One Battle After Another (2025) – Film Review

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Leonardo Di Caprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro
Certificate: 15

By David Reid

A new film by Paul Thomas Anderson is always a hotly anticipated event among cinephiles. However, his name may not be that familiar to the general public, as he has not yet won any major awards, despite creating a substantial body of work. Could this film change that? There is currently a debate as to whether this picture could be the best Hollywood film of the past fifteen years. That’s a question to return to after considering the content of the movie.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob Ferguson, a revolutionary and single father to Willa (Chase Infiniti). The context of the film is one in which Bob and his fellow insurgents are conducting acts of guerrilla warfare against the US government of the day. The film opens with a raid upon a federal government immigration centre. The attackers appear to be well organised and effective, requiring a considerable number of army troops to engage with the group – termed the French 75.

Scenes in which an army helicopter is deployed are reminiscent of Vietnam movies of the 1970s and 1980s; however, here the action occurs on US soil. Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) plays another of the rebels, who is in a relationship with Bob. She gives birth to Wilma, although they are quickly separated through circumstances. Although the viewer is not given details of the reasons for these confrontations, there are indications that the government is not above the use of subversive tactics in its desire to thwart the rebels. The focal point of the army in this conflict is Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). He appears to be on a personal mission to eradicate the French 75 and their key operators.

“Strain to keep up”

The opening section of the movie, in essence, provides the context for current events. We are fast-forwarded sixteen years to where Bob – no longer an active fighter – and Willa are living together in a remote location. They are suspicious of strangers, and Bob is struggling with raising a confident teenage daughter, not helped by his substance-misuse problems, which seem to feed his feelings of paranoia.

Benicio del Toro enters the action as a characteristically deadpan figure, Sensei Sergio St Carlos, who assists those involved in the anti-government struggle. This is a film in which director of photography Michael Bauman’s camera keeps moving, seemingly involved in a race to keep up with the constant action. The breathtakingly sweeping shots of the more rural locations provide a counterpoint to the urban battles portrayed here.

The narrative is powerfully underpinned by a score from Paul Thomas Anderson’s long-term collaborator, the English composer and Radiohead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. Here a variety of styles draw upon jazz riffs, poignant piano, melodic Spanish guitar, with the occasional cheesy ditty, depending upon the requirements of the scene. The jarring of discordant notes often encourages the audience to the edge of their seats as they strain to keep up with this pacy drama. For his part, writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson presents an epic tale, inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, and plays with our expectations. Dismissing the formulaic nature of much Hollywood fare, Anderson often draws out our conjecture and then calls out our misjudgement by adding a twist – captivating the viewer.

“Pulsating”

As is often the case with his films, our attention is drawn to testosterone-fuelled male characters. You may remember the mesmeric performances of Daniel Day-Lewis’s oil prospector Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood, or Tom Cruise’s male-empowerment guru Frank T. J. Mackey in Magnolia. On that score the director doesn’t disappoint, with standout performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn.

Bob Ferguson’s checked bathrobe may well reappear in many middle-aged men’s Christmas stockings later this year, while Penn’s robotic military portrayal of Colonel Lockjaw is perhaps his most memorable film performance for almost twenty years – since the biopic of Harvey Milk. That said, for this reviewer, the female performances of Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti and Regina King (as Deandra) are equally praiseworthy. Indeed, Regina King is having quite a year, following a notable turn in Darren Aronofsky’s enjoyable caper Caught Stealing this summer.

Although the length of PT Anderson’s movies can often test the audience’s endurance, here a snappy script, pulsating action, spectacular stunts and memorable performances combine to merit the significant running time of almost two and three-quarter hours. It has to be said that, in keeping with the subject matter, there is copious use of bad language and also violent content, but not to a gratuitous extent. There are also comic moments and occasional silliness. Lest we forget, this is the director who once brought us a storm of raining frogs in Magnolia.

“Confronts his demons”

Particularly during the early sections of the film, the pace of the narrative and the number of characters can confuse at times. We can only surmise much of the wider societal conditions as we follow the characters closely, often enhanced with the use of hand-held camerawork. But fear not: as the picture progresses to the final third, the action is pared down to the principal players, as Bob Ferguson confronts his demons. In that respect, you could almost be watching a 1960s Sergio Leone spaghetti western, set in the Californian badlands. Despite not being overtly referenced, the witty dialogue, thrilling action, quirky soundtrack, use of veteran actors, and a lead character seeking redemption are reminiscent of the work of a certain Quentin Tarantino.

A dramatic ending skilfully draws a number of storyline strands together and shows this director at his best. Some may regard this as the best film for some time; it is certainly up there with the best of its genre. It could be argued that this is Paul Thomas Anderson’s most accessible film to date – and for his body of work he is overdue a golden statuette. It remains to be seen whether it will bring success at the Oscars. It is certainly worthy of multiple nominations, although it is rare that the Academy celebrates this type of film. You may recall that Forrest Gump pipped both Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption to the Best Picture Oscar. Nevertheless, for those who enjoy this type of picture, there is little doubt that an investment of time will be richly rewarded.

David Reid( Writer )

David’s passion for cinema began with his first trip to the movies during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, where a screening of Jaws was dramatically interrupted by a bomb scare. Growing up in such an environment made entertainment scarce, deepening his appreciation for film and the arts. Over 25 years ago, he won a national film review competition, earning free cinema for life. This experience has allowed him to explore a vast range of genres and storytelling techniques. His reviews aim to provide insightful commentary without spoiling key surprises, helping audiences decide if a film is for them. He believes great filmmaking is rooted in strong storytelling, engaging viewers through narrative depth and presentation.

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