One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson is back with an outright masterpiece. The film is loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, but the adaptation is marked by medium-specific excellence at every conceivable level. On the acting front, Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn are in top form, supported by spirited performances from Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, and Teyana Taylor, as well as an unusually strong film debut from the young Chase Infiniti. Both Michael Bauman’s cinematography and Jonny Greenwood’s score stand out as integral parts of an exquisite whole. A blend of grand cinematic art, strong entertainment, and a sly, sharply observed social perspective like this is a rare thing indeed.

The film has received a total of 13 Oscar nominations, including best picture, best actor and best cinematography.

This film is part of the Reprise program series. In this series, five members of the Kosmorama staff have selected memorable cinema experiences from 2025. Head of film programming Mads Outzen has chosen One Battle After Another, and he says this about the film:

“Even though I saw a lot of great films over the past year, there was little doubt about my choice for the series: Paul Thomas Anderson has not only made one of last year’s best films, but also delivered by far the best cinema experience. Scene after scene is packed with intense action, absurd humor, and simply a delightful rollercoaster ride—in the very best sense, both narratively and cinematically.”