The film by exceptional director Paul Thomas Anderson is an absurd action comedy about a troupe of political desperados. Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn prove to be possible candidates for acting Oscars.

There are no specific dates in US director Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, which feels eerily contemporary - but it's clear that the times are stormy. In the satirical 160-minute thriller "One Battle After Another", the USA is a fascist police state in which Christian nationalists want to make America great again. Disruptive objects are deported or immediately silenced. Autocracy is spreading like a virus.

"Welcome to mainstream America!" is the message at one point in Paul Thomas Anderson's new directorial work. Star performances, absurd humor and socially relevant themes form a surprisingly harmonious blend in this action thriller inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel "Vineland". The film was shot in the spring of 2024, but right from the start, the viewer is reminded of Donald Trump's second term as US President, which began in January 2025 and was characterized by drastic government intervention: explosives expert Ghetto Pat (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his girlfriend Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) are part of the revolutionary resistance group French 75, which takes violent action against the capitalist system. The group also targets a prison in which migrant men and women are interned. The rebels take the guards led by Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) by surprise and manage to free many of the detainees.

What makes the film so worth seeing: the strong acting performances and the witty narrative meet a varied formal design. The film presents screen-filling close-ups with an intimate touch as well as dynamic tracking shots. The way the final car chase is realized is also impressive. Again and again, we look down at the desert road at about bumper level, which constantly rises and falls.

Leonardo DiCaprio as a confused lone fighter: in the middle of it all: Bob Ferguson. Once part of a militant rebel group, he first has to learn again how it actually works, the thing about fighting back. Ever since a guerrilla operation went badly wrong 16 years ago, the single explosives expert has been hiding out with his teenage daughter in a forest house somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Alcohol and drugs have clouded his brain, and he is paranoid to boot. So it's hardly surprising that he can't remember the recognition codes from the revolutionary's handbook when he's suddenly hunted down again. Leonardo DiCaprio shines in "One Battle After Another" with an Oscar-worthy performance.

"One Battle After Another": movie of the hour between satire and action. Out of lethargy and into revolution mode - even if the bones ache and younger activists often tick completely differently. As overpowering as the America infiltrated by white Nazi billionaires may be in "One Battle After Another", the message of Paul Thomas Anderson's allegory of the present is: giving up is not an option. Sounds simple, but it has not yet caught on as a mantra. And is therefore one of many reasons why "One Battle After Another" is the movie of the moment.

Action thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infinity, Alana Haim, Wood Harris, Scarletta DuPois, D.W. Moffett
Director, Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producers: Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, JoAnne Seller, Adam Somner
Cinematography: Michael Bauman
Music: Jonny Greenwood
USA 2025
FSK: from 16

162 minutes, extra length, nine euros