Paul Thomas Anderson has always had critics on his side; even his supposed “worst” effort, “Inherent Vice,” holds an 81 on Metacritic. He’s arguably the most acclaimed filmmaker of the 21st century.
I never doubted that his latest film, “One Battle After Another,” would be met positively from the press, but the reviews go far beyond that. This is getting better reviews than “There Will Be Blood”! It’s easily turning into the most acclaimed film of PTA’s career.
The embargo has lifted, and PTA’s latest is being crowned in every possible way: “movie of the decade,” “masterpiece,” “instant classic“ — you name it. That 97 on Metacritic isn’t kidding around, and of course it’s 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s quickly becoming the best-reviewed film of the year, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the glowing early reactions on social media. In fact, the real question that should be asked: is there anyone who doesn’t love this film? Well, yes. Slant’s Keith Uhlich, a good critic, gave it a 2/4. That’s about it. I’ll post my review next week, once today’s hype has slightly subsided.
All this to say, if you thought his last film, “Licorice Pizza,” an enjoyable treat, was PTA in slightly subdued form, then “One Battle After Another” is the opposite. It’s possibly the most ambitious film of his career. With a $150M budget, stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro, and a 162-minute runtime, it’s a project PTA started writing 20 years ago, just as he was about to embark on “There Will Be Blood.”
The film is currently projected to open at $20-25M, but with these reviews, can Warner Bros keep its 2025 streak alive with an eighth straight $40M+ debut? This one could absolutely be driven by word-of-mouth momentum. We shall see.
Loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland,” Anderson’s film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a washed-up revolutionary forced to rescue his teenage daughter when an old enemy resurfaces. The ensemble includes Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and newcomer Chase Infiniti.
So, what are we seeing here? Easily our Best Picture frontrunner. Expect plenty of Oscar nominations headed its way — no other film is even close. PTA might finally snag his first Oscar, and honestly, it’s about time. Almost everyone is on board… except Keith Uhlich. Poor guy is about to get flooded with hate mail for daring to step away from the hive.