HOLLYWOOD—I am always trepidatious about movies that clock near the 3 hour mark. Why? They always have a point in the movie where the story seems to lag or drag. I have been hearing so much about “One Battle After Another” I had to make time to watch this movie that is garnering all sorts of Awards Season buzz. I can now understand why, it might be my favorite movie of 2025. I have seen plenty of Paul Thomas Anderson flicks in my lifetime as a cinema buff.
Such flicks include “Boogie Nights” simply incredible. “Magnolia” was a revelation,” “There Will Be Blood” delivered an iconic performance by Daniel Day Lewis. “The Master” is a testament of masterful acting and a unique narrative, and now you can add “One Battle After Another” to that list. If you’re asking me to categorize the genre for this movie, it is not the easiest. I wouldn’t call it a black comedy, I would call it a black dramedy. When I say that, it is dark in its toe and presence, but light enough that its not as haunting.
Look, I’m just going to say it, the movie tackles issues people don’t like to discuss like racism, interracial relationships, extreme violence, propaganda, immigration, white supremacists and so much more, but guess what, I had no problem with any of it, because the way Thomas tells the story and weaves the narrative, it works. The story revolves around “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his revolutionary girlfriend, Perfidia Beverly Hills portrayed to perfection by Teyana Taylor. Taylor is indeed a revelation in the role and both Pat and Perfidia are members of the French 75, a far-left revolutionary group.
They bomb banks, they tackle helping illegal immigrants escape; they are against the establishment, i.e. anti-government. It is quite interesting this movie has so much pull right now with everything that is unfolding in the country in real-time. They always say cinema has a way of mirroring real-life and we’re seeing that in real-time. The movie jumps immediately into a mission involving Pat and Perfidia and they have an encounter with the wicked Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). This might be one of Penn’s greatest roles in years.
When we talk about an unhinged character, wow, what Penn does with Lockjaw is exceptional. Not just the look he delivers, but his mannerisms. The character has a walk that I could not imagine anyone else pulling off besides Penn if we’re being honest. This guy is really strict with his logic and how he deals with people. It is hard to talk too much without spoiling things, but I will say Lockjaw is quite entangled with Pat, Perfidia and their daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). Infiniti does bring an innocence, but growth to her character as the movie expands. She starts one way, but by the time the movie ends, she is a completely different character; and you appreciate the evolution as a viewer.
Willa is important because Lockjaw is on a mission to locate her after some Intel he receives. Its important to note that Pat, who has changed his name to Bob is raising Willa on his own after Perfida abandoned Willa when she was a baby. Bob is a bit of a stoner, and extremely cautious. He won’t let his daughter have a cellphone out of fear they could be tracked. There are star turns by Regina Hall and Benicio Del Toro as players who assist Willa and Bob on their journey to elude Lockjaw.
I have to give major kudos to writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson. He does something exceptional with the camera during the big climax in the movie that had my brain thinking in overtime with the technique. If you ever wondered a great way to build suspense and tension watch the final 30 minutes of this movie because what Anderson does is simply brilliant. I could NOT and DID NOT want to take my eyes off the screen.
One thing I found so scary about “One Battle After Another” is the pacing of the movie. For a flick that clocks in at 2 hours and 41 minutes. it moves at a solid pace. I was not bored once watching this movie and the narrative moves seamlessly in a way that you understand everything that is unfolding as long as you’re paying attention. Yes, this is a movie that causes you to think, makes you think and forces you to think, but I loved every minute of it. Gotta say “One Battle After Another” is easily the Best Picture of 2025, fight me on that and tell me a better picture you’ve watched.
