Running Time: 162 minutes
This feature from Warner Bros. opens exclusively at theaters and IMAX screens on September 26th.
For critics, awards season at the movies typically begins in late October/early November and carries on through the holidays. Various titles are screened early for the press in the hopes of building momentum and potentially earning accolades and nominations. The release of One Battle After Another makes one feel as if we’re already beginning that process. Yes, it’s still early and there are likely forty or more contenders still coming down the pipeline, but this effort is among the best of the year. It’s a remarkable effort that effectively contends with current political issues, features incredible performances, and keeps one gripped throughout its extended running time.
Set in a United States run by right-wing elements, Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) joins a militant revolutionary faction and becomes romantically involved with Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor). She is more extreme in her views, and, unbeknownst to Bob, not always faithful to her partner. In pursuit of the leads is Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), who, while enacting ugly and cruel anti-immigration policies, harbors an attraction to black women. When Perfidia discovers that she is pregnant. it fails to slow her down, despite Bob’s protestations that they should step back and care for their new baby girl. Before long, Perfidia vanishes and forces close in on the group.
Bob is left with the baby and goes on the run. 16-years-later, the dad is living under a false identity with his teenage daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). In the meantime, Lockjaw has risen in the ranks, and is invited to join a group of powerful politicians with white supremacist views. When Lockjaw’s forces arrive in the hometown of Bob and Willa and the two are separated in various raids, the dad sets out to try and find her.
Despite being based on a novel from 1970, this adaptation couldn’t feel more accurate, presenting a world that isn’t very different from the one we’re currently living in. The screenplay doesn’t hit one over the head with its message, but it’s incredibly compelling with its depictions of immigrating raids and other terrifying events. As chilling as it is, there is so much going on that the weight of the tale doesn’t overwhelm. The action is frantic, with a few unpredictable and jarring moments as violence breaks out. Equally tense and creatively shot is a car pursuit that follows vehicles through hilly desert terrain, dropping out of frame and reappearing as they go up and down in front of the horizon.
The film is also full of great performances. DiCaprio is relatable as the dad, whose understandable paranoia has, over the years, has caused him to stay mostly housebound and in the shadows. His habits, including smoking a lot of pot, cause some darkly humorous problems. Particularly, when getting back in contact with the revolutionary organization and having difficulty remembering necessary code words to get his messages. As events get more dire, he’s clearly out of his element, displaying palpable panic that actually ingratiates him to the viewer. Benicio Del Toro also stands out as Sergio St. Carlos, a contrastingly calm and collected figure trying to help Bob out while protecting families from immigration raids.
Chase Infiniti makes an impression as Willa, a strong-willed, rebellious teen at odds with her father, who soon sees his claims and concerns coming true before her eyes. And Penn is excellent as the threatening Lockjaw. The character is equal parts nasty and pathetic, often rationalizing his actions and making outlandishly hypocritical statements about his past to the organization he wants to join so desperately.
Everyone in the film is incredible, and the stakes are incredibly high as this father desperately searches through horribly dangerous situations in the hopes of helping his daughter. Of course, the film has plenty to say about the current state of the country and the extremist views. And there is also a clever sense of humor as the characters try to process what’s occurring around them. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson has made several exceptional features over the years (Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, and Licorice Pizza to name but a few) and One Battle After Another easily joins their ranks. It’s a stellar film that makes a lasting impression.