Today, we are giving our thoughts and feelings on “One Battle After Another,” the new film from legendary filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (referred to later as “PTA”). The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, Benicio del Toro as Sergio St. Carlos, Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills, and Chase Infiniti in her first film role as Willa Ferguson. 

The film is inspired by the book “Vineland” by Thomas Pynchon, which is the second book from Pynchon that Anderson adapted and directed after previously adapting “Inherent Vice” in 2014. 

The film follows Bob, an ex-revolutionary simply trying to take care of his teenage daughter, Willa. When an enemy resurfaces after 16 years, the old group of revolutionaries returns to save Bob and Willa, though not everything goes to plan. 

We were able to catch a special screening courtesy of Allied Global Marketing. The film will be theatrically released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on Sept. 26. This is Anderson’s most expensive film yet, so Warner Bros. is banking on a high turnout for the film. 

With all that out of the way, let’s get into it!

Spencer: I am an admitted PTA lover. He has made some of my favorite movies ever, like “Boogie Nights,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Phantom Thread” and his previous film “Licorice Pizza.” His movies usually take place in Los Angeles, often star actors in unfamiliar roles and they always look oh-so-sharp. “One Battle After Another” is no exception, as the film brings us back to an absolutely gorgeous LA, starring actors like Sean Penn in unfamiliar roles.

Paul Thomas Anderson has no bad movies. Even his first film, “Hard Eight,” is a gripping, well-told story with some amazing characters and fantastic performances. But “One Battle After Another” might be one of his best, and it’s something we’ve never seen before from Anderson. 

In some ways, the film feels like a modern western, with gun-toting revolutionaries taking justice into their own hands, just like the cowboys of films past. The film was filmed in VistaVision 35mm, and also with Super 35, which makes the landscape look vast and the film look really good in IMAX. 

DiCaprio plays a shlubby, past-his-prime revolutionary who is almost always vaping or finishing off a roach. It’s DiCaprio in full “Big Lebowski” form, boxers, long hair, and a robe included. Penn, on the other hand, plays a gruff military colonel with white supremacist views and very little empathy for others. He is at times manic and often a terrifying threat, but you simply cannot take your eyes off him. Penn really goes full force in his performance, and I expect he’ll receive an Academy Award nomination – and honestly, I think he’ll win it. 

The film creates a sense of tension from the first scene and doesn’t let go of that grip until the very end. Multiple action scenes last over 30 minutes, with constant camera movement, tense, thumping music, and a whole lot of violence. The film often conflates violence with sex, and there’s a sexual tension that dominates the first half of the movie. The focus changes from sex and violence in the first half to protecting and trusting family and loved ones in the second half, of course, intertwined with a lot of violence. 

The themes and message of the story are deeply political in nature. The revolutionaries, named “The French 75,” help break illegal immigrants from detention, blow up government buildings, rob banks, and threaten military officials, all in the name of a global revolution. The people fighting off the revolution are all members of “the system,” like political officials, the military and the police. Later in the film, the goals of the antagonists become even clearer when Colonel Lockjaw is tentatively accepted into a white supremacist group of political and social elites called “The Christmas Adventurers Club.” Yes, it is played for laughs. 

Anderson makes the audience laugh at the white supremacists, but they are still to be feared. The revolutionaries may be attempting to make significant societal changes, but their means are violence and destruction. The military and police are trying to preserve order, yet they also threaten children and use violence to achieve their goals. Everyone has blood on their hands, no matter their end goal, and that seems to be Anderson's point. In a world of constant political turmoil, it’s impossible just to be a bystander. As the title says, in our world, it’s just one battle after another.

At two hours and forty minutes, “One Battle After Another” feels like a succinct two hours. The story is constantly moving; there’s little time for the audience to breathe. In many ways, the film reminded me of a Safdie brothers movie, with the continuous tension pushing the story forward. 

This is a movie that has something important to say about our current times, yet it is ultimately a timeless story of rebellion against unjust authority. It’s the same as the story of Robin Hood, “1984,” or “The Hunger Games,” just told with gorgeous cinematography, fantastic acting, sharp writing, and a beautiful score. PTA is back, and he’s better than ever. Go see “One Battle After Another” when it releases, because it’s truly a modern masterpiece. Also, it’ll give Anderson an even bigger budget for his next movie, so it’s a win-win situation for all of us. 

Larisa: As someone with little experience in the world of Paul Thomas Anderson, I went into this movie as I usually try to, without too many expectations. However, from my limited knowledge of PTA, I did know the film was packing a lot more into its 2-hour 40-minute runtime than the trailers hinted at. 

