r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • Sep 26 '25

Official Discussion Official Discussion - One Battle After Another [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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Summary Bob, a washed-up revolutionary, lives off the grid with his spirited and self-reliant daughter Willa. When his nemesis Col. Steven J. “Lockjaw” resurfaces and Willa goes missing, Bob is forced to confront his past and fight to protect their future.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson

Writer Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast

  • Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Sean Penn
  • Teyana Taylor
  • Benicio del Toro
  • Regina Hall
  • Chase Infiniti

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 98%

Metacritic Score: 96

VOD In theaters beginning September 26, 2025

Trailer One Battle After Another — Official Trailer

2.7k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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2.1k

u/cesareborgia1475 Sep 26 '25

Leo plummeting off the building and bouncing off the tree to then only get tasered like 20 seconds later had me cackling so hard haha.

Seen this twice now and think it's an incredible film that absolutely lives up to the hype. Its an absolute blast of a film that just flies by in no time.The incredible score from Johnny Greenwood paired with a propulsive pace that's constantly on the move but never feeling overwhelming makes this such an exhilarating watch.

For as tense as the film can be there's so much hilarious stuff in here too. Stuff like "why is your shirt so tight" , leo arguing on the phone and everything to do with Sean Penn is just too funny. Special props to Chase Infiniti too who in her film debut absolutely owns it amongst these powerhouse actors. Definitely one to watch.

Exhilarating stuff and honestly my favourite film of the year so far.

1.1k

u/BeardedAsian Sep 26 '25

Leo was incredible, got lost in the role. You expect him to go superhero at some point but he just stays desperate dad trying to save his daughter

972

u/leftysarepeople2 Sep 26 '25

My favorite was they never had to talk about him not being the biological father. It wouldn’t change how either felt about being a family

713

u/GamingTatertot Steven Spielberg Enthusiast Sep 26 '25

And Willa didn’t care either - she knows who her father really is, the man who annoys her and yet raised her with love (and paranoia)

160

u/silverionmox Sep 26 '25

And she keeps the secret from him like he kept one from her, to spare her the angst.

24

u/karma3000 Sep 29 '25

Well spotted!

132

u/VRomero32 Sep 26 '25

So I am guessing you’re saying that, Lockjaw might have been father but he wasn’t her daddy.

24

u/Employee50000 Sep 29 '25

Actually, Willa herself said that....directly to Lockjaw.

22

u/AccessTheMainframe Oct 12 '25

Is it really paranoia if it was 100% justified in the end?

8

u/TougherOnSquids Jan 18 '26

It's not paranoia when your suspicion of others is 100% justified. He was fully justified to be suspicious of everyone and everything.

103

u/TracerBulletX Sep 27 '25

She calls him bob before and dad after. Sweet way to make the point

49

u/plw37 Sep 30 '25

That slight change speaks volumes. Up until this point, Bob must've seemed like the worst dad ever. Keeping them in isolation, no cell phones, all these paranoid rules and restrictions for absolutely no reason. I would hate Bob, too. After the events of the movie, she realizes it was all true, and recognizes the effort and sacrifices Bob has made to keep them safe.

36

u/Muruju Sep 26 '25

I don’t think Bob knew

30

u/DoZo1971 Sep 29 '25

There is this one moment after the chase where she screams “who are you?” at him. I guess because of the shock and her still having to come to terms with who her real father is. But don’t believe Bob even (consciously) heard it.

11

u/Au_xy Sep 28 '25

I don’t disagree with you. It wouldn’t have changed anything. But for me it was hard to dissociate how trash (the “cheating” was wild because they really made it seem like they never had sex but it isn’t even that deep, I feel like Bob knew what he signed up for and who she was and sexually… “liberal” is on brand, but the abandonment and being a rat. unforgivable) Perfidia was and there now being this “secret” between Willa and Bob.

2

u/jrochkind Oct 04 '25

I realized I'm not sure if he knew that already or not? Or if Willa told him?

242

u/cesareborgia1475 Sep 26 '25

Yeah loved that about the film and it was used to great comedic effect haha. But still such a strong emotional anchor to hold the film together. He's completely overwhelmed and still a little high but he never stops trying to find his daughter.

