Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, this 2007 drama film is essentially a character study of oil entrepreneur Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) and chronicles his life from 1898 to 1927. A charismatic and ruthless oil prospector, Plainview is driven to succeed by his intense hatred of others and desperate need to see any and all competitors fail. Using his young adopted son to project the image of a caring family man, he gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview's gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate himself from everyone in his life. Paul Dano also stars.