The latest from Paul Thomas Anderson, titled One Battle After Another, is headed to theaters this month, and the first reviews of the film have now arrived online. Loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, the nearly three-hour action thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio as an ex-revolutionary on a mission to rescue his daughter. It’s being called not just one of the best movies of the year but among the greatest cinematic masterpieces in a long time.
Here’s what critics are saying about One Battle After Another:
Does it live up to expectations?
Despite the absurdly high expectations I set for this movie, Paul Thomas Anderson’s first $100M+ budget delivers an S-tier PTA flick.
— Michael Calabro, IGN Movies
My expectations were on the lower side. I can confidently say that those expectations were completely blown out of the water.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
First things first: curb your expectations. The rumors that Paul Thomas Anderson has made one of the best films of the 21st century are, y’know, ever so slightly exaggerated.
— Nick Howells, London Evening Standard
How does it compare to PTA’s other movies?
He has made countless films that have stood the test of time, but he has never made a film quite like One Battle After Another… This remains easily one of Anderson’s most accessible and crowd-pleasing films to date.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
PTA crafts a bold, action-packed, and hilariously sharp epic that hits his once-a-decade masterpiece quota.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Is this one of the best films of the year?
The best film of the year.
— Patrick Cremora, Radio Times
A complete cinematic package that stands as the very best of the year.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
The coolest, most consummately masterful movie you’re likely to see all year.
— Nick Howells, London Evening Standard
It is easily one of the best movies that has graced the big screen in a long while.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
One Battle After Another carries the same seismic force as seeing yesteryear’s classics on the big screen in their time…the movie of the moment, the movie of the year, and possibly the defining film of a generation.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
How should we classify this movie?
Oddly enough [it’s] best described as an action comedy on an epic scale.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
This film feels like several different genres mashed together.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Is it an important movie right now?
It’s a call for our times. Few films manage to mirror the pulse of the present moment while transcending it; this one does so with fearless grace.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Given the current state of the world today, it may very well go down as the film of our time.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
There’s something relatively shocking about the way One Battle After Another comments on This Moment In Time; it almost seems like production on the movie wrapped yesterday, as opposed to mid-2024.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
The film never expands from its carnivalesque surface to truly delve into the tangled sociopolitical murk of our moment.
— Keith Uhlich, Slant Magazine
How is the script?
As with all Paul Thomas Anderson films, the brilliance of One Battle After Another lies in its script…his screenplay situates itself in the fractured fabric of contemporary America without resorting to preachiness.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Is it emotionally resonant?
[Anderson] also wisely puts front and center a touching father/daughter relationship, giving his film an undeniable emotional heft.
— Patrick Cremora, Radio Times
Framing their relationship as both refuge and battlefield, Anderson creates a dynamic where resentment and love exist side by side, crafting one of the most affecting and memorable relationships in any of his films.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
How is Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance?
To probably no one’s surprise, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers an unforgettable, truly incredible performance.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
DiCaprio delivers one of his strongest performances, recalling some of his best work in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
What about Sean Penn as the villain?
If we want to talk about the true standout of the movie, it has to be Sean Penn…I have never seen him like this.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Penn gives his best performance in ages…[creating] one of the most detestable on-screen figures in recent memory, yet so magnetic it’s impossible to look away.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Col. Lockjaw could easily have been a caricature, but Penn imbues him with a dangerous mixture of unpredictability and inner complexity.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
Broad, one-note, self-satisfied, his gruff smoker’s voice and spit-slicked-combover coming off like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cosplay. Nearly three hours of that is…a lot.
— Keith Uhlich, Slant Magazine
Does anyone else in the cast stand out?
It’s Chase Infiniti’s debut that steals the spotlight. More than a revelation, she goes toe-to-toe with both heavyweights and commands the screen with ease.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Chase Infiniti, in her first on-screen film role as Willa, emerges as the film’s breakout performance. She brings toughness, vulnerability, and a startling level of confidence to every scene she’s in.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
Benicio del Toro…when he is on screen, he steals every scene.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
How does the movie look?
One Battle After Another stands as one of the year’s most visually compelling works. Shot on 35 mm VistaVision, Michael Bauman’s cinematography masterfully bridges the film’s sweeping scale with its most intimate moments.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Michael Bauman brings some incredible movement to the cinematography, with some incredibly kinetic camerawork involved in its biggest action scenes.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Michael Bauman’s grainy yet gorgeous film photography, Colleen Atwood’s already iconic costumes, and Florencia Martin’s detailed contemporary production design lend the film both grit and resplendence.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
How is the score?
[It] may be one of the best scores of the year from Jonny Greenwood…an Oscar is inevitable, but at this point, a long-overdue win deserves serious consideration.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Jonny Greenwood’s incredible score is a character unto itself, shifting moods just as much as the film itself does.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
What about the runtime? Is it too long?
One Battle After Another might clock in at nearly three hours, but it surprisingly flies by. It is pure adrenaline from the very start and never, ever slows down.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
At 162 minutes, it races forward with a tremendous amount of energy.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
Are we going to want to watch it more than once?
I left the theater actively counting down the moments until I could watch this movie again.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
You might get a little lost with everything going on in the first act – it sets up a lot – but it’ll all make sense, especially on repeat viewings.
— Michael Calabro, IGN Movies
One Battle After Another opens in theaters on September 26, 2025.
