“One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has garnered critical acclaim since its release last September. Loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s controversial 1990 novel “Vineland,” the film took home four Golden Globes in January and amassed 13 nominations at the 2026 Oscars.
Filmed in California, the movie follows single father Bob Ferguson (DiCaprio), a former member of the left-wing vigilante group “French 75.” The film centers Ferguson’s journey tracking down his teenage daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), who is on the run from the bigoted Colonel Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn).
Lockjaw, a member of the white supremacy secret society known as the “Christmas Adventurers,” previously had a relationship with Willa’s absent mother, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor). Over the course of the film, Lockjaw seeks to hide this past interracial relationship and sends a bounty hunter after Willa.
Despite its near three-hour runtime, the movie is a fast watch with a blistering stream of chases and gunshots. The film is overflowing with energy, yet its subtle interpersonal conflicts are equally as captivating as its thrilling action sequences.
Watching a buzzed DiCaprio bumble around California in his pajamas is certainly entertaining. But Taylor and Penn bring unforgettable performances that drive the narrative. Their characters represent two extremes of the political spectrum, and their complicated relationship is marked by sexual violence and charged with racial fetishization.
While Hills only appears in the first 30 minutes of the film, her presence haunts the story as she serves as an emotional anchor throughout the plot. As the leader of the “French 75,” Hills is the heart of the revolutionary group, and her radical decisions often leave viewers feeling conflicted about her character. Taylor’s impressive performance, paired with the meticulous screenplay, conveys Hills’s complexities authentically in a manner that is compelling to the audience.
In the latter half of the movie, Penn is able to shine. His final scene is a shocking and unsettling twist –– one that is not only visually jarring, but offers a dark commentary on corruption. Due to his power-hungry, absurd behavior throughout the film, Lockjaw’s downfall is as satisfactory as it is profound.
“One Battle After Another” is a satirical epic of rebellion and resistance, possibility and punishment. Featuring long, fluid shots and dynamic stills, it critiques an authoritarian government while blasting anti-immigrant sentiments and white supremacy. The film is a masterful exploration of political violence and extremism, emphasizing how protest and revolution are necessary avenues for social change.
Right before the credits roll, Perifida writes to Willa, “Will you try to change the world, like I did? We failed, but maybe you will not.” As if addressing the audience, she continues, “Maybe you will be the one who puts the world right.”
Kendra Eastep is also a senior staff writer covering arts and culture.
