”ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER” review
Thirty years into a career of highs, Paul Thomas Anderson and his vision have never been brighter than in “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER”
By Ella Walken
In the opening scene of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2025 comedic action thriller “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER” anti-fascist activist Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) tells her new comrade Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) to “Make it good, make it bright” before he’s sent to light off fireworks as a distraction, allowing detained migrants to flee their imprisonment.
Anderson’s 10th feature film follows Bob, a middle-aged stoner who worked along lover Perfidia in The French 75, a fictional revolutionary grassroots organization. After a mission goes poorly, the group falls apart and Bob is eventually left alone with his daughter Willa and forced to relocate due to government persecution. After living in relative peace for about 15 years, Willa and Bob are pursued by the United States government and must run from capture.
“ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER” and its status as a true action thriller acts as a major departure from the majority of Anderson’s feature films, which have frequently explored the inner world of heinous and deeply sad men.
Where an Anderson lead character of the past may have revealed their true motivations in the four walls of their home, Bob realizes his fate in the streets of Los Angeles and the sprawling deserts surrounding the city and the open, winding roads lead the viewer to feel immersed in the near three hours of chaos.
Every crew member performed at the peak of their powers on this project.
Cinematographer Michael Bowman and his colleagues in the lighting department create a landscape that is completely arresting. Paired with long-time Anderson collaborator and Radiohead member Jonny Greenwood’s perfectly haunting score, it’s easy to become deeply invested.
As Bob, DiCaprio delivers a career defining performance, equal parts hilarious and tender. Sean Penn turns in a harrowing physical performance as a violent white supremacist which is sure to gain him several nominations come awards season.
Benicio Del Toro plays Willa’s karate Sensei with much-needed humor. Del Toro’s performance is not only remarkable on its own but elevates DiCaprio’s performance as well. Regina Hall acts with such grace and sensitivity, a crucial performance in a chaotic story.
After viewing the film, one may be shocked to learn that the script has been a work in progress for 20 years and is not an artistic outcome of the COVID-19 years. This film is incredibly poignant, portraying the particular madness of living in 2020s America with incredible clarity.
As the events of the film transpire, it becomes clear that despite the shocking violence, this feature is perhaps most crucially about love, particularly shared between a father and daughter. The film argues that despite the horrific violence of this world, love is ultimately the thing that is most important to fight for.
