Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s films always feel like events, and that can be a good or bad thing. The vast majority of his films were well received and are regarded fondly at the time of release, but I’m not crazy about all of them. But like they say, you’re only as good as your last project and Anderson’s last project, 2021’s Licorice Pizza, in my opinion, was one of his best and showcased everything the filmmaker does so well. And I’d made a point not to learn much about One Battle After Another, his newest film releasing this weekend. The trailers are vague and don’t really tell you what the movie’s about and because of that, when the initial wave of reviews for the film came out, I chose to steadfastly ignore them. I noticed the headlines, with pretty much every important critic calling it the best film Anderson has ever made, but it sounded like a good idea to temper expectations for myself. 

And now that I’ve seen One Battle After Another, I’m glad I didn’t read those early reviews. And I’m glad I didn’t have a great handle on what this film was going to be, based on the advertising materials. One Battle After Another is a dynamic political thriller that kept shocking me over and over again. The film is thrilling, breathless and incredibly intense. So, my review today, as always, will be spoiler free. But if you want to stop reading this, come back to it later, and make plans to go see the film right now, I think that’s your best option. Because you’re not going to want to miss One Battle After Another. People are going to be talking about it for the rest of the year.

Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) are revolutionaries and lovers, both members of the French 75, a gang of cultural disrupters and social activists – criminals, really. Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) has been trying to bring down the French 75 for a long time, and they’ve always been able to stay one step ahead of him. After Bob and Perfidia have a child, that child becomes a target, triggering an event that separates the family. Cut to 16 years later, Bob lives off the grid with his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), also an activist like her mother. And he’s in a perpetual state of drug-fueled paranoia. Once Willa is kidnapped, Bob must get in touch with old friends and his old instincts if he wants her to return home safely.

It’s very possible One Battle After Another will become that kind of awards season movie that is discussed to death and I become sick of that conversation, despite mostly having liked the movie initially. But after one viewing, the film absolutely blew me away. It feels like a parable for our times, but it’s never stated what year(s) in which this is set. Either part of the story feels like it could be right now, which is unusual for Anderson’s films, with almost all of his films being period pieces. The themes of political unrest, racism, sexism and the impenetrable hope of the American revolutionary, feel very of this moment. And it sounds like that experience would be a who-needs-that-right-now bummer, but Anderson finds a way to let this nail-biting, shockingly intense action thriller live alongside extremely timely and provocative themes. 

Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor who I often think is overrated, but in the right role he’s undeniable. This is one of those cases. He leans into the manic energy of Anderson’s script and is a great anchor for all of this chaos. Teyana Taylor is also an actress who, I didn’t realize until recently, started her career as a musician, where she’s had a lot of success. As an actress, she continually impresses me in every film I see her in. She absolutely commands the screen for the first act, and she’s so exciting to watch.

Sean Penn is giving one of his best performances of late, as well, as the film’s terrifying and complex villain. I also really enjoyed Benicio del Toro and Regina Hall, as figures from Bob’s past who factor into his present. However, if this film belongs to any one actor, it’s Chase Infiniti, playing Bob and Perfidia’s daughter Willa. Infiniti is giving a nuanced, empathetic and captivating performance. And considering this is her first role in a feature film, this is a hell of a first impression.

Unsurprisingly, the technical aspects here are also top notch. Michael Bauman is credited as cinematographer, and he worked with Anderson on Licorice Pizza. I remember in interviews for that film, a lot was said about what a collaborative process the filming of that movie was. And the cinematography here is a big part of why this film works so well. You’ll notice lots of extended, unbroken shots, and I love when a film can pull these off, because it involves so much choreography and planning, not to mention editing. And there is a car chase in the third act of this film that will no doubt go down as one of the year’s best scenes. The fact that you can still take the framing of a car chase and show me something I’ve never seen in a movie before, is incredibly impressive. Also the Jonny Greenwood score effectively adds to the danger and anxiety of this story, and it’s instantly memorable. 

One Battle After Another finds Paul Thomas Anderson at the absolute height of his powers. For any other filmmaker, this would be their magnum opus, but for Anderson, it’s maybe in the lower half of his top five. Having said that, this is close to a perfect film. It’s nearly three hours long, and yet the anxiety-inducing breakneck pace does not let up for the entire time. One Battle After Another is one for the ages – a viscerally intense, surprisingly funny, deeply relevant and impressively crafted thrill ride that’s also a moving narrative about the world we live in and the power of family, where we find it. It’s boasted by filmmaking that’s showy, but not overly flashy, an electrifying script and a cast at the top of their game. This one’s going to be talked about and picked apart and dissected endlessly from now until Oscar night, so go see it now before you’re exhausted from the online discourse. The element of discovery here is what took me most by surprise, and One Battle After Another has plenty of surprises in store.