Spielberg and Critics Hail "One Battle After Another" as a 2025 Masterpiece
Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, One Battle After Another , has landed with a thunderclap, and the buzz could not be louder. This $140 million feature, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, had its world premiere in Hollywood, and the first reactions have been nothing short of electric. Even Steven Spielberg, who moderated a Q&A with Anderson at the Directors Guild of America, called it “an insane movie” and praised the sheer amount of energy and creativity poured into it. According to Spielberg, the action packed into just the first hour was greater than what Anderson had managed across his entire career up to now. That’s saying something, considering Anderson’s filmography.
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The film is loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland and follows DiCaprio as a once-revolutionary figure who finds himself dragged back into danger when a ghost from his past threatens his teenage daughter. Alongside DiCaprio, the cast includes Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. Critics and audiences alike have been stunned not only by the spectacle but also by the biting satire and absurdist tone that recalls Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove .
Spielberg highlighted how the absurdist comedy was played so straight that it became eerily relevant to the current political and social climate. As he put it, the film often makes you laugh just to avoid screaming at how real it all feels. That balance between comedy, chaos, and uncomfortable truth seems to be part of why people are calling this one of the best films of the year.
The critical responses pouring in from social media echo that sentiment. Men’s Health writer Evan Romano called it his “#1 movie of the year,” while critic Brett Arnold said it was both Anderson’s funniest film and one of his most moving. He admitted laughing out loud throughout before being left in tears by the end. Many are already predicting Oscar glory, with Sean Penn singled out for what some say may be a career-best performance.
Other voices in the industry, like Chris Evangelista from Slash Film, described it as “the modern American nightmare,” packed with unforgettable car chases, explosive shootouts, and surreal imagery. Grace Randolph admitted she initially disliked the film but quickly realized it lingered in her mind in a way only meaningful cinema does. Meanwhile, Kyle Buchanan of The New York Times went as far as to suggest the film could finally earn Anderson his long-deserved Best Director Oscar.
As the cast and crew celebrated at the red carpet premiere, it was clear that One Battle After Another had already secured its place as a cultural moment. Whether through DiCaprio’s layered performance, Penn’s menacing presence, or Jonny Greenwood’s pounding score, the film is being positioned as more than entertainment—it’s being seen as a reflection of the absurd, chaotic times we live in.
Warner Bros. will release the film nationwide on September 26, and if the early reactions are any indication, audiences are about to witness one of 2025’s defining cinematic events.
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