JacobsonCinemas

What time is it?

I consider myself a cinephile yet I have never seen a single Paul Thomas Anderson film until now. One Battle After Another is about former revolutionary Pat Calhoun played by Leonardo Dicapio who is forced into hiding with “his” newborn daughter after his wife sells out his group and leaves the country. Years later, the past catches up to him and his daughter Willa when a corrupt military officer named Lockjaw played by Sean Penn plans to hunt down Pat’s daughter for sinister reasons. Pat now renamed Bob must find her before Lockjaw does.

What makes Paul Thomas Anderson’s films so beloved by many is the way he directs them. One Battle After Another is wonderfully directed and has an amazing and epic scope to it. Every scene is absolutely intense and well shot. I usually have a problem with long runtimes and while One Battle After Another is also a long movie at 162 minutes, it surprisingly goes by quick thanks to the pacing that never dragged at all. I also love Jonny Greenwood’s score here and while Ludwig Göransson’s score in Sinners is still my favorite movie score of 2025, this one is probably a close second. Some of my favorite tracks are the main theme, “Ocean Waves”, and “Like Tom Fkn Cruise”. What I love about these tracks is that they use the piano to make the score feel more intense. Honestly any track that uses the piano is my favorite.

The acting in this film is absolutely phenomenal. Pat/Bob is one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best performances being both funny and tragic. When he returns to the “revolutionary world” can tell that he is very rusty from being away for years thanks to Leo’s amazing performance. I also want to praise Chase Infiniti as Willa in her amazing debut role. You really do feel for her when she finds out about her parents and her connection to Lockjaw. She honestly felt more like the main protagonist than her father. Lockjaw is also such an enjoyably despicable villain thanks to the amazing performance of Sean Penn. The other actors such as Benicio del Toro and Teyana Taylor also gave out amazing performances. I can absolutely see any of these actors win for their roles in the film at the Academy Awards next year.

One Battle After Another was the first Paul Thomas Anderson film I’ve ever seen and honestly, it was a great one to start off with. It has great acting, great music, and great directing that reminds everyone why Paul Thomas Anderson is considered one of the greatest film directors of all time. People are predicting this to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards next year and honestly, I couldn’t agree with them more.

Verdict:

+Jonny Greenwood’s score

+PTA’s directing

+The acting

+The pacing

Score: A