Released in Vietnam on September 26, One Battle After Another (Vietnamese title: battle After War) - the latest work by director Paul Thomas Anderson with the participation of actor Leonardo DiCaprio - is creating a strong wave of attention in the international film industry.
Inspired by the novel Vineland (1990), the film revolves around the character Bob Ferguson (played byLeonardo DiCaprio) - a former member of the resistance group named French 75.
This group once caused a stir with a series of attacks on the office of a political leader, a bank and the entire power grid system, and from there, the pieces of ideals, power and national conflicts gradually emerged.
Bob and his daughter Willa (played by Chase Infiniti) were caught up in a new spiral when they accidentally confront Steven J. lockjaw (played bySean Penn) - an army colonel who suppressed the rebel group.
The clash not only threatens Willa's life, but also forces Bob to embark on a dangerous journey to both find his daughter and support Willa in restarting French 75, starting a new rebellion against his old enemy.
The highlight of the work is the way director Paul Thomas Anderson chose a special filming style.
According to Variety, actor Leonardo DiCaprio revealed that the film uses a rare Vista Vision technology from the 1960s, bringing a vivid, realistic and different cinematic experience compared to the familiar action film genre.
This clearly shows director Anderson's intention to let the audience enjoy the film on the big screen, rather than just through an online platform.
The New York Times commented: " Paul Thomas Anderson brought a work that was both dramatic, silly, and extremely serious in 'Battle After War' - a no sturdy words against complacency, oppression, and specialization.
Notably, the film's main actor - Leonardo DiCaprio has entered his 50s, but his appeal does not seem to have declined.
From his early roles such as "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993), to the milestones of "Titanic" (1997), "The Departed" (2006), "Inception" 2010 or "The Revenant" (2015), every time he appeared, he left a new mark.
"One Battle After Another" shows another DiCaprio: not only an adventurer or a mysterious genius, but also a father, an Reluctant warrior. He combines psychological depth with action weight, making the role of Bob Ferguson both familiar and epic.
Commenting on his acting, The Washington Post wrote: " Leonardo DiCaprio's acting is a blend of laughter and sadness. Viewers laughed at him, followed him, and cheered him on."
Famous film critic Roger Ebert agreed: "In terms of acting, DiCaprio brought a carefully restrained performance. His character may not be a great leader, but he is steadfast in his ideals to the end. The owner of the golden statue Oscar grimaced, grinding his teeth, grinning his back in each line, cleverly walking on the line between truth and tragedy".
On Rotten Tomatoes, One Battle After Another is currently at 97% sour - the highest among the films with Leonardo DiCaprios participation. This number surpasses "Catch Me If You Can" (96%), "Killers of the Flower Moon" (93%), "The Departed" (91%) or "Titanic" (88%).
On Metacritic, the film was also rated almost absolutely, becoming one of the most highly rated works of 2025.
This affirms DiCaprio's special position: at any stage, he is always associated with quality films, surprising and becoming a phenomenon in the film flow.
With the presence of a talented cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro and Teyana Taylor, The battle After the battle is predicted to be one of the strongest candidates for the upcoming Oscar season.
The question is: what is the limit for Leonardo DiCaprio?
After three decades of turmoil, from the role of a teenager to a father, from a love tragedy to a journey to life, from a criminal to a revolutionary, the answer is probably still: there are no limits for DiCaprio.