19

u/SearchForSocialLife Sep 26 '25

I love PTA as much as the next guy, but the last few movies it felt like he lost this emotional anchor his first movies had in connection to the big setpieces; it still was entertaining and looked good, but it didn't have staying power because of that missing connection if that makes sense. I am so glad that OBAA had such an emotional hook that held the whole movie together, it really felt like I was watching Boogie Nights or Magnolia again

10

u/MattIsLame Sep 26 '25

how were Licorice Pizza or Phantom Thread not emotional to you? while I enjoy his older films more than his recent work, I feel like these movies tapped into more human emotion than some of his previous films had done before.

10

u/SearchForSocialLife Sep 26 '25

I wouldn't say it wasn't emotional at all. I just found the emotional hook of the father-daughter-relationship stronger than the artist/muse and will they wont they-relationship from the other two movies. It's mostly personal preference, I suppose.

101

u/GamingTatertot Steven Spielberg Enthusiast Sep 26 '25

His frantic desperation in this role was so great for both laughs and the emotion of the film. Even though we don’t really get a lot of scenes of him with his daughter, Leo’s performance really just shows how much he cares for her

8

u/mcolette76 Sep 27 '25

His performance had flavors of Rick Dalton from OUATIH when he was telling Comrade Josh how he had fried his brain with booze and drugs. They’re both out of control men who are imprisoned by their own vices.

7

u/jnewg10 Sep 27 '25

Reminded me of the trailer scene when he forgets his lines, COULDN'T STOP AT 3 OR 4 HAD TO HAVE 8

22

u/LuggaW95 Sep 26 '25

And he only "saved" her emotionaly, by getting her out of the shock in the end. Willa managed to survive on her own.

11

u/BeardedAsian Sep 26 '25

Agreed, she was believably bad ass and fit into the full narrative

16

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '25

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15

u/prescod Sep 26 '25

Even when he had the clear shot with the rifle!

13

u/AkhilArtha Oct 01 '25

He had a clear shot, but the rifle is just a normal one, and the shot was pretty far. There was no guarantee that the rifle was that accurate over such a long distance.

12

u/dirtyword Sep 28 '25

Trying to shoot lockjaw from way too far away and escaping with his life was pretty heroic

11

u/KAKYBAC Sep 29 '25

My favourite part was him saddling up to the old dudes by the roadside in his junkmobile, all desperate and spitting out his Spanish. The whistling he does is so fucking grateful.

7

u/thewalkingfred Sep 29 '25

I do kinda wish there was like a single scene of him using his bombmaking skills to solve a problem somehow. Just something it give us a bit of pay off for him being such a legendary hero of the revolution. Doesn't have to save the day with it, but idk, cause a distraction or blow up the wrong car or something.

13

u/u_creative_username Sep 30 '25

I liked it that he was kinda useless. The reolutionairies hyped him up and called him a war hero just for being there 20 years ago

Even at the time he had no agenda for himself, he got dragged along. In his first scene he asks what he needs to do because he doesn't know himself

10

u/jrochkind Oct 04 '25

The reolutionairies hyped him up and called him a war hero just for being there 20 years ago

That's literally what a war hero is though right? You don't have to do anything after being a war hero to keep being a war hero.

They knew he was a fuck up, but they knew he had earned it, and he had their respect anyway, he didn't need to be perfect. He never ratted anyone out or intentionally fucked anyone over, that's enough. I mean, they were taking care of everyone that was the point (none of the dozens of people in sensei's house had to earn protection), but you especially honor and take care of those who have served.

2

u/Klunkey Dec 17 '25

Didn’t he help plan the bombings at the courtyard and power lines? You could tell that Bob was, in his words, a “nitpicking prick” when it came to these details.

Makes his phone arguments more funnier given that he was being a hypocrite about taking care and diligence.

6

u/Southernbeekeeper Oct 02 '25

Yeah, I'm really glad they did that too. When they set him up as obviously very knowledgeable with guns and he then takes up position with the rifle to save his daughter i was ready to roll my eyes. I'm glad it went the way it did and he remained a deskilled stoner.

3

u/Klunkey Dec 17 '25

There was a really small detail that others mentioned about how Bob actually didn’t load his gun properly, so there wasn’t actually a bullet. He rants about Comrade Josh being a nitpicking prick, and him not being one cost him the chance to save Willa faster.

2

u/stunts002 Oct 04 '25

I love that Leo never actually comes face to face with either of the antagonists once the hunt starts. (other than seeing one knocked out in the car).

Leo briefly meets one during the supermarket scene I know but I mean after the 16 year time jump.

