One Battle After Another

Would recommend:) entertaining, might be one of the best movies I've seen in this year.

Very good movie.

Good acting.

Amazing actors.

Funny.

Leo just don't disappoint.

So go watch this movie and you will not be disappointed I've haven't seen a good crime movie in a long time.

I have nothing more to say just go watch it.

Granted it's good, and I like most of PTA's films, but it's not like this is anywhere near as brilliant as something like There Will Be Blood or The Master.

The plot is very simple, and while that's not a bad thing, I found it difficult finding anything substantial to grab onto. The performances are certainly good but again it feels like all the actors with the exception of probably Chase Infiniti and maybe Sean Penn aren't given a whole lot to do.

In my opinion this was far less interestingly photographed than something like Phantom Thread, and with less compelling characters than something like The Master, and lacked the spectacle and gravitas of something like There Will Be Blood.

Still better than most films releasing these days, but if you're looking at all the rave reviews like I was and expecting a masterpiece, from my perspective I'd be lowering my expectations.

It gets a 7/10 for being well performed and pretty well written, but I can't go beyond that because it lacked the depth I'd normally be seeking from filmmakers of PTA's caliber.

Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another is a film that wants to be epic but ends up didactic. There's no denying its technical accomplishments: the cinematography is vivid, almost painterly at times, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn deliver performances that are magnetic, commanding your attention even when the story falters.

And falter it does. The film's ambition - to comment on political extremism - is undercut by its simplistic moral universe. One side of the conflict is portrayed as entirely evil, with no redeeming qualities or relatability. Every action they take is chaotic, violent, or manipulative, leaving the audience with no one to sympathize with on that side. This lack of nuance turns the movie from a story into a political lecture, making it feel less like cinema and more like ideological instruction.

In a moment when America feels more divided than ever, the timing of such a film is jarring. Its portrayal of chaos and extremism is so stark that it risks being taken too seriously by audiences at either extreme, rather than prompting reflection. More troublingly, it underscores how out of touch Hollywood can be with most Americans, presenting a world of ideological extremes that few viewers would recognize in real life.

Still, the film isn't without merit. Anderson's eye for detail, his visual inventiveness, and the sheer force of DiCaprio and Penn's performances make it watchable even when it preaches. But for a director capable of deep, character-driven storytelling, this attempt at political commentary feels like a missed opportunity.

Yes , during the movie i did kinda get confused in wtf is going on. But the actors in this were top shelf epic. *applause* they made the movie. The script or how they showed this. I really dont know. Maybe thats what the movie did, made us think. But i do have to say, the ending was a great one.

Its worth watchin 8/10.

Props to writer / director Paul Thomas Anderson for blending "The Big Lebowski" & "Sicario" into the darkly humorous, quietly epic actioner "One Battle After Another". 16yrs after being part of a domestic terrorist group (with Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, & others) stoner Leonardo Di Caprio (so good again) lives off-grid with Chase Infiniti (his daughter by Taylor)... til the past comes for them via manic army Col Sean Penn (excellent). Cue reasonably twisty chase & shoot 'em up action, with characters like Benicio Del Toro (also great), white supremacist politicians, and plot holes aplenty (excusable as they keep Anderson's terrific pace flowing). Not flawless, but still thumping entertainment.