tech
March 10, 2026
Why One Battle After Another should win the best picture Oscar
Paul Thomas Anderson’s capering clash between a demented repressive regime and ragtag freedom fighters is both cartoonish and deadly serious – and perfectly tuned to its times
TL;DR
- "One Battle After Another" is a political film reflecting America's current state, feeling disunited and unstable.
- The film updates Thomas Pynchon's novel "Vineland" for the 2020s, focusing on themes of immigration and a Christian Nationalist cell within the government.
- While described as a comedy, the film is also deadly serious, with characters like Colonel Lockjaw depicted as cartoonish yet menacing.
- The movie explores the blurred battle lines of social justice struggles and the division between red and blue states, suggesting America is inherently mixed.
- The film is considered timely and unique for its ambitious, sprawling production style, relevant to the current high-stakes political climate.
- Despite the struggles and failures of revolutionaries, the film insists on the value of effort and the hope for future generations to succeed.
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