“One Battle After Another delivers a thrilling, visually stunning adventure that stands tall on virtually all cinematic fronts.”

Pros

• A thrilling, layered adventure
• Fantastic performances
• Memorable characters

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Acclaimed writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) has returned with another modern masterpiece with One Battle After Another. Inspired by the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon, Anderson’s film follows ex-revolutionary Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he scrambles to find and protect his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) from his old nemesis, Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn).

Anderson’s illustrious filmography reaches bold new heights with this wild and exhilarating epic. Filled with action, comedy, romance, tragedy, and familial drama, One Battle After Another has just about everything audiences could want in a Hollywood blockbuster. In addition, this stunning and thrilling movie boasts an incredible cast that pulls the audience into the action with their layered, realistic, and memorable characters.

A timely, unpredictable drama

One Battle After Another throws audiences right into the action, opening with Bob, Perfidia (Teyana Taylor), and the French 75 freeing immigrants from a detention center at the Mexico-U.S. border. What follows is a decades-long adventure about the never-ending cycle of violence between oppression and rebellion, which feels especially relevant in present-day America.

Though history seems to repeat itself, the audience can hardly predict what it will throw at them. Bob and Perfidia spend years raging against the machine together. However, the film defies expectations when Willa ultimately betrays the French 75 to avoid jail time. Due to Bob and Perfidia’s actions, the story shows how the next generation inherits their parents’ problems as Lockjaw hunts for Willa in the present day.

Behind its social commentary on racism, xenophobia, and government corruption, One Battle After Another is ultimately a story about parenthood. Bob tries to do good for his daughter, fearing for her future as his past as a revolutionary catches up to them both. After Willa learns of her parents’ past and learns to forgive them, her decision to follow in their footsteps and continue their fight for freedom inspires love and hope in this harrowing tale.

Instantly iconic characters and performances

Leonardo DiCaprio continues to show his acting range with his performance as Bob Ferguson. After he and Willia are forced into hiding, Bob devolves into a paranoid, alcoholic stoner straight out of The Big Lebowski: a very unusual role for the Oscar-winning actor.

Nevertheless, with his shaggy hair, plaid robe, and fit-over glasses, DiCaprio brings an unconventional action hero icon to life. He also brings a great deal of depth and emotion to his comedic character. As Bob struggles to remember a password on the phone, audiences can sense his character’s struggle to keep it together as he tries to find his child amidst the chaos.

Benicio del Toro shines as Bob’s ally in the field, Sergio St. Carlos. Even with the police and military closing in on him, Sergio maintains a level head and guides Bob and his community through the chaos with maximum charm and coolness.

Sean Penn plays a truly despicable villain as Colonel Lockjaw. This racist, xenophobic, and sleazy oppressor only cares about satisfying his sexual urges and forwarding the agenda of his white supremacist group, the Christmas Adventurers. Though Lockjaw may just seem like a far-right caricature, he displays greater nuance as a man destroyed by his ust. Like DiCaprio’s character, viewers can feel this character unravel as he loses control of everything, particularly during the film’s intense DNA test scene.

Meanwhile, Chase Infiniti holds up extraordinarily well opposite veteran actors like DiCaprio and Penn with her performance as Willa. Throughout the story, Willa realistically shifts from being her father’s begrudging caretaker to a frightened teenager to a conflicted warrior. The fear and heartbreak she experiences as he faces Lockjaw and learns the dark truth of her heritage is palpable. After her breakout role in Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent, Infiniti has established herself as one of Hollywood’s best new talents in Anderson’s film.

Despite having relatively little screen time, Perfidia leaves a lasting impact on the film before it cuts to the present day. This isn’t just because of Teyana Taylor’s magnetic performance. Perfidia’s character exhibits incredible depth, particularly in her tragic arc from a loyal revolutionary to a depressed mother to a lonely traitor. Similarly, Regina Hall makes the most out of her short time on-screen as the stoic, thoughtful, yet vulnerable Deandra.

A thrilling masterpiece of cinema

As its title suggests, Anderson’s movie is one exciting scene after another. Even with its whopping 162-minute runtime, this motion picture presents a marvelously made adventure that keeps its audience’s eyes glued to the screen.

One Battle After Another unleashes many stunning and meticulously crafted action pieces. From the French 75’s spectacular opening raid to Bob and Sergio’s escape from a city under siege to the final car chase across the desert, the film features no shortage of immersive, heart-pounding thrills.

In his sixth feature-film collaboration with Anderson, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood elevates the intensity of One Battle After Another‘s epic adventure with his musical score. With the music of a single piano, the score succeeds in building incredible tension and excitement with a distinctive sound.

At the same time, this movie presents several vibrant and breathtaking shots filmed on VistaVision by cinematographer Michael Bauman, who previously worked with Anderson on Licorice Pizza.

Is One Battle After Another worth a watch?

As one of the most distinctive and beautifully made action movies of the decade, One Battle After Another is definitely worth a trip to the theater. The film’s talented cast brings plenty of life and emotion to their respective characters. Overall, Anderson and his team achieve tremendous success in presenting a gorgeous, thrilling, and thought-provoking epic for the modern age.

One Battle After Another is now playing in theaters.

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