In a year of film with brilliant works such as “Sinners”, “Superman”, and “Weapons”, “One Battle After Another” came later in the year and packs a punch. Paul Thomas Anderson is a brilliant filmmaker with an outstanding understanding of filmography. Anderson creates such a fantastic atmosphere with his beautiful landscapes and somehow manages to put political messaging at the forefront, without being pushy.
“One Battle After Another” finally brings Anderson into the double digits of his filmography with his tenth feature film. His career has had some extremely high highs, with little to no lows. He is most critically acclaimed for his sophomore debut, “Boogie Nights”, as well as some of his mid-career stuff such as “There Will Be Blood” and “Magnolia”.
Most of his fans claim that his biggest draw is the way he pulls a performance out of his actors. Many of his movies have gained critical acclaim for the fantastic raw performances he gets out of his actors, and the performances in One Battle After Another are no different. Leonardo DiCaprio commits to an all-timer performance in every facet. Sean Penn is no different; he plays a cartoonishly evil villain that somehow works only in Anderson’s design and proves that he is a generational talent.
Not only is there phenomenal acting, but there are some shots and scenes in this film that audiences will have their jaws on the floor for. The practical work that Anderson can pull off is mesmerizing. Rare film-making techniques aren’t the only thing Anderson pulls off boldly, his not so subliminal messaging is very apparent in this film. You can tell from the very first opening scene that Anderson is promoting freedom, speaking up, and facing authority that abuses their powers.
Overall, One Battle After Another stands tall compared to the blockbuster titans that the film industry produces. Paul Thomas Anderson returns to his audience and drops yet another timeless masterclass of work that’ll never get enough recognition. Nearing 3 hours, the pacing of this film makes it feel like a swift 1 hour and 45-minute runtime and runs into a perfect conclusion to make this movie the best of the year.
