One Battle After Another follows the life of Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a once heralded revolutionary who lives off-grid with his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). When an enemy from his past resurfaces, he’s forced to revive old instincts and rely on friends new and old to escape vengeance.
With the state of the country, this film couldn’t be premiering at a more appropriate time. With CEOs, politicians, and activists being targeted for violence, the film parallels the very sentiments of anger and resistance that are permeating throughout the country. In the film, the revolutionary group The French 75 kicks things off by liberating detainees at a detention center. A young Bob Ferguson provides a distraction with a light show (explosions) while Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) sends a stern warning to the man in charge, Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). The problem begins after too many successful missions sees the group escalate from freeing detained migrants to robbing banks.
The mantra “Free borders. Free choices. Free from fear” had a good run when everyone was focused and executed missions flawlessly. As time progressed, the missions became too big for those who weren’t 100% focused. Perfidia was one of those people, lacking the poise and focus that everyone else had. Her lack of awareness and insecurities would eventually be her downfall.
The film will be in theaters on VistaVision, 70mm film, and IMAX®. The cinematography was simply sublime. Watch for the rooftop scene towards the end, and what I’m guessing will be an audience favorite, the final 30 minutes or so in the desert. A handful of cars travel down a narrow, one-lane road with steep verticals at various speeds. The camera work is top-tier. The humor is widespread, coming from Bob, Lockjaw, and even Sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro), whose dojo serves as a front for a liberation movement of his own. Watching Sean Penn was a trip. He didn’t look like what we’re used to seeing, which is why I initially thought he was Shea Whigham. Racist, powerful, and pitiful, I wouldn’t be surprised if his performance gets mentioned in awards conversations.
It definitely felt like Teyana Taylor was set up to fail. Her character’s writing and dialogue just didn’t fit. But one thing about her, I knew we’d see those abs prominently (and we did). She had a funny name, Perfidia Beverly Hills, yet she herself wasn’t funny. It definitely felt like, “Hey, Regina Hall, you’ve earned your stripes. You can be important and be named ‘Deandra’. But the other two prominent Black women will be Perfidia Beverly Hills and Junglep***y.” Yes, you read that right. She was played by Shana McHayle, and while her name (like Perfidia’s) brought laughs, her character didn’t deliver much else. At close to three hours, it keeps a pretty good pace. There were a few scenes they could’ve cut, which would’ve saved about 30 minutes or so, but what they have works.
The film takes aim at the hypocrisy of racists and social groups established solely for white men. Col. Lockjaw was one of those hypocrites, trying to become a Christmas Adventurer (that’s the name of the group), which required a nuclear level of whiteness, even though he had a fetish for Black women. He abuses his rank in the military to do as he pleases, and yet, by social standards, he is very much a loser. His attitude, build, and extra medium shirts establish a high level of humor that never falters.
One Battle After Another gets an 8.5 out of 10. This is another film on my growing list of “films with misleading trailers”. The marketing would have you think Leo’s character is a leader when he’s actually a screw up. I loved Chase Infiniti’s performance. I enjoyed her in Presumed Innocent, and now she’s impressing in her first foray into film. Another above-average component was the score. There were a few parts where the music was loud without reason, but aside from those moments, it was great. This one is worth the IMAX experience if you can. Director Paul Thomas Anderson has a September “smash” on his hands, and audiences are going to love the flannel and goatee look.
One Battle After Another premieres in theatres on Sept. 26.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 2 hrs 41 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: September 26, 2025