DiCaprio and Anderson thriller earns rave reviews from Spielberg at LA premiere

Paul Thomas Anderson’s action-thriller “One Battle After Another” starring Leonardo DiCaprio received overwhelming critical acclaim at its Los Angeles premiere on September 8, 2025, with legendary director Steven Spielberg leading the praise during a post-screening conversation at the Directors Guild of America theater. The film, Warner Bros. latest potential blockbuster, is generating significant Oscar buzz ahead of its September 26 theatrical release.

Spielberg’s Glowing Review Leads Critical Acclaim

Spielberg, who revealed he had already seen the film three times, delivered an enthusiastic endorsement during his moderated conversation with Anderson. “What an insane movie, oh my God,” Spielberg said, according to The Film Stage. “There is more action in the first hour of this than every other film you’ve ever directed put together. Everything, it is really incredible.”thefilmstage

The Jaws director drew comparisons to Stanley Kubrick’s satirical masterpiece “Dr. Strangelove,” praising Anderson’s blend of absurdist comedy and contemporary social commentary. “I have not seen a movie that is so tonally a relative to Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove,” Spielberg noted. “This brings a kind of absurdist comedy, taken very seriously, because it’s so much a reflection of what’s happening today, every day, throughout this country.”digitalspy

Critics Hail Potential Oscar Frontrunner

Social media reactions from film critics have been uniformly positive following the premiere. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called it potentially “the best movie released by a major American studio since I started working as a critic (~2010).” Men’s Health writer Evan Romano described it as his “number one film of the year.”yahoo

Film critic Brett Arnold wrote on social media: “I laughed out loud throughout, it’s probably Anderson’s funniest movie, and by the end I was so deeply moved I was crying. Sean Penn will win an incredibly well-deserved Oscar.” The New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan positioned the film as a potential sweep candidate, suggesting it “could be nominated across the board” and might finally secure Anderson his first Oscar.variety

DiCaprio’s Revolutionary Performance

Based loosely on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel “Vineland,” the film stars DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a washed-up revolutionary forced to rescue his teenage daughter when an old enemy resurfaces after 16 years. The ensemble cast includes Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and newcomer Chase Infiniti.digitalspy

DiCaprio revealed he drew inspiration from “The Big Lebowski” for his character’s laid-back demeanor, telling reporters he would have joined “any film” Anderson proposed due to the director’s unique vision. The actor had previously turned down a role in Anderson’s “Boogie Nights” due to his “Titanic” commitments, which he later called his “biggest regret.”variety

With Warner Bros. projecting a $25 million opening weekend that could expand with strong word-of-mouth, “One Battle After Another” represents Anderson’s most ambitious and expensive project to date, with a reported budget exceeding $140 million.nytimes