Unpaid Bill

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When I first watched Boogie Nights (1997) on a whim around 2013, I was blown away. I’d never seen anything like it; a movie that explores this fringe, taboo society, shows the ups and the downs? To this day, Alfred Molina, Tom Jane, Mark Wahlberg and John C. Reilly’s climactic showdown still lives rent free in my head. That said, I knew I was in for a treat with One Battle After Another (2025), Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest effort.

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It’s not exactly a secret how the Western genre was dying in the early 1970s — and all but on life support going into the 1980s — with the rise of science fiction, superheroes and sitcoms (not to mention the general shift in the cultural zeitgeist following the U.S. involvement in Vietnam), so you can imagine my surprise when not one, but two films of the Western genre from acclaimed (at the very least, in my mind) filmmakers were slated for release this year. Enter Ari Aster’s Eddington and PTA’s OBAA; the former a slow crawl to a high dive, the latter a roller coaster ride— quite literally by the end of the film. If you’re interested in reading more about my thoughts, perhaps closer to musings, on the former, you can read more here.

The film opens with Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), the implied leader of (or a faction of) a modern revolutionary group called the French 75, scoping out an “immigration detention center”. From there, we’re thrust into her world, and its’ cast of supporting characters that include Wood Harris, Alana Haim, Regina Hall— who I have to say, I love in more serious roles like OBAA and Support the Girls (2018)— and of course, Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Bob”, who quickly becomes Perfidia’s love interest.

The lovers’ foil, Captain (later Colonel) Steven J. Lockjaw is brought to life by Sean Penn, whom, regardless of his personal life— the rumors surrounding his marriage to Madonna, his relationship with Richard “the Night Stalker Ramirez, intentionally naming his son Hopper— is is someone absolutely delivers when he needs to (see Mystic River (2004)). From the jacked-up Navajo haircut to the tightwad walk, there were moments that I genuinely forgot that I was watching Sean Penn because of how well he disappeared into this character— a man on a sinister mission to track down Willa Ferguson (Chase Infiniti), daughter of Bob and Perfidia— though I would concede that having spent a long part of my life in a military city would probably make the authenticity of a conflicted ARMY… Guy… More noticeable to me.

Once the stage is set, as is the case with any great film, it really gets going and we’re quickly introduced to a second spate of memorable characters— most notably to me was Sensei Sergio, a role in which Benecio del Toro holds nothing back as he channels major “help first, ask questions later” tío energy.

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True to form, PTA masterfully weaves comedy and dread— one specific exchange that showcases this is DiCaprio’s “Bob” interactions with “Comrade Josh”, a revolutionary whose pedantry can be seen as both a sore and sweet spot by viewers— it’s like someone slipping on a banana peel at a funeral; sure, we’re all here to be serious, but some things are just funny, a consistent vibe throughout the film. Ultimately, it’s clear that the “wunderkind” hasn’t lost his touch.

Lastly, I can’t forget to mention the sound design and score, primarily composed by Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead, which elevates an already superb film to a new level. This of course couldn’t be accomplished without the masterful editing by Andy Jurgensen. Those interested in his experience working on the film can read about it here.

Overall a film that I would personally score as a 9.6/10, and something I would absolutely recommend to anyone who loves westerns, Paul Thomas Anderson, or good movies in general— and as mentioned before, you owe it to yourself to watch a good movie.

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