Martin Scorsese Calls ‘One Battle After Another’ A “Great American Film” — Is It Still Our Best Picture Frontrunner?

Martin Scorsese continues to champion “One Battle After Another” — though the film likely doesn’t need his backing, having been last year’s highest-reviewed movie by a wide margin.

Oscar buzz is already off the charts, with some of the biggest names in cinema lining up behind PTA’s work: Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Michael Mann, Rian Johnson, and Benny Safdie, to name a few.

Scorsese praised the film last October, but he’s now doubled down with a full speech at the National Board of Review awards ceremony, clips of which have been shared online.

Epic American anthem. Big cinematic canvas. Vast. And you get what? You get a portrait of the country that hits the target at exactly the right moment. It’s a picture that has so much in it, it contains so much that it can’t be narrowed down to one genre, or one catchphrase, or one element. Like all great films, it can’t be compared to anything else because it stands alone. It’s a great American film.

Meanwhile, some believe Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” currently has momentum for Best Picture at the Oscars, especially after its record-breaking 16 nominations, but the race remains unsettled.

Can the Academy embrace a film that subtly veers into horror? That’s still uncertain. Yet despite its early 2025 release, “Sinners” has lingered in the public consciousness — its box office success a clear example that original, non-IP films can still resonate and succeed.

The case for “One Battle After Another” lies in the near-universal critical acclaim it has earned throughout awards season, sweeping major prizes and fueled by the narrative that PTA is due for his first Oscar.

More pertinently, given that immigration enforcement has dominated the U.S. news cycle for several months, it’s hard not to expect voters to recognize the relevance of “One Battle After Another” and let that influence their ballots. The PTA narrative suggests he began writing this film 20 years ago—which may well be true—but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t refined the script in recent years to make it more politically resonant.

A clearer picture of the race will emerge Saturday night, when the Directors Guild of America (DGA) announces its winners. A win for Coogler would cement his frontrunner status, but PTA remains a formidable contender — and I’d bet on him taking the DGA.