It’s hard not to be a bit biased when it comes to films from filmmakers whose work has affected you a lot more than others. Paul Thomas Anderson is one of those people. Ever since I first laid eyes on Boogie Nights (1997), a film about untraditional family relationships through the tumultuous porn industry, I couldn’t wait to see what was to come. Then, in 1999, Magnolia came out and punched me in the stomach harder than any other film I had ever seen prior. This film was an Altman-esque epic following a group of unloved characters dealing with their pasts during one long Los Angeles day. Now, after a five-year hiatus, Anderson returns with an epic of greater scale.

There Will Be Blood follows Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), a miner who happens to stumble upon oil while mining for silver. In the years that follow, he goes from a simple discoverer to an experienced tycoon with ease. He knows how to find it, drill for it, and even talk common folks into selling him their land so he can set up shop.

He’s given a tip from Paul Sunday (Paul Dano) that his family’s land is soiled with oil. Hesitant about the information at first, Plainview and his boy H.W. (Dillon Freasier) journey to the small village to inspect. They immediately discover the information was correct and soon enough, he brings in his company to begin drilling. Paul’s brother Eli (also played by Dano) leads the fanatical Church of the Third Revelation and wants nothing but to get Plainview to donate money to his cause. His greed is almost worse than Plainview’s own; Eli’s fake-polite persona is something Plainview never falls for.

It might be hard for some people to fully take in There Will Be Blood for all of its worth. The camera rarely leaves Plainview’s side and his character isn’t exactly likeable. He trusts no one and hates everyone equally. There are no friendships or love interests to be found here except that between man and liquid. What is there to sympathize with?

He only works with that which he needs to get what he wants. H.W. merely acts as a tool to help people fall for his pitches. Plainview knows that bringing a cute kid with him wherever he goes helps hide some of bitterness and shadiness.

P.T. Anderson’s crew consists of many of his usual players, including cinematographer Robert Elswit. The settings are typically bare and deserted but still photographed with a great deal of depth and splendor. Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood compliments these visuals with a stunningly haunted score.

It’s hard to review There Will Be Blood without recognizing some obvious classic influences. Your mind will surely think of everything from Giant to Treasure of Sierra Madre to even Throne of Blood. It’s like a version of Citizen Kane that Stanley Kubrick might have directed. But the film has enough to lay its own influence in the minds of future filmmakers to come.