Vivid

Review: PTA’s ‘One Battle After Another’ Vivid Tale of Revolutionaries

by Alex Billington
September 26, 2025

The new Paul Thomas Anderson lands in theaters right at the right time in America’s history. To say this is a “timely” movie isn’t really accurate – this story has been building in PTA’s mind for years. He just finally got the script together, and somehow got Warner Bros to give him over $100 million to make it, and they went out and shot it last year, and now we’re treated to an astonishing movie. To say it’s too soon to judge if it’s an “American classic” isn’t really accurate either – this movie is unquestionably an instant classic that will be loved by movie fans all over the world. And with time it will earn its place in cinema history, even though most of us who write about movies professionally can see the writing on the wall already. One Battle After Another totally rocks. This movie kicks so much ass. But using such a banal, trite phrase to describe it is a disservice – this sprawling, pristine, energetic, visceral modern movie deserves much more careful analysis & deeper intellectual appreciation. Not only entertaining, it’s the movie of the moment in that it represents the zeitgeist perfectly. It may be amusing satire, but it’s also pretty darn realistic if you really break it down.

Written and directed by master filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson as his 10th feature film, One Battle After Another is officially inspired by the novel “Vineland” by Thomas Pynchon. Clearly not an adaptation, PTA gives Pynchon credit in the movie anyway, as the ideas within the book provide some basis for the ideas in the movie. In one of his best modern roles, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Bob Ferguson – a member of the “French 75” revolutionary group who falls in love with Perfidia Beverly Hills, played by Teyana Taylor, another member. The movie is the story of American activists / revolutionaries through time, a tale of one family and how fighting American oppression & racism is passed on to the next generation. Though it’s also a comedy, a satire about Stoner Dad Bob getting older. Most of the movie takes place when Bob’s daughter Willa, also known as “Charlene Calhoun” (her cover name), is a teen disinterested in anything her parents did. Chase Infiniti plays this role with a real “let me introduce myself” pizzazz that is instantly endearing and badass all at once. She represents Gen Z and their vibes / feelings / choices. But she also needs to learn about how the world really works & is quickly introduced to this truth when Bob’s past catches up with him.

Bob’s past is depicted in the form of one Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, nemesis of the French 75, a military fascist asshole who is forever on the hunt for Bob and his ilk. Sean Penn takes on this fascinating role as Lockjaw and nails this performance so profoundly perfectly, understanding and depicting the reality of this kind of person so precisely, that his on-screen villain character is as enigmatic and as iconic as the greatest movie villains of all-time. He’s up there with Anton Chigurh & Hans Gruber and all the others. And the funny thing is that way too many people will watch this movie and get upset that he’s portrayed as the bad guy. Too bad! Lockjaw is the epitome of every broken, hateful, violent, evil American jackass – right down to the authentic depiction of a guy who has to repress his own love for Black woman just so that he can get a corner office in the White Supremacist Group’s regional branch. PTA wants to ruffle some feathers, rattle the cages, and tell a story that evokes the truth about America, with all its nitty gritty details. All of what he shows is accurate, even if it’s shown through the lens of $100M+ satire: the police state all Americans exist within, the racism, the white supremacy, the xenophobia, the oppression; which remains despite years of activism & resistance.

Like pretty much everyone else, I totally loved PTA’s One Battle After Another. Easily one of the best movies of 2025, easily deserving of any/every award it’s going to get during the awards season, easily deserving of all the love it’s receiving from movie fans everywhere. PTA used that Warner Bros to also tweak the movie through test screenings and make sure the story – above all – soars and glides. It’s going to stand the test of time, it’s going to get even better on every repeat viewing. It’s not just the tale of these revolutionaries that I enjoy being pulled into, it’s also the pristine filmmaking, the riveting pacing, the off-the-charts magnificent performances galore: Stoner Dad DiCaprio, Saint Benicio Del Toro, Unforgettable Chase Infiniti, Bastard Lockjaw Sean Penn, a Defiant Regina Hall; and everything else going on in this. Featuring yet another all-timer evocative score by Jonny Greenwood, utilizing his sound for an effective emotional layer on top of all that we’re seeing on screen. Of course, everyone knows PTA is one of the best filmmakers out there, his technical knowledge is irrefutable. But it’s all about how that knowledge comes together to work in service of the story & this time it’s cinematic synergy at its best. And man oh man do I vibe with Stoner Bob in this.

My most intriguing theory about this movie is that it’s pretty much a PTA autobiography. Taking us through his life when he was a more rebellious youngster whipping out his first movies (Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love) up to his current Stoner Dad era trying to pass along his rebellious spirit to his child (he has 4 children with actress Maya Rudolph). While One Battle After Another is an immensely inspiring & amusing portrayal of American revolutionaries, it’s also a heartfelt tale of a father and daughter. These activists are just regular people, too – trying to live their own lives and raise a family and take care of each other. And Bob’s lesson to Willa is that she needs to recognize that her family is a line of fighters and she’ll join the fight, too – whether she likes it or not. There’s always more work to be done. One battle after another, they must keep fighting the evil assholes like Lockjaw and the Christmas Adventurers Club. They’re relentless haters. But there’s also hope in the idea that PTA is passing on his revolutionary spirit, reminding us that even when you get older and start to forget things, there is hope in the next generation taking flight and heading out in the world to make a real difference and pick up where you left off. And this is real hope.

Alex’s Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing

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