Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' sparks Oscar buzz: Report

Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest feature, One Battle After Another, is being hailed as a career-defining triumph, with critics calling it “the defining film of a generation.” 

The action-thriller, led by Leonardo DiCaprio and loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, has earned a slew of five-star reviews and generated early Academy Awards buzz.

The Standard’s Nick Howells declared the film “the coolest, most consummately masterful movie you’re likely to see all year,” adding that it “oozes Oscars glory out of every frame.” 

Bookmakers appear to agree, Ladbrokes has slashed the odds of the film winning Best Picture at the 2026 Academy Awards from 12/1 to evens.

DiCaprio stars as Bob Ferguson, a paranoid revolutionary living off-grid with his daughter Willa, played by Chase Infiniti, and former partner Perfidia, portrayed by Teyana Taylor. 

The story follows Ferguson’s desperate mission to rescue his daughter, aided by Benicio Del Toro as his philosophical mentor and pursued by Sean Penn’s villainous Col. Steven J. Lockjaw. 

Regina Hall also stars as fellow revolutionary Deandra.

The film blends high-octane action with biting satire. 

Robbie Collin of The Telegraph praised its “electrifyingly improbable” style, comparing it to Dr. Strangelove, while the BBC’s Caryn James described it as “timely, audacious” and proof that Anderson may be “the greatest living American director.”

Even Steven Spielberg joined the chorus of acclaim, calling the film “insane” and marveling at its sheer energy, “There is more action in the first hour of this than every other film you’ve ever directed put together.”

From its desert-set climactic chase to its mix of black comedy and political commentary, One Battle After Another is being touted as Anderson’s boldest work since There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread.

Film critic David Gonzalez summed up the critical consensus in The Cinematic Reel, “This is more than just another great film. 

It is the movie of the moment, the movie of the year, and possibly the defining film of a generation. Ultimately, a monumental cinematic achievement.”