When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own.
Posted: November 19, 2025
There’s a lot I could say about One Battle After Another, but I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. First off, this is one of those movies people seem to either adore or completely despise. After watching it, I browsed through some reactions online. One person called it “the best movie of 2025 so far,” while another claimed they’d give it zero stars if they could. Neither of those extremes even comes close to the truth. Frankly, I would never trust these people’s opinions on movies again.
Is it the best film of 2025 so far? Not at all. It’s definitely watchable and has moments I really enjoyed, but there are also stretches that drag or feel unnecessary. With a runtime of about 2 hours and 45 minutes, it easily could have been trimmed down to two hours without losing anything important.
On the other hand, calling it a zero star movie makes no sense either. It’s absolutely not boring, nor is it anywhere near the worst movie ever made. Sure, there are slow parts, and yes, the whole thing could have been shorter, but “boring” isn’t a word I’d use to describe it.
The basic plot is straightforward: a man and his daughter have been in hiding for sixteen years while being hunted by a military Colonel who believes the girl might be his. That’s essentially the core of the story. The story does build up to that as the first half is basically showing the radical movement the man and his girlfriend were apart of.
But there’s more to unpack. The Colonel, played by Sean Penn, is a man who’s secretly attracted to Black women but refuses to acknowledge it, all while trying to join a secret organization that forbids him from ever having interracial relationships or committing any crimes – An Illuminati sort of speak. Then there’s Bob, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who’s paranoid and trying to remember bits of his past to help him find his daughter. Clearly, the heavy weed smoking and drinking didn’t help the cause.
The acting is one of the movie’s strongest points. DiCaprio delivers a great performance, though it occasionally feels reminiscent of his role in The Wolf of Wall Street. Sean Penn is also excellent as the Colonel. I didn’t know much about the film before watching it, and his performance really surprised me. Benicio Del Toro also did a fantastic job as his role as the Sensei even though he wasn’t really a main character until the end.
There are plenty of standout scenes as well. One that got me was when Leo tries to leap across a building, misses completely, crashes to the ground, and then gets tased by the police. Really, the entire second half of the movie, where he’s constantly trying to evade the authorities, kept me genuinely entertained.
The music also seems to be dividing audiences. Some people claim it’s terrible. I disagree. It’s unusual, sure, and sometimes feels abrupt or out of place, but that oddness actually works for the movie. I wouldn’t call it bad at all.
As for people calling director Paul Thomas Anderson “brilliant,” I wouldn’t go that far either. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking or genius about this film. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it’s definitely not the masterpiece some fans are hyping it up to be.
This is not a movie for everyone. If you’re sensitive to topics like radical groups, interracial relationships, or female empowerment, this probably isn’t for you. But remember – it’s a movie, not real life. You don’t have to agree with everything in it to acknowledge that it’s a solid film. And it certainly doesn’t deserve zero stars.
I could keep going, but I’ll stop here. My recommendation? Watch it yourself and decide. I enjoyed it overall, even if it didn’t blow me away. Just be prepared for the length. You might want to stock up on popcorn or candy before diving in.
Overall Verdict: It's a good film and it's worth checking out, but there will be those that don't like it. It's also much longer than it needed to be.
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