Paul Thomas Anderson has something to say about 2025. His new film, One Battle After Another, is emphatically set in the present day – Leonardo DiCaprio fiddles around with iPhone settings and tries to figure out pronouns. But the film’s concern with modern-day America goes deeper than the surface level. Immigration, protest, white supremacy, the far left – these are all embedded into the story.
Pat Calhoun (DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) are lovers and members of a far-left revolutionary group. Perfidia becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter, but is captured by Captain Stephen Lockjaw (Sean Penn). Pat flees to the town of Baktan Cross with their daughter, and they take the names Bob and Willa Ferguson. Sixteen years later, when Lockjaw hunts them down to Baktan Cross, Bob and Willa (now played by Chase Infiniti) must evade capture and death.
There is certainly cultural commentary in One Battle After Another, but it can’t be reduced to that alone. It is also a true action thriller – and a masterful one at that. All elements of traditional Hollywood moviemaking are working together at a high level – cinematography, editing, and a tremendous score, to name a few. This is not a thriller movie with cultural catchphrases shoehorned in; nor is it a statement movie with a few out-of-place action setpieces. Its interest in present day concerns and its mastery of genre complement each other; neither would be as effective without the other.
This approach elevates One Battle After Another beyond other recent forays into present-day America. Movies like Eddington, Civil War, and Don’t Look Up have been characterized by a kind of smarminess, to their detriment. But unlike those films, One Battle After Another does not end up being swallowed whole by its message. Though it has a clear point of view and doesn’t pull its punches, it is simply a great movie first and foremost.
The ensemble cast deserves some love. Sean Penn has the most attention-grabbing role, as a sort of symbol for white masculine aggression and supremacy. He is very good, particularly in the hulking physicality he brings to the character and the more deadpan comedic scenes around like-minded individuals. Lockjaw and Perfidia’s scenes together early in the film are another highlight, exploring the complexities of desire and power.
Leonardo DiCaprio continues to take on interesting and varied work, with this role requiring more of his comedic chops. He finds a balance between being comedically out of touch and also being incredibly charming and winning. He takes a backseat at times to let others in the large ensemble shine, but he is always a welcome presence.
The best performance here, though, is given by Chase Infiniti. There is a definitive and intentional shift in tone towards warmth when her character enters the film. Her acting isn’t as flashy as others in the ensemble, but she still becomes our locus of empathy and the movie’s beating heart. In her first film role, she goes toe to toe with Penn, DiCaprio, and Regina Hall, and never looks overmatched.
One Battle After Another is a fascinating inflection point in Paul Thomas Anderson’s career. He is a director who has worked almost entirely in period pieces, though they have all had something to say about the present. Still, the full embrace of a modern setting is striking, as is the full shift from arthouse dramas to an action thriller. As such, it may be the biggest outlier in Anderson’s filmography. Yet, the film does lean into some of his strengths – a great soundtrack, a keen sense of humor, and an overall sense of quality and care. No one else could have made this film, but he is doing things we’ve never seen him do before.
