By Chris Evangelista

Copyright slashfilm

As a director, Anderson is a modern master, and I’ve liked or loved virtually all his films to date (the only title I don’t have much of a fondness for is his debut, “Hard Eight,” aka “Sydney”). He is a director clearly influenced by filmmakers he grew up watching — Robert Altman and Martin Scorsese in particular. He creates challenging, adult-driven films that feel almost at odds with everything else currently at the multiplex, a fact that has become even more true as the modern Hollywood output has grown increasingly dire and uninspired. With “One Battle After Another,” he has done something truly stunning. I don’t quite know if I’d declare this Anderson’s best film, but he’s taken an incredibly big swing here, managing to craft a movie that is unapologetically political while also being a wild and crazy crowd-pleaser. Those two things feel like they should be at odds with each other, and yet Anderson finds a way to make it all work smoothly.

“One Battle After Another” does not shy away from the idea that the United States Government has become oppressive and totalitarian. It is not afraid to suggest that sometimes, political violence might be warranted, especially when seemingly all other recourse has failed. Anderson’s script is suggesting dark, unstoppable forces are forever pulling the strings behind-the-scenes at all times. This film frequently feels like a powder keg ready to go off.

And yet, Anderson also keeps the film consistently fun and funny. Nearly everything DiCaprio is doing here is hilarious — a lengthy sequence where he bickers with a fellow revolutionary on the phone keeps building and building, growing funnier by the second. Then there are the action scenes. I don’t think anyone would classify Anderson as an action filmmaker, but “One Battle After Another” is propulsive, loaded with shootouts and a lengthy car chase finale that’s so intense and exciting that I felt like I was going to get out of my seat and start pacing around the theater to calm the hell down. Are you even allowed to make movies like this anymore, on this sort of grand scale? I don’t know, but Paul Thomas Anderson has done it. Viva la revolución.

/Film Rating: 10 out of 10

“One Battle After Another” opens in theaters on September 26, 2025.