One Battle After Another (2025)
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros/Wikimedia Commons
One Battle After Another (2025) is a thrilling ride from start to finish, held up by an all star cast, wonderful music, and excellent writing, proving the film industry is still capable of masterpieces.
The film One Battle After Another (2025) showcases a refreshing, politically-charged story. The dark comedy and action film effortlessly balances satirical political commentary and wholesome father-daughter relationships. The two-hour and 40-minute film follows the story of the turbulent lives of revolutionaries from the early 2000s. The film jumps forward 16 years, following ex-revolutionary Bob Ferguson, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his daughter, Willa, played by debut actress Chase Infinity, as they navigate life in the present day when parts of his past life begin to resurface.
The film features an impeccable ensemble cast including Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Teyana Taylor, and Regina Hall. Each delivers an impressive performance, collectively crafting characters who are just as quirky as they are complex. The film is directed by the critically acclaimed Paul Thomas Anderson, often described as a master of his craft within his generation. His previous works include There Will Be Blood (2007), Phantom Thread (2017), Punch Drunk Love (2002), and one of my personal favorites, Boogie Nights (1997). In development for nearly two decades, One Battle After Another (2025) was meticulously crafted as Anderson’s loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, a reflective novel about the 1960s revolutionary movement published in 1990.
The film’s action-filled story is elevated by Jonny Greenwood’s buzzing orchestral score. The humming, tension-filled music creates an intense, immersive atmosphere. As Variety puts it, “Jonny Greenwood’s modernist musical score paces the film like a metronome of suspense.” The score adds undeniable tension to the action sequences, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. Greenwood’s haunting compositions pulse beneath each scene, perfectly mirroring the film’s shifting moods and scenes.
Each sequence is precisely shot with careful attention to detail and crafted with intention, making the film’s cinematography nothing short of immaculate. One scene that specifically stuck with me was the car chase. This sequence was shot with striking precision, blending chaos and control along the rolling desert roads near Borrego Springs. The wide, open landscape heightens tension, contrasting the smooth rolling hills with the intensity of the chase. Rather than focusing on the speed and chaotic energy of the scene, the sequence focuses on perspective and the psychological pressure, making this sequence visually stunning and memorable.
The politically-charged story exaggerates the perceived flaws of the current state of activism and politics. The film disarms the audience by provoking thought and relatability through dark comedic satire, using humor as both critique and catharsis. Anderson seems to craft the film as a call for reflection and change through absurdity. The film delivers a political satire that doesn’t cross into parody, maintaining a strong balance between humor and emotional weight.
Despite receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% and generating generally positive responses online, the film has sparked some controversy. Recent box office reports from Variety show that despite the critical acclaim, the film struggled to find audiences across cinemas. “Though the global haul of $140 million is impressive for a film that’s original, R-rated and nearly three hours long, ‘One Battle’ requires roughly $300 million to break even.” The film is expected to lose $100 million. This disconnect between praise and profit highlights the growing challenges of releasing ambitious, original films in a market dominated by franchises.
While One Battle After Another (2025) is no longer playing in theatres, it remains one of the year’s most daring and thought-provoking releases. Anderson blends political satire, dark comedy, and riveting action with ease, creating a film that exquisitely balances absurdity, sincerity, ridiculousness, and introspection. Whether viewers see it as a masterpiece or a misfire, One Battle After Another (2025) is the kind of film that sparks conversation, which may be its greatest success.