieps is perfectly cast in a twisted Hitchcockian romance full of suspense from everyday details. The critic praises the strong supporting work, sumptuous score and design, calling it a cinematic treat. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/phantom-thread-review-daniel-day-lewis-122510)
- **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (5/5): The critic lauds the film’s exploration of obsession and power shifts in the romance, noting the sophisticated script, strong performances, and the director’s fun handling of the characters’ battle of wills. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/phantom-thread)
- **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (A-): The critic finds the film an exquisite, tastefully crafted intimate love story that masks a perverse and moving relationship study beneath its mannered elegance. He singles out the strong performances, especially Daniel Day-Lewis and newcomer Vicky Krieps, and Anderson's refined formal control. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/p-t-anderson-reunites-with-daniel-day-lewis-for-the-ex-1821100576)
- **Evening Standard**, Matthew Norman (85/100, inferred): The critic hails Daniel Day-Lewis's sublime swansong performance as a fragile, neurotic perfectionist couturier and calls the film a profoundly engaging psychological examination of mutual dependency and power shifts in a warped love affair. He singles out the film's atmospheric visuals, unsaid details, and rich emotional layers for praise. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/phantom-thread-review-daniel-day-lewis-bows-out-in-style-a3756316.html)
- **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (85/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a classical melodrama and chamber piece about a toxic family triangle in 1950s couture, praising its opulent yet intimate execution, nuanced performances (especially the understated Day-Lewis, terrifying Manville, and mischievous Krieps), and masterful unraveling of the artist's mystique. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/film-week-phantom-thread/)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a riveting '50s romance that is a screwball comedy in disguise, an absorbing period piece seemingly focused on a successful man's obsessions but really about his opposite. He praises Anderson for crafting a twisted yet compelling dynamic between the characters. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/phantom-thread-review-paul-thomas-anderson-daniel-day-lewis-1201903991/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (85/100, inferred): The critic celebrates the film's spellbinding details, exquisite performances—especially Vicky Krieps as a triumphant muse—and its subversive take on artistic obsession and domestic power. It is hailed as a lush, darkly comic homage to romantic melodramas with Anderson's signature intensity. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-phantom-thread-review-20171222-story.html)
- **Total Film**, Kevin Harley (85/100, inferred): Anderson crafts a classic of obsession and strange love with dynamite leads, as Day-Lewis retires in style and Krieps is revelatory in a nuanced, subverted character study of a fastidious designer and his muse. The critic singles out the complex duet, tonal balance of cruelty and comedy, and singular lines echoing Bergman and Hitchcock for praise. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/phantom-thread-review/)
- **Empire**, Dan Jolin (80/100, inferred): Anderson shifts to gothic romance in 1950s London with a chamber-piece focus on an unconventional relationship, where Day-Lewis gives a worthy final performance as a petulant man-child and Krieps shines as the stronger partner who gradually takes emotional control. The critic highlights the black comedy, perverse twists, and fresh setting suiting the director. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/phantom-thread-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's refined austerity and its exploration of the equilibrium artists require, arriving at a place of qualified peace that resolves the emotional wounds running through Anderson's cinema. He singles out the subtle power dynamics and Alma's role in providing Reynolds what he needs through a mix of control and perversity. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/phantom-thread/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (60/100, inferred): The review highlights the film's expert craftsmanship and Day-Lewis's obsessive performance but finds it cloistral and sickly, leaving the critic craving fresh air amid its tense power struggles. It notes the perverse yet engrossing dynamic between the designer and his muse, with echoes of Hitchcock. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/08/the-claustrophobic-elegance-of-phantom-thread)
- **Screen Daily**: The critic describes an impossible love affair rendered in impeccable detail that beguiles and confounds, praising the tonal fluidity, reserved performances, and insight into desire, ambition and control. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/phantom-thread-review/5124493.article)
- **Sight and Sound**, Adam Nayman: The critic praises Anderson’s most ambitious and surprising film, highlighting the power reversal between the obsessive designer and his muse along with Hitchcockian influences blended into comedy and drama. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-phantom-thread-unravels-relationship-between-artist-his-muse)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic praises Daniel Day-Lewis's charismatic and outrageous performance as the fastidious couturier Reynolds Woodcock in what is claimed to be his final role. The review highlights the film's heightened reality, elegant absurdity, and the lead actor's swansong as a high note of pure delicious pleasure. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/07/phantom-thread-review-daniel-day-lewis-paul-thomas-anderson)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy: The critic describes the film as an exquisitely idiosyncratic melodrama of love, desire and gamesmanship among control freaks in the world of haute couture, less grandiose than Anderson's recent work but more precision-controlled. He singles out Jonny Greenwood's gorgeously melodious score as the most important individual contribution to the film's impact. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/phantom-thread-review-1063279/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic's Pick): The critic praises the film's chamber-piece qualities and the richly textured performances, especially Daniel Day-Lewis as an obsessive couturier and Vicky Krieps as his determined muse. It is presented as a wry, comic study of love, work, and power dynamics in a refined gothic vein. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/24/movies/phantom-thread-review-daniel-day-lewis.html)
- **Den of Geek**, Mark Harrison (5/5): Harrison calls it an instant classic and one of the best films of the year, praising its intimate study of an unusual relationship that feels eerie and sumptuous, with standout transformative performances and intricate character details that reward rewatching. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/phantom-thread-review-2/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Linda Marric (5/5): The critic praises the film as stunning and memorable, highlighting enchanting performances from Daniel Day-Lewis and Lesley Manville as well as the assured direction from Paul Thomas Anderson. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/phantom-thread-review/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (9/10): The critic calls it one of the year's best films, a delirious and hypnotic pitch-black comedy with stellar performances, especially from Vicky Krieps, and praises the lush direction, look, and Jonny Greenwood score. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/554922/phantom-thread-review/)
- **NME**, Alex Flood (4/5): Flood praises the deeply visual and detailed film for its rich worlds, breathtaking score, and absorbing performances, especially Day-Lewis's ability to disappear into the character and Krieps's strong-willed turn as Alma, calling it a perfect send-off despite the slow pace. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/phantom-thread-film-review-daniel-day-lewis-2232775)
- **The Ringer**, K. Austin Collins (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a sumptuous chamber drama studying power shifts among an obsessive dressmaker, his sister, and his love interest, with a slippery story that undercuts expectations. Singles out the transformation theme, emotional textures, and especially Daniel Day-Lewis's indelible performance. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2017/12/20/movies/phantom-thread-film-review-paul-thomas-anderson-daniel-day-lewis)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B): The critic finds the film compelling thanks to its captivating performances and exquisite craftsmanship, though it lacks emotional depth like Anderson's recent works. Singles out the interplay of artistry, gender dynamics, and the strong acting from Day-Lewis, Krieps, and Manville. [Read](https://collider.com/phantom-thread-review/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond: Pete Hammond calls it mesmerizing with odd delights, praising Day-Lewis's performance as a memorable swan song, along with strong supporting turns and the film's Hitchcockian influences and sumptuous production. [Read](https://deadline.com/2017/12/phantom-thread-review-daniel-day-lewis-paul-thomas-anderson-1202222608/)
- **The Wrap**, Robert Abele: The critic praises it as PTA’s latest masterpiece, highlighting the sophisticated and humorous exploration of disruptive love between a designer and his muse, with strong performances and a perverse twist. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/phantom-thread-film-review-paul-thomas-anderson-daniel-day-lewis/)

