Consider this my formal petition to have director Paul Thomas Anderson do more of these types of films. Some call it an action thriller, others maybe a political thriller. Some may say it’s even in the realm of a dark comedy at times. Call it what you want; it really doesn’t matter.
What does matter is that “One Battle After Another” is one of, if not the best, films of 2025. It takes Paul Thomas Anderson out of his usual form, and I’d even argue this is his second-best film behind “There Will Be Blood.”
“One Battle After Another” (2025) Review | Possibly the Best Film of the Year
Paul Thomas Anderson Shifting Gears
Set in modern times, with events and subject matter that are very relevant to today’s United States, “One Battle After Another” throws you directly into its chaos and never holds back. It’s not the usual slow-burn drama filled with great dialogue that we’ve seen from Paul Thomas Anderson. In my opinion, this film is an action thriller, still filled with great dialogue, plus incredible performances and pacing that makes 160 minutes fly by. Films of that length often struggle, hindered by lingering scenes and conversations that seem like filler.
“One Battle After Another” is the complete opposite of that. There’s a ton of action that keeps this moving, and crucial dialogue that keeps viewers engaged in the story.
Top Tier Acting, but Sean Penn Steals the Show
Leonardo DiCaprio remains in his usual tour de force and brings another incredible performance to the screen. DiCaprio plays our protagonist Bob, a former member of one of the best revolution movements on the southern border of the United States. Now he’s retired, playing the role of dad, and is a nervous and paranoid wreck. He’s actually quite hilarious in this at times, bringing his star status to this film exactly as you’d expect.
But he isn’t even the best performance of the film. That accolade belongs to Sean Penn, playing our main antagonist, Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw. He is an unruly, unafraid, insane, despicable man who will stop at absolutely nothing to halt immigration and those who help the process. Penn has viewers engaged from the get-go and turns in one of his best performances to date, which says a lot considering he has already won 2 Oscars. His mannerisms, facial tics, actions and aggression are terrifying. There isn’t a single scene that he is in that isn’t in his complete control. I would say that Sean Penn should be an absolute lock for a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars and probably has a decent shot at winning the award.
The rest of the cast? All equally as great. Benicio Del Toro comes in halfway through and is a joy on screen. He’s calm, collected and funny; sometimes it’s unintentionally funny, but a lot of times it’s meant to be. Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and newcomer Chase Infiniti all shine with their screen time, most notably Infiniti, who plays the daughter on the run with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Oscar Nominations on the Horizon
Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction is spot on, as mentioned. The pacing and action sequences, well-framed by his camera shots and angles, are what keep this thing going full bore. The car chase scene might be one of the coolest sequences I’ve seen in a while, and the form really changes how they make it work. It’s different, and “One Battle After Another” executes in the highest manner possible.
The big talking point for awards here will be Sean Penn’s performance, but I don’t think that’ll be the only one. I could easily see this movie stack up the nominations; some that come to mind are Anderson for Directing and Writing, the film as a whole for Best Picture and Jonny Greenwood as the composer.
“One Battle After Another” is a near-perfect film that holds a lot of relevance to modern day. It captures the issues at hand well and throws you into it like you’re part of this revolution. It’s action-packed, full of humor and talks about important problems and situations in the United States.
“You know what freedom is?” – Sensei
“What?” – Bob
“No fear. Just like Tom fucking Cruise.” – Sensei
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