Paul Thomas Anderson was the director of The Master.
Paul Thomas Anderson . Anderson 's sixth film , the drama The Master ( 2012 ) , was released to critical acclaim . It later ranked , along with The Master and Inherent Vice , in the BBC 's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century . The Master is a 2012 American psychological drama film written , directed , and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Joaquin Phoenix , Philip Seymour Hoffman , and Amy Adams .