One Battle After Another: What are the critics saying?
- Richa Verma
- Oct 6, 2025
- 2 min read
By Richa Verma
Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t go easy. His latest film, One Battle After Another, proves it yet again. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and breakout newcomer Chase Infiniti, the movie has exploded onto the scene with critics already calling it one of Anderson’s boldest works yet. But what are critics actually saying?
Critics are mostly losing their minds over One Battle After Another
On Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, the film is pulling in sky-high numbers, sitting in the rare 95%+ zone that most directors only dream about.
Variety calls it,
“A razor-sharp satire wrapped inside a political fever dream”,
While Deadline describes it as,
“A fiery, unpredictable beast that refuses to color inside the lines.”
Basically, this isn’t a movie you half-watch while scrolling your phone. It’s the kind that grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go.
Performances everyone’s talking about
Leonardo DiCaprio brings his A-game, showing a softer, more vulnerable side than we’ve seen in years. Sean Penn is the gritty counterweight, while Chase Infiniti is being hailed as the surprise scene-stealer.
Entertainment Weekly says that the father-daughter bond at the film’s center is what makes it stick. Amid the chaos and satire, those emotional beats keep the story grounded. Variety echoes this, saying it’s the “compass that holds the madness together.”
Anderson’s wild style in One Battle After Another - genius or chaos?
Anderson has always played with tone, but this time he really cranks it up. The Hollywood Reporter calls the direction “exhilarating but exhausting,” pointing out how scenes ricochet from absurd humor to gut-punch violence in seconds.
Some critics think that chaos is the point. IndieWire argues,
“Anderson isn’t losing control but showing us how messy the world really is.”
But others feel it teeters on the edge of overkill. Either way, no one’s calling it boring.
The not-so-perfect bits
At its core, One Battle After Another is more than action sequences and political parody. It’s about the messy battles we fight: within families, within ideologies, and within ourselves. And maybe that’s why it’s hitting so hard.
As Deadline perfectly summed it up: “Love it or hate it, you won’t forget it.” And honestly, in a world of disposable content, that’s exactly the kind of movie we need.
Continue navigating The ScreenLight for more such reviews and updates on One Battle After Another.
