‘One Battle After Another Review’: A Blistering and Timely American Saga
There comes a time within every couple of years of film where you get something so special, so relevant to our current moment, and so successful on virtually every front that it’s hard to believe it exists. A film where you know as soon as the credits roll, it will live on as a timeless classic, and just like with his previous film, Paul Thomas Anderson crafts one for the ages in One Battle After Another.
Not only is One Battle After Another a staggering technical achievement that never loses a second of its bracing pace, but it also manages to be one of the most politically relevant films of our time, perfectly encapsulating the modern reality of America. Whether it’s political satire or a delve into the oppressive underbelly overtaking the nation, Anderson melds blistering commentary with a surprisingly heartfelt and hilarious tone at its center, clashes that only a true master of the art form could handle.
Paired with nearly 3 hours of pure exhilaration and incredible performance from the entire ensemble, no matter what their amount of screen time is, One Battle After Another isn’t just the year’s best film; it’s the defining moment of where the world is this decade. Truly a movie like no other.
What is One Battle After Another about?
The film begins quickly, introducing us to the revolutionary group known as The French 75, freeing immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. Their leader is Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), the most confident of the revolutionaries, helming their crusade against the never-ending evils from the government.
Her partner in revolution is Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio). They have a baby together and try their best to care for her while continuing their revolutionary escapades, but 16 years later, Willa (Chase Infinity) is now a high schooler, and Bob cares for her as a single parent. Bob is now a deadbeat dad, doing nothing but getting high all day and worrying about what his ties to the revolution could mean for his daughter’s future.
Little do they know, a former nemesis of The French 75, Steven LockJaw (Sean Penn), has resurfaced and is looking to cut the loose ends he had following his encounters with Perfidia sexually arousing him those 16 years ago, specifically. He now wants to find both Willa and Bob by any means necessary.
As LockJaw starts hunting down the French 75 members, Bob must embark on a screwball journey of a lifetime to save his daughter, work with new and former allies, and, most of all, remember passwords made by the revolution to find his daughter before Lockjaw does.
One Battle After Another’s tonal and thematic shifts
One Battle After Another’s full embrace of the political chaos and imperialism that surrounds America isn’t just great because of its presence, but because of how it’s interwoven into the tonal inflections and core of the film. Anderson melds hysterical political satire with the harsh realities of the attempts at erasure within our nation. Tonally, a film attempting to pair so much comedy, sadness, and warmth between a father and daughter would be a nightmare, but it all flows so fluidly in Anderson’s hands, breaking boundaries within politics showcased so rawly in the film.
There will be so much talk around the timeliness of a film centered around underground white supremacists attempting to “purify” the country from its racial problem, but it’s not just that lone aspect where One Battle After Another shines; it’s the film’s reflection of the older and newer generations.
There’s a thematic touch near the film’s end that, despite all the madness witnessed, hope for the future and the new voices from our children can be a beacon of light in such an uncertain future. More positive conclusions for Paul Thomas Anderson films aren’t truly out of the ordinary in his filmography, but this prevalence really brings the film home thematically, a picture that feels so genuine to our current climate.
Paul Thomas Anderson delivers on all fronts with action
While there have been small inflections of it in his previous features, Anderson has never had much of a presence on the action front, so it’s incredibly shocking how he delivers on some of the most electric sequences of the year. Virtually every minute of One Battle After Another percolates with searing tension that never lets up for even a single moment.
The film is packed to the brim with lightning-fast car chases, slick gunplay, and running throughout the streets that would give Tom Cruise a run for his money. However, it is the film’s precise camera work and use of long takes that keep the pressure at such a high level.
I love how much you can see Anderson’s level up to the blockbuster realm in his previous films. From the shaky and grounded sequences in Punch Drunk Love to the plethora of one-takes in only his second feature, Boogie Nights, the foundation was always there, and seeing it on a full scale is utterly breathtaking.
Johnny Greenwood’s score (a frequent collaborator with Anderson) is also a standout throughout. It only further adds to the absolute madness of the film, with blaring piano keys being pressed throughout, almost coming across as a siren of sorts that can be just as tension-filled as it is wondrous to listen to.
The standout performances in the film
Within an ensemble of standout performers, each actor in One Battle After Another has their own standout qualities. The skill of DiCaprio as an actor has been praised by virtually everyone, and he’s predictably great here. Most of the film’s comedy revolves around him being a now-washed-up father who no longer has the vigor he was once so proud of, and it leads to one of DiCaprio’s most entertaining performances in a long while.
Even while standing amongst such great performers, I was even more shocked by how much Chase Infinity held her own in her feature debut. She goes toe-to-toe with DiCaprio while they share the screen, and she brings so much great energy to what is the true heart of this film, in a story about a father-daughter relationship and the struggles of being a parent.
Teyana Taylor and Benicio Del Toro are also magnetic within their screen time, but Sean Penn as LockJaw gives another insane performance. The character of LockJaw is just as despicable and cold as you’d expect a white supremacist to be, but Penn brings such a disgusting nature to the desires of this character and his deeper connection to The French 75. Just the type of character where the physicality and familiar nature of this type of person stick with you throughout.
Final thoughts on One Battle After Another
Simply put, One Battle After Another isn’t just the movie of the year; it’s one of the best this entire decade has had to offer. A deeply political film that intertwines a heartfelt center with timely satire and utterly flawless technical expertise. Years from now, when we think about the films that truly define our current moment in time, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another will be the picture to view as such.
One Battle After Another releases in theaters Friday, September 26th. Are you going to watch it this weekend? Let us know what you think on social media @MyCosmicCircus or @TheCosmicCircus.com on Bluesky.
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