One Battle After Another

I had zero interest in this film after its trailer. After all, I either love Paul Thomas Anderson movies (Phantom Thread, There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights) or hate them (Inherent Vice, The Master). In fact, Inherent Vice holds the dubious honor of being one of only four films I’ve ever walked out of. Critics at festivals were swooning, but at two hours and fifty minutes, it seemed destined to be filed under my most common dig of the decade: “self-indulgent marathon films from untouchable directors that should have been two hours flat.”

However, his tenth film, One Battle After Another, is one of the best sustained pieces of filmmaking — ever. It felt like one hour and is clearly one of the best films of 2025.

It kicks off with the kind of velocity most action films save for their finale, then never lets up. Without spoiling specifics, it centers on revolutionaries from the last decade, though it feels as if the script were finished last night. At full volume, it’s about defying fascism and racism, but in quiet moments, it's a tender father-daughter story. Somehow it is both a thunderous thriller and intimate drama, switching gears with comic precision. The balance of action, thriller, drama and comedy is a masterwork.

Often cited "greatest actor of our generation," Leonardo DiCaprio to me, has too often been outsized by the film roles from The Aviator and Departed to J.Edgar and Killers of the Flower Moon, but this film and comic role fits him better, much like his turn in The Wolf of Wall Street. Here, DiCaprio gives a carefully modulated turn, often channelling The Big Lebowsi in his backrobe as Bob Ferguson. 

Our other "greatest actor," Sean Penn completely disappears into Col. Lockjaw, the clearest bad guy of the film, creating one of his all-time best roles. Teyana Tarylo, Benicio del Toro and Regina Hall are all expectedly great too.

What makes the film astonishing is that it never panders. It’s bleak, sardonic, tough-minded, yet alive with jolting humanity. It isn’t about good guys or easy redemption, it’s about survival and defiance, and somehow that makes it all the more hopeful.

In a nutshell: the action jolts, the comedy lands and the suspense feels utterly original. This is a Molotov cocktail hurled into the 2025 film season.

Where to see it: Theatrical release, in 70mm, IMAX 70mm, IMAX Digital and VistaVision. IMAX was worth every cent.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? We’re talking about one of the decade’s best films, but yes, naturally.

Award potential: Expect Oscar nominations in all categories.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.