## Details

- **Director:** Paul Thomas Anderson
- **Director:** Paul Thomas Anderson
- **Writer:** Paul Thomas Anderson
- **Cinematography:** Paul Thomas Anderson
- **Editor:** Dylan Tichenor
- **Music:** Jonny Greenwood
- **Production design:** Mark Tildesley
- **Costume design:** Mark Bridges
- **Producer:** Megan Ellison, JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson
- **Cast:** Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock; Vicky Krieps as Alma Elson; Lesley Manville as Cyril Woodcock; Camilla Rutherford as Johanna; Gina McKee as Countess Henrietta Harding; Brian Gleeson as Dr. Robert Hardy; Harriet Sansom Harris as Barbara Rose; Lujza Richter as Princess Mona Braganza
- **Runtime:** 2h 10m
- **Certificate (Kijkwijzer):** 12
- **Release (the Netherlands):** 1 March 2018
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2017)
- **Budget:** $35 million
- **Box office:** $48 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNsiQMeSvMk

## Where to watch in the Netherlands

- Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy €7.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-16.*

Also available in: AE, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IN, IT, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2018: Best Actor (nominated); Best Director (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (nominated); Best Costume Design (won)
- APRECI Award for Best International Premiere 2018: APRECI Award for Best International Premiere (won)
- FIPRESCI Grand Prix 2018: FIPRESCI Grand Prix (won)

## If you liked this

- *Rebecca* (1940), Fi1m 85: For another imposing household where romance must contend with established loyalties. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rebecca.md)
- *The Piano* (1993), Fi1m 88: For a stubborn woman’s desires expressed through music, work and difficult intimacy. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-piano.md)
- *The Servant* (1963), Fi1m 89: Another elegant household where apparently settled positions become difficult to maintain. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-servant.md)
- *The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant* (1972): Fashion, desire and possessiveness confined to rooms nobody seems willing to leave.
- *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: For clothes, restrained performances and music that make unspoken longing painfully clear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/phantom-thread