There is a difference between a film that is politically charged and a film that simply believes it is. “One Battle After Another” has been praised as bold, morally ambiguous, and award-worthy. But for all its ambition, it often feels more like performance than revelation. After seeing the early reactions, I was convinced I was about to watch an incredible film, especially with Leonardo DiCaprio attached. Instead, I left extremely disappointed.
The film follows Bob (Leonardo Dicaprio), a disillusioned former activist pulled back into political unrest when tensions escalate between a radical left group known as the “French 75” and an increasingly authoritarian government aligned with far-right forces. As protests intensify and violence erupts, Bob becomes entangled in a movement that claims to fight for justice but quickly descends into chaos. Alongside his daughter (Chase Inifiniti) and a network of activists and extremists, he is forced to confront questions about loyalty, ideology and the true cost of resistance. What begins as a story rooted in political conviction slowly shifts into a portrait of instability, fractured morality, and personal survival.
The movie starts off political, but quickly leans into overly bizarre and unnecessary scenes that feel more shocking than meaningful. The radical left group, “French 75,” is positioned as a revolutionary force opposing the government, yet they are written in a way that makes them nearly impossible to sympathize with. They make morally questionable decisions from the get go. At the same time, there is a far-right white supremacist party deeply embedded in the US military. While the film clearly isn’t trying to make us sympathize with white supremacists, their minimal screen time prevents them from functioning as effective antagonists. They feel like cardboard villains rather than a genuine ideological threat to American democracy. The result is a film where both extreme sides of the aisle are underdeveloped: one side is morally repellent but given too much focus to ignore, the other is equally repellent but too thinly sketched to take seriously.
From the beginning, I disliked both sides. Rather than presenting complex ideological tension, the film reduces both extremes to caricature. What could have been a provocative exploration of how violent extremism mirrors itself across the political spectrum instead becomes a shallow “both sides are bad” gesture with no real interrogation of why or how. The far-left revolutionaries are given enough development to be actively off-putting. For example in the case of Teanna Taylor’s character who is the head of the “French 75,” she blatantly disregards lives while robbing banks, planting bombs and spreading chaos. This is all in the pursuit of her idea of “resistance.” While the far-right faction remains a vague, menacing presence that never coheres into a meaningful counterpoint. The social commentary, which is supposed to be one of the film’s most important pillars, is poorly executed and surprisingly shallow. As the runtime stretches past two hours, the political focus fades and is replaced by what feels like random chaos with no clear thematic progression.
The movie presents itself as a groundbreaking political statement, yet much of what it explores has been said before. Moral gray zones. Cycles of violence on both sides. The cost of resistance and how far one will go to achieve this idea. None of these ideas are new, and the film does little to deepen them beyond surface-level intensity. The characters are emotionally underwritten, even if most of the actors bring undeniable talent to the screen. Strong performances cannot fully compensate for paper-thin development.
Even with a star-studded cast, there are barely any characters the audience can genuinely relate to. The only ones who even approach that threshold are Bob and his daughter, but even they are poorly written and not given enough depth to feel invested in. The plot feels mediocre, and the conclusion comes across as incomplete rather than deliberately open-ended.
Teanna Taylor’s character as the mom and leader of the “French 75” was widely described as the breakout presence of the film, but the much-discussed redemption arc feels forced and unearned. Instead of an organic transformation, the character’s redeeming actions tie a neat bow placed on a story that otherwise relies on chaos. Redemption without emotional groundwork feels hollow. In contrast, Chase Infiniti who plays Willa, the daughter of Bob’s character, delivers the most grounded and compelling performance in the film. She carries scenes with subtlety and emotional precision, making her the true standout.
The cinematography deserves praise. Visually, the film is striking. The framing reinforces isolation, and the muted palette complements the bleak atmosphere. It looks well shot. The problem is that it sometimes mistakes aesthetic seriousness for thematic depth.
Interestingly, the story mirrors a pattern seen in history. The Bar Kokhba revolt of 132 to 136 CE was a Jewish rebellion against Roman rule. For a brief moment, the rebels established an independent state in Judea, issuing their own coins and proclaiming a new era of redemption. But the revolt was ultimately crushed, leaving devastation and displacement in its wake. It was a moment filled with nationalistic hope, symbolic power and the promise of moral clarity, yet it ended in tragic collapse.
“One Battle After Another” seems fascinated with that same idea: the romanticism of resistance and the illusion of redemption. But unlike the historical revolt, which carried enormous tangible stakes, the film’s emotional stakes feel diluted. It gestures toward tragedy without fully earning it. It wants to feel monumental, yet often feels performative.
That does not make the movie bad. It is competently acted and beautifully shot. But the Oscar buzz suggests something transformative, something historically resonant. Instead, what viewers get is a well-crafted but overhyped meditation on themes that have been explored far more powerfully elsewhere. If this film sweeps awards season, it will likely be for the disconnect between the Academy and the average person, not for narrative innovation. In the end, “One Battle After Another” may prove that prestige and profundity are not the same thing.
