Film Review – One Battle After Another

September 28th, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another (2025) is a work that feels like a departure from the rest of his career, yet it contains all the quirks, eccentricities, and emotions that have long been associated with him. “PTA” has a reputation for bringing us into worlds that maybe unfamiliar to us – whether it is the porn industry in Boogie Nights (1997), oil prospecting in There Will Be Blood (2007), or high-end fashion in Phantom Thread (2017) – and finds the strings that connect people together. Above all else, Anderson is a humanist. He looks for empathy in the outsiders and outcasts – he finds heart in those who may appear heartless. He explores the reasons people are drawn to one another, or why their relationships fall apart. 

In that way, his latest effort fits right alongside his sensibilities. Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel, Vineland, Anderson tells the story of a group of revolutionaries known as the “French 75.” We’re introduced to two key members of the group: lovers “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor). The opening scene shows us their efficient tactics, when they break into an immigration detention facility to take down the guards and free the prisoners. During this operation, we also meet the central villain of our story, Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). During the mission, Perfidia sexually humiliates Lockjaw, who in turn develops an obsession for her. This encounter creates the central tension of the narrative, where Lockjaw uses all his resources to hunt down both Pat and Perfidia, and their attempts to evade him.

Fast forward 16 years later, and we find Pat – now a stoner living in a state of paranoia – going by the new name of Bob Ferguson. Perfidia is no longer around for reasons I will not describe, but her spirit lives on in the presence of their teenage daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). Of course, this new development only goes to amplify Lockjaw’s constant pursuit of this family. He now has the backing of a powerful faction of white supremacists, which makes him even more dangerous. The meat of the story has Bob, Willa, and Lockjaw playing a constant cat and mouse game. Lockjaw uses increasing force to hunt down his prey, to the point where he puts entire communities under military lock down to do so. Willa realizes all the knowledge that her father passed to her aren’t the ramblings of a paranoid conspiracy theorist, and Bob must dust the cobwebs out of his head, contact his former comrades, and ensure the safety of his daughter.

In a story about revolution, oppression, protest, and rebellion, it would be easy to see the parallels between this and the current political landscape. Those comparisons are sound. During a time where every freedom seems to be challenged, where a person’s rights are questioned or even ignored, and news reports cover increasingly militaristic actions to suppress the voice of the people, we can’t help but notice how timely the film is. But with a title like, “One Battle After Another,” Anderson makes the argument that the struggle has lasted for generations. Whether it was the American Revolution, The Civil Rights Movement, The Vietnam War protests, etc., Anderson points out that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is an ongoing fight. During the scene where Bob visits Willa’s school teacher, he notices all the presidents on the wall and mentions that Benjamin Franklin was a slave owner – highlighting just how long human injustices have existed throughout history.

One Battle After Another joins the ranks of the best movies about resistance, right alongside the likes of The Battle of Algiers (1966) – to which Anderson makes direct reference. But unlike Athena (2022) and How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022), which concentrated on the physical actions of revolutionary groups, Anderson approaches his narrative from a more emotional angle. Once again, we see him examining the relationships between parents and their children, and how the actions of an individual can shape the lives of their offspring. The choices Pat/Bob and Perfidia make are not for themselves, but for those that will live beyond them, such as Willa. Lockjaw, whose motivation is bigotry and hate, looks to snuff out the entirety of the French 75, so that all they accomplished will be forgotten. Does this sound familiar? With government officials trying to censure books, remove cultural studies out of schools, and enforce a singular view of history, the decisions of nearly every character here are ripped right out of today’s headlines.

But even though Anderson covers serious and heavy topics, that doesn’t negate how thrilling, captivating, and hilarious his film is. His direction evokes a nervy, high-energy tone, as though at any moment the tension can explode right out of the screen. Certain bits – like Bob completely forgetting a codeword – plays as a very funny running joke. Jonny Greenwood’s score sets the mood with foreboding rhythms – creating a tone that never lets us get comfortable. Cinematographer Michael Bauman and editor Andy Jurgensen establishes a visual palette that is always moving. There is a breathless quality to how the camera follows the action, whether we are in the middle of a high-speed chase or walking alongside Bob as he weaves in and out of different buildings to escape Lockjaw. The nearly three-hour runtime flies by, because Anderson and his team keep the film on a high wire. The production never lets up on the gas pedal.

One thing Anderson has always been exceptional at is creating colorful characters and filling them with actors that fit perfectly. This is no exception. Even smaller roles, such as Regina Hall’s fellow French 75 member, has a chance to shine. Benicio Del Toro appears as Sergio St. Carlos, Willa’s martial art instructor and leader of an underground immigrant resistance group. When Bob calls on Sergio’s help, he kicks into gear like a crafty veteran. Del Toro’s nonchalant, laid-back delivery creates a funny dynamic compared to DiCaprio’s stressed out, panicked performance as Pat/Bob. And Chase Infiniti, making her feature length debut as an actor, more than holds her own as Willa. Willa is not a helpless kid, but a smart and determined person who is able to hold her own. She exhibits characteristics that echo her mother and father, but that doesn’t make her any less of an individual. In fact, the familial traits she carries helps make her an even more interesting person, especially when in the face of danger.

But the performance that will likely be remembered – the one that many will be talking about – is Sean Penn as Lockjaw. This is Penn’s best work in years, a reminder that he is one of the most talented actors of his generation. He inhabits Lockjaw with a bevy of contradictions. The character is very clearly a racist, but his interaction with Perfidia awakened something in him. He not only wants to control people of color but wants to be controlled by them as well. With his funny haircut and the near painful way he speaks through clenched teeth (hence the name, I suppose), Lockjaw could have easily been a cartoon character in the wrong hands. Penn manages to maintain several of the character’s absurdist tendencies, but keeps the performance grounded and realistic. Lockjaw is a person whose thoughts and actions could very well mirror people we see in real life positions of power. Penn’s work is big, mannered, and unforgettable. 

One Battle After Another is brilliant in nearly all facets. Paul Thomas Anderson has crafted a tale that is both timely and timeless. It works as political commentary, as an edge of your seat thriller, and as a story about family. Although the film is about resistance and revolution, it is not cynical. If anything, it is filled with hope and optimism. Anderson never loses sight of his overarching themes. The battle may have started long before any of us got here, and it may continue long after we are gone, but it is a battle worth fighting for.

Andy Jurgensen, Athena, Benicio Del Toro, Boogie Nights, Chase Infiniti, Featured, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Jonny Greenwood, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, The Battle of Algiers, There Will Be Blood, Thomas Pynchon, Vineland