Leonardo DiCaprio stars in “One Battle After Another.” (Warner Bros.)
By Tobias Crawford
“One Battle After Another” might just be proof that a nearly three-hour-long epic can make you forget about its length. The film’s wild ride hooks you within the first half hour.
The film follows Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), a washed-up revolutionary who lives off the grid with his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). Their quiet life is disrupted when an old enemy, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), hunts for surviving revolutionaries and Willa herself. Anderson tries something bold with the movie, given the current state of American politics. He isn’t afraid to show uncomfortable truths — government overreach, creeping fascism and the need for resistance.
Helping Anderson bring this film to life are some heavy-hitter actors, like DiCaprio, Infiniti, Penn, and Benicio del Toro. Del Toro’s role is small but memorable, a reserved man who feels like family to Bob and Willa.
DiCaprio is strong and funny but often carried by Penn and Infiniti. Penn is terrifying as a colonel driven not by ideals but by ambition. His twisted methods feel disturbingly real in today’s world. It’s a performance that could earn him Oscar buzz.
Infiniti, however, is the revelation. She plays a self-reliant teen pulled into her parents’ revolutionary past. In the final act, her creativity and determination shine, leading to one of the film’s most satisfying scenes.
“One Battle After Another” is a call to action, but at its core it’s about love. Anderson reminds us that what keeps the fire alive is not just the fight itself, but the people we fight for.
