One Battle After Another (2025)

Barely two minutes into the newest Paul Thomas Anderson film, I jotted down one word:

“Timely?”

The question mark was mainly for hesitation, as I knew that the topic matter would rub many on the right side of the aisle the wrong way. It can be daunting to try and separate politics and art, and, after reading user reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, I know I am not alone (a lot of negative reviews said they walked out right away.)

Yet, like any great movie, One Battle After Another has so many more ideas to discover. So much so, that talking about the plot will be problematic to not spoil more than what has been shown in either the trailers or the synopsis on IMDB. I will tread lightly.

Written by Anderson and based loosely off of the book “Vineland” by Thomas Pynchon, the film is set in the present day (which PTA has not done since 2002’s Punch Drunk Love). We see a far left extremist group known as the French 75. One such member is the explosive expert, Pat (Leonardo DiCaprio) who soon falls for another member, the ferocious Perfidia (Teyana Taylor). Eventually, she becomes pregnant (again, this is shown in the trailer), but sometime after the birth of daughter Charlene , they need to go into hiding as they are being pursued by Col. Lockjaw (Sean Penn).

Fast forward 16 years later, and Pat (whose undercover name is Bob) watches over Charlene (now called Willa and played by Chase Infiniti) when the threat of Lockjaw returns, and…okay, that is the most I will go.

Like many PTA films, the cast of characters is vast and eclectic. Regina Hall (normally at home as a comedian) does a lot with not much as one of the key members of the French 75, as does Alana Haim (who was the female lead in PTA’s last film, Licorice Pizza). Willa’s karate teacher, Sensei Sergio, is borderline perfectly played by Benecio Del Toro. Then there are others who are not entirely known as actors, like Shayna McHayle as a french 75 member named JunglePussy.

When I think of someone who manages to find the perfect balance of both movie stardom and movie actor, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the first to come to mind. He plays Bob/Pat with the right amount of energetic nervousness, making him as lovable as ever (especially when he can’t remember a password or find a place to charge his phone). It is also worth noting this is one of his first roles where he truly gets to play a dad (his past characters have had kids, but not with this much one on one time). 

Credit should also go to Chase Infiniti as Willa/Charlene. It would be nerve racking for any actor to have to go toe to toe with veterans like Dicaprio, Penn, and Del Toro, regardless of past experience. Infiniti not only does so, but manages to bring out even better acting in her co stars. Rather impressive.

Still, there is no getting around the fact that the performance that will be most talked about is Sean Penn. This is truly the best he has been in some time. I heard Sean Fennessey on The Big Picture podcast say how Penn’s performance reminded him of Vince McMahon, and that makes a great deal of sense when you see Lockjaw’s mannerisms (especially his walk). His is an antagonist you can’t help but wonder if the actor had a fun time playing due to the character’s reprehensible actions. Either way, he truly is mesmerizing, and will be talked about in the Oscar conversation (and his will be far from the only one: Picture, Director, Screenplay, Score,…there is a lot in play here).

Parents, while I have not seen all of PTA’s films, I’m still confident in saying none of his films are for kids. This is no exception, as there is swearing, violence, and some sexual content (the latter is mainly at the start of the film and played for laughs). So yeah, High School and above.

Admittedly, there are some minor faults I have with the film (well, more questions than faults), but I can’t get into them without spoilers. There is also the fact that the film is indeed a long one: not too much less than three hours. Still, the film is easily one of the year’s best, and one I plan on seeing tomorrow on IMAX. 

Like many sublime cinematic achievements, this will only improve with one viewing after another.

Overall: