In today’s cinematic landscape, it seems studios have to work harder than ever to get audiences into theaters, trying just about everything. Some, like James Cameron, build the immersive world of Pandora that demands a big screen. Others acquire beloved IP like Barbie or The Minecraft Movie, or return to familiar favorites with sequels like Inside Out 2. But every so often, a director comes along and delivers a film so good that it doesn’t need a franchise, nostalgia, or gimmicks. That’s exactly what Paul Thomas Anderson achieves with One Battle After Another.
Despite being one of the greatest directors of the past 30 years, Anderson still approaches each movie with something to prove. He has one of the most diverse filmographies of any working director today, from the bright lights of 1980s Los Angeles in Boogie Nights to the quiet torment of a dressmaker and his muse in Phantom Thread. Each of his past works has a distinct feel, while still maintaining his signature style and nuance. One Battle After Another feels like the culmination of everything he’s learned, a film that combines the best aspects of his work, and it’s brilliant.
This movie follows Bob Ferguson, a revolutionary who’s been hiding for the past 20 years with his daughter, Willa. When his past catches up to him and Willa goes missing, he sets out to find her in a race against old threats and new. The opening lays the groundwork for his former life, introducing the audience to the main cast’s motivations. There’s about five minutes to breathe before it’s full speed ahead for the rest of the runtime. Despite its 2-hour and 45-minute runtime, One Battle After Another absolutely flies by, propelled by a script that is jam-packed but never overwhelming. A narrative that’s relatively easy to follow, but is rich with so much depth it demands a rewatch. At surface level, this comedic thriller is a great time, but peel back the layers and there’s a masterpiece.
Anderson has this ability to show so much while explaining so little. His characters serve as a lens to show what day-to-day life can be like for people in today’s America. The constant paranoia, fear of forces external and internal, the “lose-lose” situations with seemingly no way out. It’s mind-blowing the way he captures those feelings and emotions that can be so hard to describe. At its core, One Battle After Another is a reflection on the human experience in a bizarre modern world. It strips away the fluff and noise, a raw look into the psyche of people from all different walks of life. The physical and mental obstacles that come with relationships, family, politics, work, and a country that refuses to take a breather. It’s here that the movie earns its title: One Battle After Another.
This is one of those movies where every viewer could name a different character as their favorite, and they’d all be right. They’re all written incredibly well, giving them time to develop alone and in tandem with one another, and it’s a joy to watch. That’s thanks to the cast that, from start to end, was outstanding. Leonardo DiCaprio adds Paul Thomas Anderson to his incredible roster of directors he’s collaborated with. In recent years, we’ve seen him go from Scorsese to Tarantino without missing a beat. Once again, his range is back on display and truly gives a performance for the ages. His ability to not only make the audience believe, but also care about what’s happening on screen, is one of a kind. DiCaprio gets the chance to show his more humorous side as Bob, which had the audience crying from laughter multiple times, specifically when he shared the screen with Benicio Del Toro’s character, Sensei. This story managed to take a smaller role as a comedic relief character, and transforms him into a crucial figurehead of the plot and broader message alike. His performance is subtly powerful, never taking away from other actors, but demanding attention. The list of actors that could pull off what Del Toro accomplishes here is not very long.
Opposite DiCaprio and Del Toro, Sean Penn (Colonel Lockjaw), delivered one of the most entertaining antagonist performances in recent memory. It’s shown pretty early on that his character has more depth than the trailers let on, but the way Penn breathes life into every aspect of this character is what makes it so fun. One scene he’ll have the whole audience holding their breath with anticipation, just for them to be hysterically laughing at him the next. Great antagonists have to walk a fine line of being menacing, yet letting their flaws show through; otherwise, the audience can just write them off. Penn’s performance walks this line expertly, and there’s no better example than when he’s with newcomer Chase Infiniti.
Chase plays Willa, Bob’s daughter in the movie, and she not only keeps up with this stellar cast, but also manages to shine. It’s hard to imagine a better debut. Working with one of the greatest living directors, alongside three of the best actors of her generation, with a script that allows her to show a full range of acting chops. This definitely won’t be the last we see of her on the big screen, as her performance, specifically in the third act, was something special.
Anderson has a knack for creating stunning imagery and sets. One Battle After Another is only the second movie he has made set in modern times, with the last being his debut feature, Hard Eight. In his earlier works, he utilized the time and setting to their full potential, like the bright lights and colorful clothing in Boogie Nights and Licorice Pizza. Here, he takes on the harder task of transforming the world the audience is familiar with and turning it into something wondrous, and it’s a treat to watch. From start to finish, there’s such a wide variety of visual spectacles, almost like he sees the world through a different lens. The third act has a sequence that can only be described as generational. Through a masterclass in composition, editing, and scoring, he creates what will go down as one of the most memorable sequences in film history.
It’s rare to get a movie that takes on an almost impossible task and nails every single aspect of it. These are the decade-defining films that linger long after their time in theaters. The ones that spark conversation and reshape how audiences think about what cinema can do. One Battle After Another delivers a message that couldn’t have come at a better time, and thanks to its stunning cinematography, Oscar-worthy performances, and hilarious yet heartfelt characters, it feels destined to be remembered as one of the greats. A story grounded in the modern world, yet timeless in its reflection of the human experience.
