An epic thriller that’s already being called one of the best films of the decade is finally available to watch on the big screen

Cinephiles have reached the moment they’ve been waiting for as the best film of the year may finally be here.

Directed by one of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers and led by an A-list star giving one of the best performances of his career, critics are raving about this three-hour epic that tackles our unpredictable, violent and confusing modern times like never before.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another stars legendary actor Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a former revolutionary turned weed-smoking burnout who’s forced back into action when his daughter finds herself in danger.

From the director of There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread, this relentlessly thrilling black comedy weaves together masterful action and timely observations on 21st Century America as Bob enlists the help of karate sensei Sergio St. Carlos (played by Benicio Del Toro) while on the run from terrifying foes.

The film has been almost unanimously described as a “masterpiece”, receiving a rare 98 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes with a staggering 120 reviews.

It’s also currently the highest-rated American fiction film on Metacritic released this decade.

Slate has described it as “the movie of the year”, noting that after Anderson’s decades-long task of bringing it to screen the result is well worth the wait.

Their rave review went on to call One Battle After Another a “mysterious yet gloriously entertaining movie”, adding that even with a stellar cast led by DiCaprio, the standout is the “always-great but never-better Sean Penn” as the film’s villain, Col. Steven Lockjaw.

IndieWire also called the film a “masterpiece”, writing in their review: “A propulsive, hilarious, and overwhelmingly tender paranoid comedy-thriller car chase blockbuster whatever, PTA’s $~150 million Leonardo DiCaprio epic is the first movie of its size to accurately crystallize how insane it feels to be alive right now.”

They add the adrenaline-fuelled thriller “begins at top speed and barrels forward so fast that you can barely even tell it’s moving in a perfect circle.”

And Next Best Picture’s Daniel Howat shared on X: “Propulsive from the jump, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is a jaw-dropping masterpiece.

“It captures the chaos of revolution, and the urgency of a father searching for his daughter. As riveting as it is playful, the film flies by, firing on all cylinders. A defining piece of cinema.”

Film buffs are even claiming One Battle After Another is almost guaranteed to not just be nominated but win Best Picture at the Academy Awards next year.

One cinephile posted on X: “One Battle After Another is one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen in my life and far and away Paul Thomas Anderson’s finest cinematic achievement of his career.

“Wrap it up people, the Best Picture Oscar race is over. 10 out of 10.”

And another fan said: “Im calling it now. One Battle After Another will win Best Picture and Best Director.”

Are you making plans to witness this exhilarating yet emotional cinematic thrill ride on the big screen this weekend?

One Battle After Another is in UK cinemas now.