One Battle After Another

**What's the time?** Another PTA rollercoaster. Unique score, fantastic visuals, and a solid story. Surprisingly hilarious, Penn in particular. All round A+ acting. Action is mwha, so driving a hill feels different now. Perfect father daughter feels, made me cry. _Must watch in cinemas._

Viva la Revolución!

What a movie! Going into the movie, I was definitely expecting a good movie, but Paul Thomas Anderson and the cast didn’t have to go so hard!

Visual stunning, amazing score, great action and perfect comedic performance all fits greatly together. DiCaprio really brings everything out for the stoned and paranoid dad that have lived in a hiatus in 16 years. Del Toro as Sensei was hilarious and Sean Penn really brought a great performance as well.

‘One Battle After Another’ also fits well in the current political situation showcasing many of the fascist and inhuman things going on without just throwing mud. It really showcases some of these issues and that how lives are for the victims. The movie also showcases the two extremes of the political spectrum, that even the Revolución are not good although having good intentions, but where the end doesn’t justify the means.

The almost 3 hours went by so fast and I promise you that the last car chase was so stunning that I can’t stop thinking about it. This was peak cinema!

Definitely one of the best movies of 2025.

10/10.

Bob: "Be careful."

Willa: "I won't."

Wow. I’m honestly not sure how to begin this review, except to say that this was fantastic.

One Battle After Another is a brilliant and chaotic cinematic ecstasy from start to finish—an American Odyssey that’s never felt more timely in our tumultuous political times. Rather than relying on heavy-handed messaging, the film explores political themes through sharp satire and engaging storytelling. I’ve seen it twice already and want to watch it again. Its blend of humour and depth keeps drawing me back, revealing new layers of comedy and insight each time I revisit it.

It’s the first PTA movie I watched in the cinema, and I won’t forget it.

Speaking of the handsome devil, Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the best filmmakers working today, and one of my favourite directors. Just like Scorsese, Tarantino, and Nolan, whenever PTA has a new movie coming out, it feels like an event. His directing here is dynamic and fresh, as he takes already used set pieces and ideas from previous films and manages to make them feel new and exciting to watch. Every PTA film feels different from each other, as he widens his range as a filmmaker and explores new forms of storytelling.

There's one car chase in this film; its filming, editing, the characters involved, and building tension made it the most gripping I've seen recently. The car chase is uniquely hypnotic, creating a strange sense of calm amid unease. There's no overwhelming score, frantic editing, or gunfire—just a pursuer creeping closer as the protagonist maintains outward composure. The undulating road heightens the suspense. In the rearview mirror, the pursuers vanish and reappear, ratcheting the tension. The POV shots, which move down and up the road, felt like a rollercoaster. And how the scene concludes and the road’s use are particularly clever.

Leonardo DiCaprio—what more needs to be said? Each new film, he surpasses himself, and again, his performance is outstanding. His character, Bob Ferguson, is the second most relatable role, following Rick Dalton in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.' Bob is not a revolutionary; he is just a lost man seeking a sense of belonging. Sixteen years on, he’s become a paranoid, substance-abusing recluse. Still, when an old foe resurfaces and threatens his daughter, he shakes off inertia, reunites with former allies, and reclaims purpose. DiCaprio channels frustration and rage into an electrifying spectacle, while also providing sharp comedic moments.

Sean Penn stars as the main antagonist, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, a military officer, delivering his best performance in years. Lockjaw is one of the most loathsome and pitiable villains, embodying the worst traits in humanity: misogyny and obsessive desire. Yet, he's also unwittingly hilarious. The way he walks—reminiscent of a G.I. Joe figure—or his peculiar facial tics make him fascinating. It's the perfect blend of an entertaining yet truly frightening villain.

This is the film debut of Chase Infiniti as Willa, Bob’s daughter, and she was outstanding. It’s a star-making performance, and she shares screen time with some towering performers like Leo, Penn, and Benicio, but she holds her own. From her first introduction, she was magnetic and remained so throughout.

Benicio del Toro as Sergio St. Carlos, also known as Sensei, is such an incredible and memorable character that you want to see more of him, and Benicio is brilliant in this role. Most of the memorable lines in the film came from. Just his line delivery of "a few small beers" never fails to make me chuckle.

Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills and Regina Hall as Deandra, a French 75 member, both deliver solid work here despite the small screen time. Although they both still left an impact. Taylor only appears in the first act, but her character’s absence looms over the rest of the story, all because of Teyana Taylor’s excellent performance. It’s good to see Regina Hall in something again, as I haven’t seen her for a while. She does so much with her screen time, and she effectively communicates what the character is feeling or thinking through her facial expressions.

