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Is One Battle After Another worth (re)watching?
Four years after Licorice Pizza, Californian filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson came back with One Battle After Another in September 2025. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Teyana Taylor, his political saga takes place in a crumbling America. A politically charged and committed feature that, after winning four Golden Globes, including Best Picture in 2026, won 6 awards at the Oscars… Canal+ is airing this masterpiece on March 27th, 2026.
Published on 15 January 2026. Updated on 1 April 2026.
One Battle After Another acclaimed at the 2026 Oscars
Four years after the excellent Licorice Pizza (2021), American director Paul Thomas Anderson is back with One Battle After Another. A new project that enjoyed a warm reception among critics and audiences alike and went on to become the most awarded feature at the 2026 Oscars. Indeed, the production won the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Casting and Best Editing.
The Californian filmmaker, 55, adapted Thomas Pynchon‘s novel Inherent Vice (2014), and set his narrative in the late 1990s, as a revolutionary utopia comes to an end. The plot? “A disillusioned and paranoid former revolutionary, Bob lives on the fringes of society with his daughter Willa, a fiercely independent and resourceful young woman. When an evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years and Willa goes missing, Bob will stop at nothing to find her, facing the consequences of his past for the first time…”
Right from the opening scene, we follow the violent actions of the armed group French 75, whose goal is to restore justice in a fractured society. While the fiery first half of the film ends with the collapse of the collective, the second takes on the form of an intimate drama set fifteen years later. A father and daughter try to survive in a country threatened by the rise of white supremacists.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s political fresco
Paul Thomas Anderson‘s bold and committed work swept the board at the Golden Globes held in Los Angeles on January 11th, 2026. In addition to winning Best Motion Picture – Comedy, the director also took home the awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay. His actress, the electrifying Teyana Taylor, won Best Supporting Actress. A foretaste before the upcoming Oscars?
A portrait of an America on the brink of the abyss
While One Battle After Another stages explosive action scenes, it is far from a traditional action movie. Above all, it is a political fresco about the legacy and scars left by activism. With its blend of action and social critique, the film could well establish itself as one of the major surprises of the awards season. Although some feared that the universe of novelist Thomas Pynchon might be impossible to adapt, Paul Thomas Anderson proves that he can transform even the most elusive material into a powerful feature, deeply rooted in its era.
It would be a mistake to dismiss this as just another blockbuster. With a massive budget, close to €150 million, the director delivers a fiercely political epic. Between the lines, one can read a criticism of Donald Trump’s America, divided and haunted by its racist ideology.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor at the peak of their talent
The film also stands out thanks to its remarkable cast. Sean Penn, acclaimed at the Oscars for his performance, is unshakable as Colonel Lockjaw, a reactionary soldier who paradoxically falls for the fiery Perfidia Beverly Hills, played by the incandescent Teyana Taylor. Benicio del Toro brings added gravitas as a weary veteran helping Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a paranoid ex-revolutionary looking for his daughter.
A performance tailor-made for the awards season, but which wasn’t recognized at the Golden Globes or Academy Awards this year. Audiences were also blown away by breakout star Chase Infiniti. The young actress embodies Willa, a rebellious and fiercely independent young woman. Yet another testament to Paul Thomas Anderson’s knack for unearthing raw talent, just like he previously did with Alana Haim.
One Battle After Another (2025) by Paul Thomas Anderson, airing on Canal+ on March 27th, 2026.
