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One of my biggest fears is going into a movie with <\/span>high expectations<\/span> and leaving the theater underwhelmed, or worse, disappointed.<\/span> Trust me. <\/span>I’ve<\/span> been there, and it is not a pleasant feeling<\/span>. <\/span> <\/span><\/span> <\/span>
You better believe <\/span>I was excited about <\/span><\/span>One Battle After Another<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/span>, the 2026 Academy Awards’ Best Picture Winner.<\/span> Even after watching and figuring out its trailer<\/a>, I still <\/span>wasn’t<\/span> sure what <\/span><\/span>Paul Thomas Anderson<\/span><\/span><\/a> had up his sleeve. That <\/span>mystery only made me more anticipatory for Mr. Anderson’s 10th feature film. Well, this is the most fun that <\/span>I’ve<\/span> had at the movies ever since watching <\/span><\/span>Parasite<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/span>and <\/span><\/span>Everything Everywhere All at Once<\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/span>for the first time. He is not the first director to give us a string of<\/span> flawless stories<\/span>, but it always feels so fulfilling to watch the present-day filmmaker push himself with each project and reap the benefits. <\/span><\/span> <\/span>
All the revolutionary mayhem revolves around a cat-and-mouse chase between members of a far-left, radical group called the French 75 and the crooked but stern Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw.<\/span> When a perpetually stoned but still alert father, Bob Ferguson, and his teenage daughter, Willa Ferguson, adjust to a normal life while living off the grid, they<\/span> still inevitably deal with the trouble from Bob’s past activities a part of the French 75. <\/span>From there, plot twists erupt and keep a tight grip on your attention during its 2-hour-and-42-minute runtime.<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>
Without spoiling any secrets, this eerily relevant premise <\/span>packs in <\/span>government raids, a white supremacist secret society known as the Christmas Adventurers Club, <\/span>and <\/span>a DNA test kit<\/span>. <\/span>Willa’s estranged mother, <\/span>Perfidia Beverly Hills<\/span>, <\/span>appears in a handful of scenes, but her restless spirit prevails throughout the rest of the story. <\/span><\/span>Teyana Taylor<\/span><\/span><\/a> captures her bold energy with no hesitation. <\/span>Even these precise details are still not enough to summarize what unfolds before us.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>
An onslaught of <\/span>energy strides through every scene with the right dose of satirical humor and escalating tension. These elements run headfirst into each other <\/span>and,<\/span> then, end up collaborating well with each other. One minute, <\/span>I’m<\/span> laughing hard. The next minute, my jaw <\/span>hits<\/span> the floor. All the surprises arrive at just the right time with little to no effort. <\/span>That’s<\/span> how you know that <\/span>you’re<\/span> watching a film that will be timeless.<\/span> <\/span>I actually lost track of time during each screening that I attended.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>
The animated cast is a major <\/span>reason why<\/span> <\/span>the momentum<\/span> cannot ease up.<\/span> It is as if each star has been waiting a long time to take on their assigned roles.<\/span> <\/span><\/span>One Battle After Another<\/span> invites you to learn as much as you can <\/span>about these people who you might not be around every <\/span>day,<\/span> but who<\/span> <\/span>remain<\/span> forces of nature in their communities<\/span>. <\/span> <\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>Sean Penn<\/span><\/span><\/a> was born to play <\/span>an antagonist as vitriolic as Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw. He <\/span>won’t<\/span> stop at nothing until he brings down every, single member of the French 75 and doubles down on border enforcement, even if his menacing demeanor comes across as peculiar or even desperate to prove his strength.<\/span> <\/span>It’s<\/span> hard to forget Lockjaw not just because of his slimy, unhinged personality but also secrets involving his love life. <\/span>He won his third Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for <\/span>portraying <\/span>this villain with such a <\/span>punchable<\/span> <\/span>sneer<\/span>. Penn is now one of four actors to have won three Oscars <\/span>for specifically<\/span> acting. The other three actors to <\/span>accomplish<\/span> this are <\/span><\/span>Walter Brennan<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Jack Nicholson<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span>and<\/span> <\/span>Daniel Day-Lewis.<\/a> <\/span>
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It may have been a boxing match this past awards season between <\/span>Michael B. Jordan<\/span><\/span><\/a> for <\/span>Sinners<\/span><\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/span><\/span><\/a> for <\/span>Marty Supreme<\/span><\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Let’s<\/span> not underestimate<\/span> <\/span>Leonardo DiCaprio<\/span>’s <\/span>solid performance as Bob Ferguson, who used to go by the<\/span> name “Ghetto”<\/span> Pat Calhoun<\/span> when he was a younger activist<\/span>.<\/span> As an older man, imagine Mr. Ferguson as the Dude from <\/span><\/span>The Big Lebowski<\/span><\/span><\/a> but <\/span>more <\/span>uptight<\/span> and armed with a rifle<\/span>.<\/span> He is the glue that holds everything together despite his paranoia.<\/span> Leo has always treated his career like a marathon instead of a sprint, even when he was a teenager. <\/span><\/span>One Battle After Another <\/span>is further proof that <\/span>the Oscar winner<\/span> has cultivated a<\/span>n <\/span>impressive filmography that only a few of his peers can match<\/span> because of his discerning approach to his<\/span> now<\/span> iconic roles, including<\/span> Bob Ferguson.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>
<\/span>Chase Infiniti<\/span><\/span><\/a> hits the ground running with her breakout role as Willa Ferguson. She navigates danger well while caught in the crossfire between Lockjaw and her familial allies. Her self-reliance is one of the best character traits that develops throughout <\/span>One Battle After Another<\/span>. In one scene during a parent-teacher conference, Willa’s teacher shares with Bob that she is a leader among her classmates. She even holds her own father accountable when she gets frustrated with his drinking and smoking.<\/span> That maturity serves her well once she faces the ugly side of the law.<\/span> Although <\/span>this <\/span>rising <\/span>actress<\/span> also known for <\/span><\/span>The Testaments<\/span><\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Presumed Innocent<\/span><\/span><\/a> was nominated for a <\/span>Golden Globe<\/span><\/span><\/a> and a <\/span>BAFTA<\/span><\/span><\/a>, it is a shame that she did not receive an Oscar nomination. Infiniti will hopefully soon receive another Oscar nomination.<\/span> <\/span><\/span>
Last but not least, <\/span>Ben<\/span>i<\/span>cio del Toro<\/span><\/span><\/a> is back in another P.T. Anderson film as the wise<\/span> but calm Sensei Sergio St. Carlos.<\/span> He <\/span>jumps <\/span>from <\/span><\/span>Inherent<\/span> Vice<\/span><\/span> <\/span>into<\/span>