One Battle After Another (2025)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson, inspired by the novel “Vineland” by Thomas Pynchon.
It’s hard to know where to start discussing this epic work without spoilers, so if this review seems particularly sketchy, I’m not offering apologies. It’s personal preference but most of my friends and I like to go in blind to a film rather than know what’s going on before it happens.
One Battle After Another is an interwoven tale of revolutionaries, lust, love and loss, overlaid with a strong political thread. But rather than a straight up political drama, it is by turns a heartbreaking family drama, a fabulous action movie and above all, a truly edge-of-the-seat thriller, punctuated by some nice, dry comedic beats (mostly from Leonardo DiCaprio, who at times channels his inner Jeff Bridges).
I remember reading Vineland in the early 90s and being put off by some the blatant stereotypes Pynchon employed. I need to go back and reread the book, but I was struck by the difference here of strong character development (especially of DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti’s characters) across the film. The cast are absolutely on point throughout, Sean Penn is creepy as hell, Benicio Del Toro has never been cooler and I think this might be my favourite Leonardo DiCaprio role. Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall and especially Chase Infiniti (in her first feature film role) are all excellent.
At 2 hr 41 mins this is a long film but the editing by Andy Jurgensen is so beautifully executed, I really didn’t notice or mind. Similarly, DoP Michael Bauman does great work, bringing one of the most visceral and inventive car chases I’ve seen in a very long time. The original score by the masterful Jonny Greenwood gives tremendous support to the action and often says more than pages of dialogue could.
Above all, I think this is a very brave film and an important one, made at an extremely difficult period in US and world history. I predict it will become something of a touchstone for these insane times we live in – at least that’s my hope.
One Battle After Another is currently in wide cinema release globally. Very highly recommended. Go and see it!
Debra Manskey 