REVIEW: "One Battle After Another"

Genre: Drama; Thriller.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti

One Battle After Anohter might well be one of the most interesting films of the year: it explores extremely profound subjects in disguise of an action film. Immigration, racial issues, the craving for revolution and change, unconditional love, empathy, community values and courage... Paul Thomas Anderson delivers it all in what might well be his most entertaining cinematic ride and he executes beautifully - his latest film feels like a full package.

The movie starts like a heist film: a group of revolutionaries take a militarized immigration enforcement center and it ignites the first act where characters meet and interact in ways that will influence the second one (which takes place 16 years after) in ways I can't describe (SPOILERS). It takes its time and we get to be amazed by Teyana Taylor as a hot-headed revolutionaire who finds herself trapped once she bears her daughter Charlene - she plays like a true mystery and the object of wonder and cinematic obsession. You can feel Taylor's intensity (something she has already showed us in A Thousand and One) and you miss her presence once she first act ends. The second act presents her daughter Charlene, now named Willa, living what looks like a normal life with her dad (Pat now named Bob Ferguson), but then you realise - they have never lived a normal life since they have lived all those year in maximum alert, in a world of codes and procedures in case they are discovered. And what happens next... well, I won't dare to spoil, because One Battle After Another might well be one of the most satisfying cinematic experiences.

Paul Thomas Anderson has already proven he is one of the very best working in the industry right now. With an impressive resumè that include classics like Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread and (my personal favorite of his) Punch-Drunk Love, he has already directed almost every genre, but he impresses as he delivers a stylish narrative-centered action piece. It's never hollow and it has electricity and while it might not feature the tender sweetness of Punch-Drunk Love or Licorice Pizza or the classic epicness of There Will Be Blood, there's a certain Magnolia touch in the way cars are chased, guns are shot and fathers encounter their daughters. It's completely different, but it's a director in full control of his crafts. But his true winning hand is how he makes it a tale about the need of a revolution of love and repression of hate, xenophobia and racism - something I felt very materialized in the different father-daughter relationships and how a leader can move the members of a community versus how the military works. In the end, it's a movie about the need of love.

The acting ensemble sure impress: Leonardo DiCaprio delivers his best acting turn since The Wolf of Wall Street as he balances perfect comedic timing with tension and despair; Chase Infiniti has her breakthrough turn here as she irradiates intensity and subtle/nuanced internal conflict (she really has a movie star presence and the camera loves her); Sean Penn seems to be back on form with a ruthless character full of grey areas and dark places, but he finds something empathetic in Lockjaw somehow, which shows his level of commitment and understanding of his (well-written) character; as for Teyana Taylor she's a dynamite here and she leaves a lasting impression in a limited role; as for Benicio Del Toro and Regina Hall, both provide a lot with so little (with Hall having the least to do), but both are extremely effective with Del Toro even having a great showcasing moment with the police. That being said, congratulation to the casting director for being this good.

In terms of craft works, One Battle After Another might not have eye-popping production design or impressive costume design work, but its editing and cinematography contribute for a couple of the most iconic moments in 2025 cinema (including the so-called chase scene in a up and down road in the middle of the desert). Jonny Greenwood teams with PTA once again to deliver a banger of an original score - raw, dramatic and loud (another winning collaboration of these two)! Sound work was top notch as well and the action scenes looked well choreographed.

So, One Battle After Another is not only a great movie in terms of narrative and execution, but it also feels like an urgent one. In times of hate, this movie shows there's love somewhere and that it can overcome everything. It also makes a little statement about education: by putting in contrast Taylor's character actions in the beginning of the film and Infiniti's character's way to handle the need for revolution in her last scene, you can see that education might well be the best weapon (despite a specific shot that show them as equals in the middle of the movie). A must-see and a must-think-about film. Still... its 3 hours runtime might not be for everyone so stock your snacks and drinks before entering the theatre.

RATING: 9,5/10

Oscar potential categories:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio)
• Best Supporting Actress (Chase Infiniti)
• Best Supporting Actress (Teyana Taylor)
• Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn)
• Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro)
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Editing
• Best Cinematography
• Best Original Score
• Best Sound