Paul Thomas Anderson making a full-throttle action movie is like Wes Anderson directing a Fast & Furious sequel—you didn't see it coming, but suddenly, you need it. The trailer for One Battle After Another (formerly The Battle of Baktan Cross, Desert Highway, or whatever cryptic title PTA scribbled on a napkin) is here, and it's not what anyone expected. Explosions? Check. A grizzled Leonardo DiCaprio growling about revolutionaries? Double-check. A budget bigger than the GDP of a small country? Oh, you bet.
The Plot (Or What We Can Glean Between Gunfights)
The one-liner sells it short: Ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue a kid when their old nemesis returns. But this is PTA—so “rescue mission” probably means psychedelic shootouts, existential monologues, and at least one scene where Sean Penn stares into the abyss (and the abyss stares back, confused).
Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's Vineland—a novel so postmodern it probably has a footnote critiquing this sentence—the film feels like The Parallax View meets Licorice Pizza's chaotic charm. Regina Hall, Alana Haim, and Benicio del Toro round out a cast that's somehow both A-list and “Wait, why are these people in the same movie?”
Why This Trailer Feels Like a Cultural Moment
- PTA vs. IMAX: This is his first film shot for IMAX. Imagine There Will Be Blood's intensity, but with explosions that shake your popcorn out of the bucket.
- The Somner Factor: The late Adam Somner, PTA's longtime collaborator, gets a posthumous credit as co-producer. Expect emotional whiplash between grief and gunfire.
- The Budget Paradox: $100M for a director who once made a masterpiece (Phantom Thread) about a guy obsessed with sewing. Hollywood either lost its mind or finally wised up.
The Big Question: Who Is This For?
- Action Fans: “Cool, DiCaprio with a flamethrower!”
- PTA Stans: “I think the trailer's color grading mirrors The Master's nautical themes…”
- Warner Bros Execs: [Sweating] “Please let this be John Wick with better dialogue.”
Mark Your Calendar (Or Start a Riot)
Dropping September 26th, One Battle After Another isn't just a movie—it's a test. Can PTA conquer blockbusters without sacrificing his soul? Can audiences handle an action flick where the hero and villain quote Marx? Either way, buckle up. This might be the most PTA thing PTA's ever done—and that's saying something.
