Wes Anderson’s ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ Short Films, Ranked

While it’s too easy to consider filmmaker Wes Anderson’s cinematic world one entirely of his own creation, the iconoclastic creator’s impeccably built tales have always hinged on his long-running professional bonds with everyone from his perpetual co-writer Roman Coppola to his merry band of performers (the Wilson brothers, Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Anjelica Huston, the list goes on and on and can happily feed dozens of new productions).

And, of course, there’s been Roald Dahl.

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While the iconic if controversial British author passed away before Anderson even shot his first feature, “Bottle Rocket,” the mannered and fantastical world the “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” author built on the page is a striking match for Anderson’s cinematic obsessions.

In 2009, Anderson tried his hand at his first Dahl adaptation with his winsome and charming stop-motion feature “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and now, nearly 15 years later, Anderson wades even deeper into the rich waters of Dahl’s bibliography with his latest work: a series of short films based on some of Dahl’s short stories. While the project was first believed to be a feature-length adaptation of “The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar,” the package is bigger than that, with Anderson taking four of Dahl’s stories and turning them into a witty package of distinctly Anderson-ian endeavors, all bolstered by the work of Anderson’s usual collaborators (and the addition of Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular Henry Sugar).

All of the four short films are now streaming on Netflix, and while they can be enjoyed as single-serving delights, they make a winning, feature-length treat when consumed together. Ahead, we rank the four-pack, and perhaps give some insight into the best way to watch them as a set (with a generous notation on any shorts that might, ahem, ruffle the feathers of the more tender-hearted).

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