The action sequences were captivating, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the next twist. It’s rare when a director can create a 30-minute action scene that doesn’t lose the crowd, but PTA did just that. The sequences tied comedy, tension, and good old-fashioned gritty movie violence into a perfectly delivered package that kept you hooked. 

While action took the center stage, it was the characters that brought the film to life. DiCaprio’s grizzled portrayal of Bob showcases a different side of the actor, and Penn creates a character that audiences will love to hate in Steven J. Lockjaw. The tension that Lockjaw creates later in the movie generated a palpable unease within the theatre, which would periodically be broken with a well-timed comedic reference to the “Christmas Adventurers,” a powerful white supremacist group whose name is played for laughs. Compared to other releases this year, and the fact that “One Battle After Another” is now the highest audience-rated release of the year on Letterboxd, I wouldn’t be surprised if the actors sweep in Oscar nominations, and, at least right now, I’ll be incredibly disappointed if Penn doesn’t walk away with the award for Best Supporting Actor. 

The crux of the marketing showed the action sequences and stoned-dadbod DiCaprio, but it didn’t give away its greatest strength: its overt political themes. Set against a background of political violence and state-sponsored suppression, One Battle After Another showcases the back-and-forth struggle between radicalized groups, reminiscent of Ari Aster’s most recent film, “Eddington.” The film tackled discussions of immigration and racial violence, and didn’t shy away from making characters like Lockjaw say their true feelings. It wasn’t a subtle, barely hinted-at theme, but a clear message from PTA.

In my opinion, the political commentary is the standout aspect of this film. PTA didn’t shy away from making comments about either side, but still made it abundantly clear where the true issues were coming from. While the members (and would-be members) of the “Christmas Adventurers” group were the ones calling the shots, it was still clear that the police and military presence were being used in a capacity of suppression that was all too familiar to them, including inciting violence during protests and making it seem like it was the other side that started it.

As I was leaving the screening, I was cornered in the bathroom by a woman who said that the movie promoted violence and that it was proof that the “communists were taking over.” While I can’t say what she thought of the movie, in my eyes, and in today’s political climate, that’s a glowing endorsement of “One Battle After Another” if I’ve ever heard one. 

Gib: I am not the biggest fan of “adventure/action” movies. I feel as though within the current genre, characters' stories, such as their passions or personalities, tend to take a backseat in favor of intense, choreographed sequences and half-hearted attempts at believable dialogue. 

I went into “One Battle After Another” expecting something much more similar to what it was advertised as, which was one of those movies where a bald white man, most likely played by Jason Statham, goes around killing people to avenge his wife, who died five minutes in. The trailers reinforced my assumption, as they mainly consisted of clips of Leonardo DiCaprio, balding and running around with a gun, avenging his wife, who seemed to disappear very early on. 

To my surprise, “One Battle After Another” is much more than what audiences may have been led to believe. The movie is actually a very intriguing depiction of revolutionaries within the American system, complicated father/daughter relationships and a look into the systematic oppression prevalent and exploited by people in power. By God, Paul Thomas Anderson, you have done it again. 

One of the main points in the film that I did not expect was the statements on racial tensions within America, and how the main characters take a rock-solid stance on which side they are on and who they are fighting against. In a world where blockbusters tend to beat around the bush when it comes to these kinds of conversations, especially regarding immigration and white supremacy, this was a breath of fresh, no-nonsense air. There was no questioning who the bad guys were, and how what they stood for was looked down upon by everyone. 

The character’s relationships were very well developed, including the aforementioned wife I was talking about. Does she disappear early on? Not quite. Teyana Taylor is given plenty of time to shine as she plays revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills, which is greatly appreciated. Her and Leo’s character, Bob Ferguson, are given time to show the audience their growing relationship, and how their lives came to be this way. This was a great example of “show, not tell”, where the audience actually got to see their history before their daughter and give Perfidia a personality, rather than showing her in a 15-second flashback sequence.

Every single character had depth. Bob was not a perfect father, but he was also not a complete idiot. He was out of practice with his vigilante movement, but was not useless. The entire cast was filled with very morally gray people, as most of them were murderers whom the audience still wanted to root for. 

Even the film’s main antagonist, Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, has layers within his character, and his motivations for doing what he does are much more than just any kind of revenge. He is evil, no doubt, but not for the reasons you might expect going into watching it for the first time. 

Finally, Chase Infiniti does fantastically in her first film role as Willa Ferguson, providing just as interesting a point of view for the audience to follow when Bob takes a backseat. 

This film changed my view of modern-day adventure/action films, and showed me the world that lies underneath the hundreds of layers of Netflix slop. 

Go see this thing in theaters, people.