The performances from everyone, not just the big stars, but also the unknown actors who had few scenes or just one, were solid as well. It was all perfectly cast across the board. All the characters are super memorable and well-defined.

The score by Jonny Greenwood is superb. Just from the opening when the music comes in through the IMAX speakers, combined with the visuals, I knew I was in for something special. I had chills down my spine. It was amazing. Different parts of the music feature chaotic strings, along with a pounding piano rhythm that is effectively used to build tension, sustain it throughout each anxiety scene, or play in the background, sometimes underneath everything, to keep the action moving at its quick pace. For this type of music in this type of movie, it’s different and unexpected from an action thriller film.

The needle drops also elevate each scene—Steely Dan’s "Dirty Work" lingers in my mind. Although the film is two hours and forty minutes long, it never drags. The writing, direction, performances, cinematography, score, and character work are all exceptional.

One of the main messages I took from the film is that, despite its confusion and fear, there is a sense of hope. The film begins with a revolutionary group called French 75, a far-left organization that breaks out detained immigrants from a detention centre. Jump to 16 years later, and not much has changed. Immigrants are still being detained, political and social issues persist, and white supremacy continues to grow alarmingly. It’s an ongoing struggle between the left and the right. But the bright side is that the fight for change and against hate will make progress, as history has shown, even if it happens step by step. Reflecting on every political movement in history—whether related to race or women’s rights—it’s still an ongoing battle. Past generations fought bravely, but there’s still work to be done in this complex world, and hopefully, future generations will continue the fight—and do it even better. One generation after another is one battle after another. That’s one of the key lessons I took from the film.

Best movie of 2025 and of the 2020s!

"Viva la Revolución!"

A pulse pounding score thunders with your heartbeat as peeking cars glint in rearview mirrors, careening up and down hills. A majestic overhead shot as a character is pushed into a church. The silhoutte of characters on rooftops as fires blaze in the background. The zoom of a teenage girl practicing karate. Each scene, picture perfect, and as I watched them, I knew they were going to become touchstones in film history. Paul Thomas Anderson is operating on another level here, with multiple scenes that took my breath away. There are action set pieces as well as quieter moments that are captured so beautifully and so meticulously crafted that I knew I was watching something special. The score and soundtrack are offbeat and often seem like odd choices, and they are almost omnipresent. Yet, they drive the momentum of each scene, working to seamlessly transition between sequences and create a palpable atmosphere throughout. The movie is very politically charged, but at the same time, it is surprisingly comedic and has a more grounded emotional core driven by family relationships. Leo is having the time of his life here, and I enjoyed him flexing his comedic chops. Sean Penn fully commits to the role and plays such an over-the-top character that it feels instantly iconic, especially all the crazy movements. Chase Infiniti is a future superstar in the making, and she's captivating whenever she is on screen. If you haven't guessed, I loved this movie. It kept me on the edge of my seat, made me laugh, felt like it had weight to it, and showcased so much craft. If I had to nitpick, I would say that the prologue felt a bit too long. It zips through time, but it takes a long time to set up the main story, and I am not so confident that it was all necessary. Going from almost a montage to a much more focused real-time narrative was a bit jarring. It's a very minor nitpick, and overall, this is a phenomenal movie. Best I've seen this year so far.

This movie was definitely a sign for me to watch more Paul Thomas Anderson movies as this was absolutely amazing and I literally could not take my eyes off the screen all through it. The story’s super cool, the acting was through the roof and it was just a shit ton of fun all round, I also really loved the soundtrack as it was sweet man.

The acting in this was literally phenomenal like I couldn't get over how amazing it was, Leonardo Dicaprio was so good and I liked his character a lot but the stand out here’s got to be Sean Penn as holy fucking shit he was truly something else in this film and stole the show for sure, he was a great villain too and a ruthless bastard.

The story was brilliant and was such a fun ride, I did find some parts a bit confusing though but I still managed to enjoy it a ton plus I had my dad to explain it for me which helped a lot.

There was so many pretty intense and adrenalin fuelled moments in this movie that were so well done like that epic car chase which was literally so damm good (might be my favourite scene to honest) and i also loved the scene where Bob is running from the cops on foot.

