One Battle After Another might have one of the best ensemble casts I’ve seen in a movie in a long time. Their performances are unique and incredible.
One Battle After Another (2025) was really hyped up due to Leonardo DiCaprio. But even when he was offscreen, One Battle After Another (2025) still felt great. That’s something hard to do, as Leonardo DiCaprio, in my opinion, is one of the greatest actors ever. He proves that he gets better with age, as evidenced in this film, where he delivers one of his most unique performances to date. He also demonstrates office comedy chops, which he hasn’t had the opportunity to showcase much. And in this film, you really do see how he can balance comedy and drama.
One Battle After Another (2025) is quite lengthy, but it’s one of the rare instances where you remain entertained throughout the entire movie. The movie didn’t drag, and I especially found it gripping at all moments. I only have a few complaints with this movie as I look back at it. I really enjoyed it, and I already want to see it again. I feel that I’ll watch it numerous times and will definitely purchase it on Blu-ray when it becomes available.
Beyond Leonardo DiCaprio, we have Benedict Del Toro giving a superbly comedic performance in One Battle After Another (2025). He and DiCaprio have some great chemistry on camera, and I’d love to see them work together on another movie. They both play off each other very well and have some pretty good comedic moments in the film as well. I’m not the biggest fan of comedy when it’s mixed in with serious moments, but One Battle After Another (2025) does a good job of doing that.
However, I do think Sean Penn is the star of the show. This might be his best performance to date, which is saying a lot, considering he has already delivered many great ones. He even has two Oscar wins under his belt. I would be quite surprised if he didn’t receive a Golden Globe or Oscar nomination for this performance. And in One Battle After Another (2025), Sean Penn plays a compelling character, portraying a somewhat evil figure. His character embodies much of the corruption that we see in government. He has some of these over-the-top moments, but Sean Penn plays it so well that it doesn’t feel like it’s teetering on silliness.
Everything, down to his walk and the way he talks, is absolutely perfect for his character. His character has this attitude toward him, and he thinks that he’s hot shit. However, in many scenes, he is significantly shorter than the other characters. Sean Penn plays into this, giving his character a sort of Napoleon complex. I absolutely adore this performance, and I don’t want to give away much more, but I think it’s definitely worth seeing just for him.
One Battle After Another (2025) itself spans many, many years. So by the end of it, it feels like a sort of epic-type movie. However, the way it’s filmed, with its gritty cinematography, definitely feels lived-in. The characters feel very real, and you can definitely compare many of them to real-life historical figures. To me, this kind of movie is something that we might see in America in 25 or 50 years, or it might’ve already happened and we just haven’t been aware of it. Obviously, a lot of the content is over the top, but it’s not entirely inaccurate at times.
Regardless of your position on the political spectrum, I think you can still enjoy it. The characters’ motivations are put pretty clearly. However, I can still see some people complaining about a perceived misrepresentation in the government/political characters. However, I don’t think it should come as any surprise, given that there are some corrupt individuals in power. One Battle After Another (2025) explores what would happen if there were a subsidiary of that evil, and I won’t go much further than that.
One Battle After Another (2025) might be classified as an actor’s movie. Much of this movie relied on the performances of the actors. You have some unique locations, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, and there are no big, massive effects in the film as well. This is a straightforward, good movie with a great story and excellent actors. Beyond having to pay the big stars in the movie, I’m willing to bet that the budget wouldn’t have been that large. One Battle After Another (2025) could’ve been made for pretty cheap if the actors weren’t super well-known.
Speaking of locations, even though it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, some of the shots in the desert are pretty incredible. The way they utilize the desert later in the film somewhat reminds me of some Western films. And this movie is very much about America, so bringing it back to the Wild West makes it feel like it came full circle. One Battle After Another (2025) has a lot to say, and it’s open to interpretation in several ways, but I feel its stance on America is unique.
Overall, having a film with this story and being this entertaining is a massive win. Not only that, but you get a bunch of great characters in the film as well, played by incredible actors. I think my only complaint with this is some of the musical choices. Paul Thomas Anderson directed the film, and I like a couple of his other films. I like Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood.
But I’ve never been a fan of some of his musical choices. He kind of has this off-putting piano thing going on throughout the film, and it makes it feel a little silly at times. I know it’s supposed to make the film feel a little disjointed with the off-key piano you have going on. It can work, but it’s not necessarily my thing.
There are moments in the movie where a natural grand score sweeps you away with its emotions, so it’s not all necessarily a miss. It’s hard to say if this is a dealbreaker for me, as I still see how it serves its purpose in the film. I’m just a massive music fan and a music composer myself. I pay close attention to these things and movies, and I feel that I can help elevate the film.
This is going to be a truly special movie that’s guaranteed to have a cult following. Whatever streaming service it lands on, it’s going to do great, as Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t just pick any movie to do. People will watch him, more than likely, just for himself, but I feel like they’ll stay for the great story and the other great actors in the film. This is the best film of the year, besides Sinners.
One Battle After Another (2025) also proves that we know DiCaprio still has classic performances left in him, so let’s hope he continues acting in movies like this and continues to give us great performances. Even if they are stretched out over a couple of years, this one was definitely worth it.
