A Paul Thomas Anderson epic about revolution, regret, and the cost of ideology
Some call them vigilantes, some call them domestic terrorists, and they call themselves revolutionaries. In their minds, they want to change the country for good by any means necessary, even if that means lying, stealing, using weapons, force, and explosives. They were known as the French 7,5 and they freed immigrants from detention centers at the border and stole money from banks to fund their "cause". They seemed to be untraceable until the day it all went wrong. The latest film by Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread), One Battle After Another, chronicles how one wrong move can change a person's trajectory forever.
Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio; Inception) and Perfidia (Teyana Taylor: Straw) were part of the French 75 and were lovers. Despite their lives underground, they started a family and continued their revolutionary work. However, during a bank robbery, Perfidia shot a bank security guard and killed him. She and a few other members of the French 75 were caught as they fled the scene, and to save herself, Perfidia turned state's evidence and entered the witness protection program. As a result, Bob had to take their infant daughter, change their names, and flee. However, 16 years later, the government caught up with them, and their daughter Willa (Chase Infinity; Julia) discovered she was really the illegitimate daughter of a white military officer, Lockjaw (Sean Penn; Mystic River), who didn't want her existence to be known since he was a member of a white supremacist organization.
Anderson typically writes about flawed humans and dysfunctional relationships. He tends to explore the ideas of loneliness, alienation, desperation, and regret. He is known for bold visuals, long takes, and interesting uses of music in his films. One Battle After Another is classic Anderson, with Bob and Willa living fairly isolated lives in a cabin in the woods of small-town America.
Anderson has also chosen an incredible cast to portray these flawed individuals. DiCaprio always delivers regardless of the role, and Taylor is perfect as the rebellious revolutionary. Penn brings a gruffness to Lockjaw as we see him get even meaner over the years until he is finally at the point of wanted to have his own illegitimate daughter murdered. The rest of the cast complements the leads nicely.
Filmed mainly on VistaVision cameras and transferred to Dolby Vision, this film has a wonderfully rich video quality that makes watching it a pleasure. Color saturation is almost flawless, and details are so sharp and clean you can see the sweat dripping from DiCaprio's and Penn's foreheads.
Equally as impressive is the Dolby Atmos Audio. Dialogue is crisp, and ambient sounds such as gunshots or leaves rustling fill the surround speakers. Whether it is a Molotov cocktail being thrown and crashing in the street or sirens wailing in the background and criminals running for cover, there is a depth to the tracks that immerse the viewer. The eclectics soundtrack is also nicely layered amongst the other noises and the dialogue, so it doesn't overpower anything but adds some texture to the scenes.
Surprisingly, there is not one extra included in this release. Besides the 4K disc and digital download, purchasers don't get anything else, which is a little disappointing. Rumor has it the limited 4K Steelbook version will offer some behind-the-scenes extras, but at this point in time, it isn't set to go on sale until early May.
Anderson is a master storyteller, as evidenced by his numerous awards and 11 Oscar nominations, and One Battle After Another offers that same type of gripping tale we expect from him. If there is any criticism to be found with this film, it is that the movie is a little too long.
Regardless, if you want to own one of the best films of 2025 and another Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece, I suggest you buy this 4K combo pack.
Grade: A-
