This is by far one of the most creative, prolific, yet comedic films I have seen by the well-known director Paul Thomas Anderson. So many moving parts come together at once and still manage to maintain a humor-filled vibe along with plenty of political espionage. One Battle After Another is a sensational ride of madness and fun. It is daring, and lethally action-packed. Mayhem is around every corner, and the misdirection is attention-grabbing. There are many unexpected punches to the face that keep audiences wanting for more.

The film is about ex-revolutionaries. There is a plot full of twists in One Battle After Another because the characters resurface after sixteen years. The story begins with Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his wife Perifidia (Teyana Taylor). They are a couple who are involved with all sorts of tasks completed by groups running tactics for a revolution. Some of the tasks include invading private lands and other tricky assignments. The focus of much of their work is their enemy Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn). Many years later, Bob has a daughter Charlene (Chase Infiniti), and he does not turn out to be the best father. Going forward, issues from the past resurface quickly. The ex-revolutionaries end up in a situation where mayhem evolves, and the target is Charlene.

The film is cat-and-mouse chaos from start to finish.  Political tides of frustration in this story are clever and genius. There is always an additional angle of conflict in One Battle After Another. The question, however, is, “Who will win?” The difficult part that Bob keeps coming back to is the harsh trail to save his daughter. With the help of a Sensei Sergio (Benicio Del Toro), there may be a chance for Bob to save his daughter and regain much of the power he once lost in another life. But the many moving issues related to politics and connections are all tangled together. The lines are blurred between laughter and suspense which continue to just burn up the screen. This is truly one of the best films Anderson has directed because he pusheshis original form of dynamics to the limits.

Hiding is not easy in One Battle After Another, but running is since there is always a tunnel or building to run into. As might be expected, there are also the wrong people to run into, and they seem to be the ones that keep coming around again in all the assorted conflicts. Anderson has such a unique way to stage setups to get out of suspenseful and dangerous episodes of madness. I found the film simply captivating. DiCaprio and Penn are the captains of their ships; they inhabit their roles and dominate the scenes they’re in even though the storyline means there is no easy way to win. Fortunately, there are lots of messes to clean up with added cleverness that makes the movie go from comical in one moment to serious the next. Anderson knows how to change the mood for maximum effect in One Battle After Another. Four out of four stars.