One Battle After Another movie review: Paul Thomas Anderson's epic-thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio & Sean Penn is 'Absolute Cinema'

Star cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the biggest global stars, who delivered several memorable movies like Titanic, Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, Shutter Island, Blood Diamond, Django Unchained, The Departed, The Revenant, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Killers of the Flower Moon among others, has joined hands with the acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson known for helming masterpieces like There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights and Magnolia among others for the epic action-thriller, One Battle After Another.

While the promotional assets of the film promised to be a blockbuster, let’s find out whether it lives up to the expectations of cinegoers or not…

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The story of One Battle After Another begins with Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), a leader of the revolutionary group the French 75, exclaiming, “Free borders. Free choices. Free from fear,” before forcibly releasing all the detainees in a detention facility near the Mexican border. The political stance of the French 75 rather strategy includes blowing up buildings and robbing banks.

While Perfidia has a strong relationship with another revolutionary member, Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), there is evident sexual tension between her and Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), who is infatuated with her, and she takes advantage of him to control and divert military opposition.

Things between Bob and Perfidia turn bitter after their parenthood, as she feels Bob no longer gives her time and love and dedicates all his time to their daughter. Soon, the revolutionary group French 75 faces an end after a careless bank robbery, which leads to Perfidia’s arrest.

This action makes every member go underground, while Bob and his daughter Charlene (Chase Infiniti) are living a chaotic yet manageable life, Lockjaw is now ready to hunt them after waiting for 16 years. In the seriously unserious situations, One Battle After Another shows Bob’s struggle to reunite with his daughter after she goes missing amid several revelations unfolding.

The film is comprised of lots of sex and violence, but it serves a solid twist that not only enhances the narrative but also amazes you with its screenplay. Adapted from Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, PTA makes every character of One Battle After Another strong with depth and emotional core as they choose their side in the socio-political scenario, but it never takes away the core of the story, which is the father trying to reconnect with his daughter.

Known for directing several memorable movies, PTA once again delivers a masterpiece or an ‘Absolute Cinema’, the term being used on social media in modern times, with impeccable performances, gripping and hilarious screenplay and top-notch direction.

Talking about the performances, Leonardo DiCaprio shines like a bright star as he conveys his struggles and emotional elements with finesse. His scenes with Benicio del Toro’s Sensei Sergio are all heart and undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights of the movie.

Teyana Taylor as fierce Perfidia makes a strong and charismatic aura on the screen. Sean Penn, who plays a mix of right-wing military psychopath and a pervert, hits the right note and delivers an entertaining and memorable act. Chase Infiniti as Charlene is the soul of the film and brings out her fierce and emotional moments in an impeccable way.

On the whole, One Battle After Another is a daunting and captivating affair, which should be watched on the big screen.

Rating: 4 (out of 5 stars)

One Battle After Another is releasing on 26th September