Is it possible to like a politically-charged film that may go against your own personal politics? Can one compartmentalize the current climate we live in and appreciate the art that's in front of them? Some may have to grapple with these questions before seeing Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another."The film, inspired by Thomas Pynchon's Reagan-era set novel "Vineland," was shot in 2024, and Warner Bros. would have released it no matter who won the last presidential election. Given that Donald Trump is back in the White House, "One Battle After Another" can be perceived as a timely #Resistance wet dream. It follows The French 75, a Weather Underground-like group of self-described revolutionaries (or domestic terrorists, to each their own) rebelling against what they believe is authoritarianism. They break out illegal migrants from detention centers, bomb courthouses and offices of lawmakers who pushed abortion bans – like I said, a #Resistance wet dream. ‘THE BALTIMORONS' REVIEW: CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY WITH THIS CHARMING, FEEL-GOOD ROM-COMAmong the group's leaders are Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), an explosives maker, and Perfidia (Teyana Taylor), his gun-toting lover whose loyalty to the cause ultimately gets in the way of raising their family. A botched bank robbery leads Perfidia to rat out her comrades and later flee the country, forcing The French 75 to disband for their safety, leaving Bob alone with their baby.Sixteen years later and the ex-revolutionaries are still being hunted down by the racist, sex-crazed Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), who was overseeing the detention center The French 75 broke into. Except Bob is no longer the motivated guerrilla fighter he once was. He's become a paranoid, washed-up, reclusive pothead being parented by his now-teenage daughter Willa (newcomer Chase Infiniti). Bob will have to snap out of it as he is separated from Willa ahead of a raid. ‘THE CONJURING: LAST RITES’ REVIEW: LAST RODEO, LAST FUMES"One Battle After Another" is an experimental film of sorts for both PTA and DiCaprio. PTA, best known for serious dramas like "There Will Be Blood" and "The Master," swings in the other direction with this action crime thriller. And DiCaprio's performance is unlike almost anything he's ever done, this time going for laughs as a hot-headed robe and beanie-wearing stoner, not the smooth, clean-cut leading man he's known for. Rarely has Sean Penn been given a role as bonkers and as fun as Lockjaw, who lusts for Perfidia as he seeks membership of the very exclusive, elitist white supremacist group. He's a bit of a dunce, which rivals DiCaprio's Bob in the laugh department, giving Lockjaw an endearing quality to him despite being the film's villain. Teyana Taylor commands the screen as Perfidia, who allows "the cause" to supersede her obligations as a new mother, so much so that Bob thinks to himself "It's like she doesn't realize she's pregnant," as she fires an automatic rifle within inches of her pregnant belly at a shooting range. She also weaponizes her erotic prowess on Lockjaw that will leave people clenching their own behinds upon viewing. ‘SPLITSVILLE’ REVIEW: MAKING COMEDIES GREAT AGAINChase Infiniti, whose two other IMDB credits are the Apple TV+ anthology series "Presumed Innocent" and a Tyler the Creator music video, shines as the tough-as-nails Willa. It's no easy task to share a screen with someone of DiCaprio's caliber, and she leaps over the hurdle.Also joining them are Benicio del Toro in a lighter role as Bob's ally and Willa's karate instructor Sergio "Sensei" St. Carlos, and Regina Hall, who hangs up comedy she's best known for playing Deandra, who is tasked to protect Willa as Lockjaw's men seek to capture them all. LEONARDO DICAPRIO REVEALS THE SURPRISING NAME HOLLYWOOD AGENTS WANTED HIM TO USEAt a whopping 161 minutes, this marks PTA's second-longest film behind "Magnolia," but to his credit, "One Battle After Another" never drags. The action is fast-paced and is brilliantly captured by PTA and Michael Bauman (both are credited as cinematographers), particularly in the anxiety-inducing climatic car chase. Composer Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead) delivers a terrific score with the rat-a-tat energy needed to keep up the film's intensity. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST MEDIA AND CULTURE NEWSWatching a film as well-made as "One Battle After Another" comes down to whether you can appreciate art that goes against your own politics. If you can't, perhaps this isn't for you. But to see PTA go for action and DiCaprio go for funny is as radical as The French 75. It's a wild ride worth hopping on for. "One Battle After Another" is rated R for pervasive language, violence, sexual content, and drug use. Running time: 2 hours, 41 minutes. In theaters September 26, 2025.