Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) is part of a US revolutionary group, where he meets and falls for Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor ). The couple has a baby,  which changes Pat’s view on what’s important, but not Perfidia’s. But when an action goes wrong, the group has to scramble, and Pat and his Daughter, Charlene (Chase Infiniti), head off into hiding. Fast forward 16 years, and the two are living under changed identities in a small town. But when Pat’s history, in the shape of Colonel Steve Lockjaw (Sean Penn), catches up with them, their world is turned upside down, forcing Pat to clear his head and embark on a wild high-speed chase to save his family.

One Battle After Another is a hard film to describe; there is so much in there, but maybe all that matters is that I had a blast with it. It’s a fast-paced, high-adrenaline, high-stress chase that borrows heavily from 1970s films with its aesthetic and soundtrack. But it also deals with a wide range of prescient issues, immigration, racism, white supremacy, as well as the way that those opposed to a country’s regime challenge it. All coming together in a wild ride of a film, that at times creaks under its plot, but never breaks, providing 160 minutes of great story telling.

Performances are great, DiCaprio’s dishevelled lead is well supported, especially by Chase Infini as his daughter, and the brooding, menacing, but often tragic figure of Penn’s Lockjaw. Benicio del Toro is great, as are Tony Goldwyn and John Hoogenakker as members of the white supremacist Christmas Adventurers.

One Battle After Another is a sweeping epic of an adventure. It tackles a lot and does so with style, leaning into its 1970s aesthetic brilliantly, creating an epic chase full of high-stakes action. Performances are excellent, with Chase Infiniti and Sean Penn being the pick. And while some of it is well trodden, washout Dad needs to come good for daughter, a lot of it asks very pertinent questions and even at 2hr40, it flies along and delivers thrilling cinema.