One Battle After Another bursts into the theater with grand concepts and an even larger ensemble, but does it pack a knockout blow it is looking for? Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and based on Thomas Pynchon’s mystical novel, this film takes a swing for the fences with its scathing critique of America’s divided political system. Unfortunately, it falters with a lack of cohesion and a running time that feels more like a marathon. Hold on to your seat for a wild, unbalanced ride!
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What’s Hot: DiCaprio’s Fire and Timely Themes
Leonardo DiCaprio is the pistoning heart of this crazy story, giving a performance that’s half-hilarious and half-electrifying. His timing and boundless energy render him the ultimate scene-stealer, pulling the film through its shakier bits. The film’s subject matter—political polarization, societal farce, and the pointlessness of ideological struggles—resonates in our polarized America today. It’s a funhouse mirror held up against the craziness of our era, and when it hits, it cuts with laser-sharp precision.
What’s Not: A Sprawling Mess That Drags
At 162 minutes, One Battle After Another drags itself like it’s struggling to remain coherent. The script, weighed down by Pynchon’s thick source material, too often wanders through scenes that lead nowhere quickly. The second act, specifically, is a slog—characters walk pointlessly through the city, and the narrative idles like a gas-less car.
Tighter cuts could have trimmed at least 30 minutes without sacrificing the soul of the film. The character development also remains sparse, leaving most actors to feel like caricatures instead of fully fleshed-out individuals.
Best Time for a Break
If your bladder is crying out for mercy, the second act’s where you are. There’s a big chunk of time where characters ping-pong across the city with little narrative movement. Sneak out, get some popcorn, and you won’t be missing much.
Script Analysis: Big Concepts, Spotty Implementation
Adapting Thomas Pynchon is akin to grappling a literary octopus—complicated, slippery, and full of tentacles. Anderson’s effort approximates the novel’s absurdist energy but can’t quite stitch together a coherent story. The film divides into two halves: an frantic first act establishing the political circus and a meandering second half that is reminiscent of a two-hour chase scene with no end in sight. The dialogue isn’t memorable, but the cast brings it to life. The script is politically left-leaning and parodies the ineptitude of social warriors while subtly hinting at puppet masters controlling strings. It’s clever but on the surface, never cutting deep enough to really challenge its audience.
Star Power: Leonardo DiCaprio, Penn, and Del Toro Steal the Show
The cast is full of heavy hitters, but three performances stand out. Leonardo DiCaprio is a comedic force to be reckoned with, making each scene he appears in a master class of charm. Sean Penn’s snarling villain serves as ideal counterpoint, and Benicio del Toro brings a zesty injection of color to the supporting cast. The female cast, inhabited by shortchanged Chase Infiniti, suffers the most. Several unknown performers deliver in the periphery, infusing flavor into the pandemonium.
Direction and Music: Anderson’s Energy, Greenwood’s Genius
Paul Thomas Anderson is a filmmaking giant, yet this isn’t his best work. His trademark kinetic energy is present, but it’s unfocused, akin to a firecracker with nowhere to go. The film’s ideas are big, but they’re only sporadically examined with depth. All that, though, is redeemed by a frenzied final-act chase sequence, which gets the directing back on track with a pounding climax. Jonny Greenwood’s dissonant piano and skewed-rhythm score precisely captures the film’s frantic atmosphere, ratcheting tension up towards a payoff in the climactic finale.
The Verdict: Worth a Watch for Leonardo DiCaprio Fans
One Battle After Another is a patchwork—an ambitious, haphazard satire that’s enriched by its top-notch cast and topical concerns but sapped by a meandering focus and a bloated running time. It’s not the best from Paul Thomas Anderson, but DiCaprio’s frissons of energy and a wicked conclusion are worth a look for the star’s fan or anyone in the mood for an offbeat interpretation of America’s political spectacle. If you’re not a DiCaprio fan or a Pynchon aficionado, you may wait for streaming.
Discuss One Battle After Another in the comments! Were you won over by DiCaprio’s performance, or did the sprawl of the film leave you unimpressed?