There was also so many very hilarious moments in this as much as intense moments such as the scene where Lockjaw’s got a well….you know what at the start of the film and i definitely wish I could delete that scene from my memory but I still thought it was so funny.

I do wanna add how amazing the shots were for this movie like there’s some truly amazing shots in this and the camera work was so good.

I’m gonna give One Battle After Another a super awesome 10 out of 10 as this film was amazing I thought and loved it so much. it’s probably one of my favourites of the year so far.

10/10

Oh boy, that’s a FOTY contender for sure. What a rollercoaster, I haven’t laughed so hard in a cinema for a long time. 10/10, hands down.

A hell of a roller-coaster! The ultimate cinematic experience of the year.
What a breathtaking thrilling hilarious roller-coaster of a movie.
Leo is electric, in what must be one of the
best performances of the year.Sean what a performance!For sure,he will get his 3d Oscar win.

Fantastic film for its time. Performances rule from top to bottom. It's funny, it's fun, it's fantastic.

“One Battle After Another” is a movie that, while paying homage to the rebellious spirit of past decades, still feels completely in tune with the present. Paul Thomas Anderson translates the political and social chaos of Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland” into a cinematic spectacle that blends rebellion, paranoia, and family intimacy. The film doesn’t settle for being just a parable about resistance, it stages that resistance with raw energy, turning every scene into a battle that stretches way beyond politics and digs into the emotional core. That’s where the movie’s real strength lies: behind every explosion, every chase, every fiery speech, there’s the humanity of these characters, with all their contradictions and affections.

On a technical level, Anderson builds a piece with an almost non-stop rhythm. The movie kicks off like it’s already in the climax of an action thriller and somehow keeps that same breathless pace for over two and a half hours without spiraling into distraction. Michael Bauman’s cinematography, after working with Anderson on “Licorice Pizza,” goes for a completely different vibe here: striking, painterly images (like the shot of the border wall that looks like an oil painting) sit alongside a restless, handheld camera that chases characters down hallways, hideouts, and highways as if it were just as hunted as they are. Jonny Greenwood’s score becomes its own narrative force. By turning tiny noises into dramatic pulses (that persistent piano that sounds like a distant alarm), Greenwood keeps the movie in a constant state of alert, where tension never really lets go.

Narratively, “One Battle After Another” surprises in the way Anderson balances political spectacle with intimate drama. Bob Ferguson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, isn’t some heroic leader or idealized revolutionary Symbol, he’s a man constantly torn between the weight of the cause and the responsibility of being a father. That personal side is what really grounds the movie: his relationship with his daughter Willa, played in a breakout performance by Chase Infiniti, brings tenderness and vulnerability right into the chaos. Sean Penn’s villain, Colonel Lockjaw, is another key piece: grotesque, obsessive, and just the right amount of cartoonish, embodying the perversity of power that not only crushes people but also manipulates history to keep its grip. Anderson doesn’t have to be didactic to make his point clear: the battle here isn’t just physical, it’s for memory and for truth.

The cast throws themselves into this tone with full force. DiCaprio gives a restrained, almost physical performance, selling Bob’s exhaustion and persistence through gestures more than words. Teyana Taylor brings magnetic strength to Perfidia, shaping her into a near-mythical figure of resistance, while Regina Hall finds a sharp, pragmatic edge in Deandra that becomes one of the richest layers in the story. Still, Sean Penn steals a lot of the spotlight, delivering his best work in years: a mix of brutality and absurdity that exposes the corrosive nature of power. Anderson pulls deeply committed performances out of every actor, both physical and emotional, that ground the movie’s realism even in its most surreal moments.

In the end, “One Battle After Another” isn’t just another resistance epic. It’s a film about how the struggles of the past keep echoing into the present, about how oppression constantly reinvents itself, but also how hope endures. Anderson strikes that rare balance between critique and spectacle, between emotion and action, crafting something that speaks directly to our time without ever falling into propaganda. What lingers is the sense that every battle, even the ones lost, still matters, because within each one lies the possibility of transformation, of memory, and of connection. It’s a movie that insists, with both force and tenderness, that we can’t stop fighting.

Sinners was my favorite movie of the year. When I first watched it, I thought there won't be any movie this that will replace it as my personal favorite, but after watching this, I'm not sure which one I prefer more now. Guess I'll have to watch both again to know for sure.
But yeah, this definitely movie of the year candidate for me.

(Anyone else thought Sean Penn looked a lot like Daniel Craig here? And sometimes he even looked like Sylvester Stallone from some side shots.)