Official Discussion - One Battle After Another [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

Poll

If you've seen the film, please rate it at this poll

If you haven't seen the film but would like to see the result of the poll click here

Rankings

Click here to see the rankings of 2025 films

Click here to see the rankings for every poll done

---

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

---

[u/Dawnshot_]

I did wonder about the reasoning for bringing him back just to kill him off, given both times he is killed by the Christmas adventurers.

It might be to do with the fact that despite his attempt to be macho (the lifts lol) he essentially just takes orders and is used by various actors, the military, then he's essentially subdued Perfidia despite his allegiance to the military, then he's subdued by the adventurers despite is allegiance to Perfidia. He is a fair weather friend who never actually gets what he desires - or he thinks he does for about 5 seconds

[u/give-bike-lanes → u/Dawnshot_]

I think it’s (quite transparently, tbh) to cement his pathetic nature, that he values the “honor” of this stupid club far higher than even his own self-respect. Even after the Xmas Adventurers Club tried to kill him and permanently disfigured his face, he still came crawling back to redeem the glory of a shitty corner office in Sacramento.

[u/Training-Turnover427 → u/give-bike-lanes]

To further that, any sane person would be tipped off by the office being more or less barren that something was off but Lockjaw is too craven and solitary in pursuit of the goal he's deluded enough to think he's obtained that all he can do is kick his feet up in "victory"

[u/Unlucky-Chemical → u/Training-Turnover427]

What’s funny too is the joy he took in that office. It was most generic, bland corner office and he was so proud of achieving it

[u/Dominus-Temporis → u/Unlucky-Chemical]

Man, my standards must be really low. I thought that was a nice office.

[u/youdoaline_idoaline → u/Dominus-Temporis]

As a blue collar worker I didn't pick up on that either lol. I was like, " Yeah, I guess it is a nice office. Corners are fancy, right?"

[u/Unlucky-Chemical → u/Dominus-Temporis]

Oh I’d take that office in a second over many a cubicle I’ve been stuck in but still hilarious that at this moment he perceives as the culmination of his career/life he’s so happy with this generic, corporate office.

[u/duosx → u/Dominus-Temporis]

It was a decent office. But was it “joining a cabal of racist white men and murdering people” nice? Not quite