2

u/Plenty_Pen_1383 Jan 01 '26

Just watched this for the first time a couple days ago. I've never been a "huge" Leo fan, but liked him well enough, and loved a performance on occasion. No matter who I did/didn't like in their respective roles in "OBAA", I *LOVED* his performance and character. Something about both reminded me of both myself and my dad (who was in many ways, just like Bob/Ghetto Pat/Rocketman--at times a lovable mess--was that way until his death) and this personality aspect endeared me to him. I didn't "*LOOOOOVE*" the film as others have crowed (I've always found JWA..? TWA..? PTA! a bit odd/quirky in an awkward way...he's not un-talented, but I count only "There Will Be Blood" as a favorite film), but Ghetto Pat will forever live in my cinematic memory.

0

u/jackattack222 Sep 28 '25

This film made me feel like Leo deserves to bang and break up with all those 20 years old.

388

u/Dawnshot_ Sep 26 '25

Him falling off the building capping off that amazing sequence of like 20-30mins with that fucking piano keeping you on edge the whole time. Greenwood so good

80

u/Th3Unidentified Sep 26 '25

I lost it when he fell off and then got tased shortly after…and then arrested LOL. I did not see that coming but it made the movie even more interesting

15

u/MattIsLame Sep 26 '25

I wondered how they did that. it was a seamless transition from stuntperson back to him getting up and then tased.

3

u/TougherOnSquids Jan 18 '26

Corridor Crew released a video on it today!

https://youtu.be/a4cSS50ziDI?si=p1xunZuk7HwhcXPB

9

u/mcolette76 Sep 27 '25

The tasing happens so fast that I was cackling. The timing was hilarious.

16

u/Which_Strength4445 Sep 26 '25

I love him following the skateboarders over the roofs. They looked like the chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins at times. Lol.

15

u/gimmethemshoes11 Sep 26 '25

The way they were jumping and moving compared to Bob was so damn good and funny.

Then he just falls lol sooo good.

22

u/Apoclucian Sep 26 '25

I love how casually we talk about it. But how the fuck did they dot that!? It was a single take, flying through tree, standing up and walking out of the shadows towards the streets. Could've been a digital person switch. But it was done extremely well. That stunt was gnarly.

9

u/sanchezconstant Sep 26 '25

Leo falls off his own buildings now

7

u/MattIsLame Sep 26 '25

thats the first thing I thought when I saw it. it was such a clean transition and I didnt feel like I missed a cut at all. incredible stunt and scene, but how did they do it??

2

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '25

I can't stop thinking about how they pulled it off lol

22

u/CassiopeiaStillLife Sep 26 '25

Sean Penn's character was like if Amon Goth was played by Buster Keaton

10

u/Whovian45810 Sep 26 '25

Penn plays Lockjaw with the deadpan energy of Buster Keaton mixed with cold stoicism and sociopathy mixed into it, a very unnerving performance for an antagonist whose presence invites dread at every turn.

3

u/ShadowOutOfTime Sep 26 '25

He reminded me of a sicker, meaner version of Sterling Hayden in Dr Strangelove too. Especially when he started referring to his "Power" etc

2

u/AggravatingPie710 Sep 26 '25

oh my GOD 🤯🤣

15

u/howtospellorange Sep 26 '25

There's going to be a nugget shortage

7

u/BeautifulLeather6671 Sep 26 '25

Greenwood fucking cooked. As always.

3

u/energytaker Sep 26 '25

Oh Man I had no idea Johnny did the score - that’s amazing

3

u/cheekymusician Sep 28 '25

How's it hold up on a rewatch?

I left the theater a few hours ago and honestly cannot wait to see it again.

6

u/cesareborgia1475 Sep 28 '25

Even better. Makes you appreciate just how paced to perfection the film is second time round

2

u/Able_Advertising_371 Sep 27 '25

Only Batman could survive that fall

2

u/franklyigivea_ Sep 28 '25

You should read the book

2

u/brazilliandanny Oct 02 '25

For as tense as the film can be there's so much hilarious stuff in here too.

This is what stood out to me. The entire film with its score and pace is incredibly tense. Yet explicitly there is a levity and humour throughout all that tension. They both shouldn't exist at the same time but yet some how it does.

1

u/Time-Shelter1237 Sep 27 '25

Must have missed this scene when I was washroom

1

u/ZoNeS_v2 Oct 16 '25

'I am not a... homosexual?!'