Throughout the press junket for “One Battle After Another,” the impetus for Leonardo DiCaprio is clear: the movie is made for cinema viewing, and DiCaprio is willing to come out of his head-down, auteur persona to champion a film worthy of such recognition. 

The film holds the viewer captive, melding together familial dynamics, unrealized dreams of political revolution, protection of community against state power and electrifying action set in pieces across undulating terrains across the United States. “One Battle After Another” sits at a run-time of almost three hours, making for an epic adventure at the cinema that is worth sitting through. 

DiCaprio’s character, Bob Ferguson, is part of the French 75, a revolutionary group turned ecosystem of separated former members working to protect one another from the chilling and ever-present Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). The fierce comradery and loyalty of the 75 consistently strengthens the film and adds to the familial atmosphere.

Dubbed the “dangerous lunatics, haters and punk trash” by Lockjaw’s sniper-shooting group of militants looming over the revolution’s movement, the 75’s agility and surveillance remain constant, with Bob “Ghetto Pat” Ferguson moving off-grid to protect his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). 

A reckoning with how her parents’ failed revolutionary movement has shaped her present comes to the forefront when Willa is captured by Lockjaw, who has been intentionally tracking her in hopes of confirming a dark and hidden truth. 

For a film that “rides or dies on her performance,” as DiCaprio said in an interview, a lot of faith is rightfully placed in Infiniti as Willa. The emerging actress balances an earnest innocence with unmistakable grit when tested. She shapes one of the most memorable moments of the film with supporting actress Regina Hall in a school auditorium and entirely holds her own. 

The story reels audiences in with a tale of flawed heroism at its core, with DiCaprio embodying the image of an imperfect, persistent and almost certainly stoned father, who has made his daughter the only high school student without a phone out of precaution. 

Bob’s overbearing nature towards Willa’s friends or “homies,” the struggle to remember the revolutionary’s identification key, and the unique pairing of Modelo and selfies are only a few signifiers throughout the film of director Paul Thomas Anderson’s mastery in using comedy to add nuance. To save Willa, DiCaprio’s character endures an internal battle, grappling with his present state and the example he has set for his daughter. 

Willa’s mother in the film, named Perfidia Beverly Hills, is portrayed by the dynamic Teyana Taylor, who would give Tom Cruise a run for his money with her stunt work and espionage skills. 

Beyond the explosives set off in the beginning by her and Bob during their sexually charged missions, Taylor wows as the cunning and deceptive Perfidia, armed with a machine gun and relentless ideologies. Taylor effectively etches an image of a woman in constant survival mode, facing concurrent battles as a constant fugitive and complete isolation after giving birth. 

Penn, unsurprisingly, is a total knockout throughout the entire duration of “One Battle After Another.” Each scene he’s in is immediately electrified and made doubly unnerving. 

Benicio del Toro’s character is another highlight of the film, showcasing PTA’s ability to foil characters who have lived through similar circumstances but had veered into different paths. His character, Sensei Sergio, stands out as a gracefully suave karate instructor who rallies for and behind his community, even having skateboard-riding children as defenders. 

Although the film debuted with acclaim and a certified fresh score of 96% with more than 275 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication, DiCaprio’s last month of public appearances and the film’s masterful performances confirm that the film deserves a box office push. 

Because the film is shot by PTA with the highest quality image, the whole theater becomes enveloped in the immersive nature of VistaVision, making the score pulsate at every turn and the rifle shot sear.

The use of humor, specifically embedded within DiCaprio and Penn’s roles, is ripe for rapturous crowd reactions. From the aftermath of Bob’s love affair with weed and use of the word “homie,” to Lockjaw’s absolute rejection of any form of self-awareness and obsession with the Christmas Adventurers Club, each character is enriched by multitudes of complexity, and the audience will be well entertained. 

One might wonder if the multi-decade-long journey to take this political epic to the big screen is divine timing or a painfully aware representation of the present-day U.S. Whatever hurdles led to its release, the film is a sure contender for one of the most moving pieces of storytelling this year. 

Looking at his career through the lens of the title, it’s safe to assume that the battle to get audiences to theaters is one that DiCaprio feels is worth fighting for.