In our current political context, this movie could not have chosen a better time to release in order to express its message. Mainly focusing on the theme of immigration, the movie depicts a face of America rarely seen in cinema, where a former member of a violent activist group, now on the run, must undergo various action-packed and explosive adventures to find his daughter, kidnapped by an army colonel who tracked and killed most of the members of this activist group and who has new motivation to find the last ones.
...the film is above all carried by the excellent spirit of Paul Thomas Anderson...
Besides the extravagant story, the film is above all carried by the excellent spirit of Paul Thomas Anderson who, with his tenth feature film, has delivered moments of cinema which will surely become iconic, from the epic car chase scene to his tension building discussions through an hallucinating cinematography. The 50-year-old filmmaker still shows us that he has his place among the pillars of cinema.
Concerning the casting, DiCaprio changed his usual fancy role we all know him from to embrace the character of Bob Ferguson, a former political activist who changed his identity and whose main activity consists of smoking weed and greatest quality is knowing how to drink and drive. On the other hand, the ruthless army colonel tracking the former activists, portrayed by Sean Penn, has surprised more than one spectator. The double Academy Award winner has made history by giving one of the best antagonist performances in movie history, on the same level as the Joker and Hannibal Lecter, and he has probably secured many success for the upcoming 2026 award season. Everything from the way he spoke to his walk has made his character more unique, like no actor has ever done before.
Perfectly conveyed the epic emotions throughout the film.
The supporting cast of the movie didn't leave us indifferent either. After being the lead role in another Anderson film in last May, Benicio Del Toro has amazed with his charisma and his comic quality as an ally of DiCaprio, which despite his limited screen time will definitely be remembered as an indispensable part of this movie. And how can we not talk about the second face of the film, Chase Infiniti, in her very first film, who perfectly conveyed the epic emotions throughout the film as Bob Ferguson's daughter. It is safe to say that it's a pretty good way of starting your acting career.
As many critics have decided, we are in front of an instant classic that will be remembered as PTA's most ambitious, explosive and visually magnificent film so far and the best political satire of our modern era, who comes to make us dream at the right time. In this film it is shown over several periods of time and generation, the different struggles of activists in their never ending resistance, which shows that the fight for justice will always be summed up by these few words - one battle after another.