One Battle After Another opens with exposition that introduces audiences to Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), his fellow revolutionary and lover Perfidia (Teyana Taylor), and their shared nemesis Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). After these opening sequences, where some uncomfortable things occur, the film jumps forward over a decade and focuses on Bob, now living with his teenage daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), who inadvertently goes missing when Lockjaw resurfaces and begins tracking them down. In a desperate attempt to escape his former enemy and find his daughter, Bob enlists the help of the streetwise Sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro).

A plot synopsis as simple as that does not even begin to do justice to a movie of the calibre of One Battle After Another, written and directed by legendary filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. There is so much more going on beneath the surface of this political thriller, including a surprising amount of humour, and much of it is best experienced going in as blind as possible so it can land exactly as intended.

Making a movie with subject matter like this accessible to a mainstream audience is hard enough already, but making a near three hour epic interesting, intriguing, and consistently engaging feels almost impossible. Somehow Anderson pulls it off. While exploring heavy themes like addiction, paranoia, and depression, the film remains surprisingly relatable. There are also more than a few characters who feel uncomfortably close to the current American administration, adding an unexpected but very welcome layer of political satire.

DiCaprio is effortlessly excellent as ever and feels like a lock for best actor conversations. That said, it is the supporting cast that really pushes One Battle After Another into slam dunk territory. Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro make every second of their screen time count, delivering some of the film’s most enjoyable and memorable moments. At the same time, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti are both impeccable, ensuring there is never a dull moment when they are on screen.

It is genuinely hard to find much wrong with One Battle After Another. In fact, it would not be surprising if it goes down as an instant classic. Everything from the cinematography to the score is firing on all cylinders. Like the finest wines, One Battle After Another is bound to age extraordinarily well and should absolutely be experienced on the biggest screen possible.