For some reason, I’ve doubted Paul Thomas Anderson for about three straight movies. Pre-Inherent Vice, he was my favorite director in the world, but I couldn’t get into the whacky caper starring Joaquin Phoenix.

When Phantom Thread got announced, I didn’t have much interest due to the subject matter. Of course, the movie ended up being fantastic. Licroice Pizza was more interesting to me, but I didn’t think much of it until I saw it, and it blew me away.

On paper, One Battle After Another sounded amazing, but I was underwhelmed by the trailers and marketing leading up to the film. I’m happy to report that I was dead wrong again.

<p>Warner Bros&period; Pictures</p> — Warner Bros&period; Pictures

I don’t know when the year ends if One Battle After Another will be my favorite movie of 2025, but I can’t say that I will see anything that’s objectively better. Any worries I had about the film went away almost immediately.

One Battle After Another starts off quickly and never lets its foot off the gas. The plot is about a group of revolutionaries in America called the French 75, who disband after their leader, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), is arrested.

From there, the film follows Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Willa (Chase Infiniti) as they go on the run once Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) decides to tie up loose ends. The movie essentially becomes a prolonged chase sequence that never slows down.

One Battle After Another is shockingly relevant to a lot of the political issues that are polarizing the country. Instead of being preachy, PTA tries to tell the story as objectively as he can, though it’s pretty obvious what side he stands on.

This is being called an action movie, but it’s so much more complex. There isn’t a major standout action sequence that would be on par with something you’d see in a Mad Max movie, but there are plenty of exciting standout moments, especially one that takes place on a bumpy desert highway.

There’s a real argument that PTA is the best American filmmaker right now. He hasn’t made a bad movie, and you can make an argument that 99% of his filmography are stone cold masterpieces.

One Battle After Another is exciting, hilarious, smart and relevant. This has to be the first real front-runner for Best Picture at the Oscars. What a film.

Verdict: 9.5/10