Paul Thomas Anderson’s long-awaited action thriller, One Battle After Another, has premiered in Los Angeles, and the first reactions look more than promising! Especially, Steven Spielberg’s genuine acclaim for the movie while conversing with Anderson is heartwarming (via The Film Stage), and it makes one wonder if the latter’s Oscar win is just around the corner!
What an insane movie, oh my God. There is more action in the first hour of this than in every other film you’ve ever directed put together. Everything, it is really incredible. This is such a concoction of things that are so bizarre and at the same time so relevant, that I think have become increasingly more relevant than perhaps even when you finished the screenplay and assembled your cast and crew and began production.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Bob Ferguson, the lead in Anderson’s loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel, Vineland. The actor plays a washed-up revolutionary who’s forced to protect his daughter from a resurfaced enemy.
So, let’s look at what others have said about One Battle After Another so far, and if this movie is likely to break the director’s Oscar curse.
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Action Thriller Earns High Praise
The wave of positive first reactions for One Battle After Another has quickly made it one of the most talked-about movies of 2025. Critics have been calling it a wild and endearing mix of absurdist comedy, paired with gripping action, and emotional weight.
Some are labelling it Paul Thomas Anderson’s best comedy movie, and also predicting an Oscar for Sean Penn, who plays the antagonist. Kyle Buchanan, New York Times pop culture reporter, believes that One Battle After Another
The fall fests didn’t move the Oscar needle much, but ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER certainly will. Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest could be nominated across the board (Sean Penn & Teyana Taylor are standouts) and finally nab PTA the top Oscar. Now, to see if Warner Bros can open it…
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) September 9, 2025
Penn gives a standout, absolutely staggering performance as the film’s main antagonist in One Battle After Another, allowing Leo to handle most of the comic lifting. This will get a lot of people talking for sure.
— Edward Douglas (@EDouglasWW) September 9, 2025
To quote Steven Spielberg, “What an insane movie.” One Battle After another is phenomenal, and filled oh such fantastic performances. Sean Fucking Penn! Leonardo! All round excellence. Loved it. PTA, delivered in aces! A solid best picture contender. pic.twitter.com/YSCsZDMFK3
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) September 9, 2025
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is one of the best films of the year. Insanely relevant with its social commentary & great set pieces wrapped up in a touching father / daughter story.
Review soon on @FilmBlerds#OneBattleAfterAnother pic.twitter.com/0Jlzofj7VR— Brandon Norwood (@bjntweets) September 8, 2025
Pundits have also highlighted how Penn and DiCaprio balance out each other’s energies in the movie, where the former convincingly plays a villain and the latter nails all the comedic moments. So, Steven Spielberg’s endorsement and critics hailing it as a serious contender make the action-heavy movie one of the most accessible mainstream titles in Anderson’s filmography.
Will One Battle After Another Be Paul Thomas Anderson’s Ticket to Oscar?
Paul Thomas Anderson is often hailed as a brilliant creative, but he’s had a baffling streak of 11 Oscar nominations with not a single win! Movies like Boogie Nights, Licorice Pizza, and more have earned him nominations across several categories, such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Here’s an overview of all his Oscar nominations:
| Titles | Category |
| Boogie Nights (1997) | Best Original Screenplay |
| Magnolia (1999) | Best Original Screenplay |
| There Will Be Blood (2007) | Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay |
| Inherent Vice (2014) | Best Adapted Screenplay |
| Phantom Thread (2017) | Best Director, Best Picture |
| Licorice Pizza (2021) | Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay |
Though recognition from having the golden statue isn’t everything, because influential directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and David Lynch have also been repeatedly overlooked by the Academy, but Anderson’s recent movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, who’s also faced the Oscar curse, might finally put the director’s bad luck to an end.
It’s hard to believe that Anderson hasn’t been recognized, despite a slate of Oscar-worthy movies such as There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men. But with One Battle After Another, the vibe feels different because the hype is being built over critical admiration, excitement, and passion.
So, do you think the Academy will finally give Paul Thomas Anderson his overdue recognition, or will he be snubbed again? Let us know in the comments.
One Battle After Another will release in theaters on September 26, 2025 (USA).
