‘One Battle After Another’ Becomes One Of This Decade’s Best-Reviewed Movies

Topline

Critics have hailed Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, as a “masterpiece,” indicating potential Academy Awards success as it boasts near-perfect scores on review aggregators Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes based on early reviews.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in “One Battle After Another,” which opens in theaters next week. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)

Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures

Key Facts

“One Battle After Another” boasts a nearly perfect 97 out of a possible 100 on Metacritic based on its first 31 reviews, making it the highest-rated movie of this decade on Metacritic’s best movies of all time list.

The movie also has a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on the first 56 reviews, with only two reviews considered “rotten,” or negative.

The Associated Press hailed the movie as “an American masterpiece,” noting the movie touches on topical political themes and depicts a society where “gun violence, white power and immigrant deportations recur in an ongoing dance, both farcical and tragic.”

The movie stars DiCaprio as an ex-revolutionary who reunites with former accomplices to rescue his 16-year-old daughter when she goes missing, and Anderson has said the movie was inspired by the 1990 novel, “Vineland.”

Most critics have described the movie as an action thriller with notable chase scenes, which jumps in time from DiCaprio’s character’s early days with fictional revolutionary group, the French 75, to about 15 years later, when he is pursued by foe and military leader Captain Steven Lockjaw, played by Sean Penn.

The Warner Bros.-produced film was made on a big budget, estimated to be between $130 million and $175 million, and co-stars Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor.

When Will ‘one Battle After Another’ Open In Theaters And Streaming?

The move opens in theaters on Sept. 26. A streaming date has not been set, but the movie says “coming soon” on Apple TV+.

What Are Critics Saying About “one Battle After Another?”

Several critics, including those for Rolling Stone, IndieWire and Deadline, called the movie a masterpiece. Some noted the movie deals with topical political themes: The Hollywood Reporter’s critic Richard Lawson said the movie is “bracingly timely,” stating the movie is about “radicalism in America” and is situated in a “recognizable era of fascist creep.” IndieWire’s critic David Ehrlich drew parallels between the film and the contemporary United States, calling the movie a “prescient tale of immigrant detention centers, white nationalist caricatures, and bullshit pretenses for deploying the military into sanctuary cities.” Variety critic Owen Gleiberman noted the movie was completed before President Donald Trump assumed office for his second term, but said the film is “presented as a knowing projection of what autocracy under the current administration could lead to.” Deadline critic Pete Hammond called the movie “mindbending brilliance” for fusing genres like political satire, action thriller, comedy and family drama, also praising the costumes, editing, score and cinematography.

Could “one Battle After Another” Succeed At The Oscars?

The early positive reviews are a good sign for its chances at the Academy Awards, where Anderson is a perpetual nominee, but has never won. The film notably did not premiere at any festivals, which Variety reported can be a risky strategy for awards chances, stating foregoing festivals “eliminates the risk of early negative reviews but also forgoes the potential lift that a prestigious debut can provide.” Variety also warned the movie’s awards chances could hinge on whether audiences show up to the theaters, stating the movie will “need to balance commercial expectations with critical prestige.” The Times of London critic Kevin Maher said the movie is “at the very least, a surefire Oscar frontrunner” with “an easy best picture Oscar nomination in the bag.” Variety awards pundit Clayton Davis said the movie may be Anderson’s best shot yet to win an Oscar, noting he has been nominated for, and lost, 11 Oscars for his previous films. Davis said Penn and Hall may be the movie’s best shot for acting recognition.

What Other Films Has Anderson Received Oscar Nominations For?

Anderson most recently scored three nominations for producing, directing and writing “Licorice Pizza” at the 2022 Oscars, losing all three. He also scored Best Picture and Best Director nominations for “Phantom Thread” (2017) and “There Will Be Blood” (2007), and he earned screenplay nominations for “Inherent Vice” (2014), “Magnolia” (1999) and “Boogie Nights” (1997).