One Battle After Another, the highly anticipated political action thriller from writer-producer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, is seemingly one of the best films of the year. Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, the film follows washed-up revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), who reunites a group of former radicals to rescue his daughter from an evil nemesis (Sean Penn).

Alongside DiCaprio and Penn, One Battle After Another stars Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Tony Goldwyn, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. The $130-175 million budget film had its world premiere on September 8, with positive critical reviews pouring in ahead of the scheduled theatrical release by Warner Bros. Pictures on September 26.

On Metacritic, One Battle After Another is now the highest-rated 2025 movie with a 96 Metascore based on 36 reviews. Although the film is technically tied with Julia Loktev’s My Undesirable Friends: Part I documentary, One Battle After Another prevails thanks to wider visibility and consistency among top outlets. On Rotten Tomatoes, it also holds a strong 98% approval rating.

What This Score Means For One Battle After Another

This critical milestone all but guarantees that One Battle After Another will be a dominant force during awards season. Paul Thomas Anderson is no stranger to acclaim, but this marks one of his highest-rated films to date. One Battle After Another‘s mix of revolutionary politics, personal redemption, and late-capitalist decay strikes a timely chord, and its $175 million budget is justified by its reception.

With names like DiCaprio, Penn, and del Toro attached, One Battle is poised to become a hit following its wide release. For Chase Infiniti’s debut, the film could also be a major launchpad in her career. Furthermore, studios observing this politically charged, dense narrative’s success may be more willing to greenlight similar projects, marking a rise in the lesser-explored genre.

Our Take On One Battle After Another’s Metacritic Rating

According to ScreenRant‘s review of One Battle After Another, the praise is largely earned. Gregory Nussen calls it “Paul Thomas Anderson’s most electrifying film to date,” describing how it clearly feels like “a deeply personal film for Anderson.” They highlight how Anderson succeeds in melding his signature style with “Pynchon’s postmodern, plucky, weed-hazed humor” without losing coherence.

Given that One Battle After Another has received generally positive reviews from 36 critics on Metacritic as well as another 80 on Rotten Tomatoes (some may overlap), the 96 Metascore seems not just merited, but perhaps modest. One Battle After Another isn’t merely a spectacle; it’s shaping up to be one of the most memorable films of the year.