One Battle After Another

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
2025 | Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson | 162 Minutes

"You know what freedom is? No fear. Just like Tom fucking Cruise."

The former a bomb-maker for the far-left revolutionary group the French 75, Bob Ferguson lives a seemingly over-cautious life with his teenage daughter Willa. When a formidable enemy from the past discovers their current whereabouts, the ex-rebel finds he is woefully unprepared to protect his girl.

Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's 1990 satirical novel Vineland, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another depicts a world in which the influence of organized bigotry reaches alarmingly far and the struggling opposition is undermined by pettiness and division. The film's duo protagonists caught in the conflict consist of former revolutionary Bob who is hilariously too drunk and stoned to keep up with the times and headstrong teenager Willa who is suddenly forced to learn hard truths about her place in the context of history. Both characters serve as fitting analogs respectively representing the previous and current generations of those who oppose fascism in a reasonably grounded way, stripped of any glorification or romanticism. The pacing of the picture is relentless, from its extended prologue detailing the radical actions of the far-left revolutionary group and their eventual dissolution to its prolonged epic car chase finale. While the plot tends to meander, the picture is consistently engaging, and every story thread weaves together impeccably by its highly satisfying conclusion.

Shot on 35mm film using VistaVision cameras, cinematographer Michael Bauman's work on One Battle After Another is absolutely stunning. The oner tracking Bob as he makes his way through Sensei Sergio's refuge for undocumented immigrants as they prepare to evacuate the city is impressively complicated but incredibly inventive and executed concisely. The sequence leads to a visually striking evening rooftop flight backlit by city and police lights as protestors and cops clash on the streets below. The chase sequence in the finale is staged elegantly, as Willa is pursued by a cold-blooded killer and Bob struggles to catch up, each shot of desolate highway keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat in anxious anticipation of what awaits down the road.

Amusingly pitiful and pitifully amusing, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers yet another performance worthy of acclaim as burnt-out retired revolutionary Bob. Chase Infiniti is captivating as young Willa, convincingly clever and tough in her film debut. As the hateful colonel, Sean Penn is at his most believably despicable, face locked in a pained snarl while he trots along with a distinct gait as if he literally has a stick deeply lodged up his rectum. Though she only briefly appears is the picture, Teyana Taylor's presence is strong and unforgettable embodying complex force of nature Perfidia Beverly Hills. As his coolest, Benicio del Toro also turns in memorable performance as the calm and collected wise sensei and family friend who always has a contingency plan in his back pocket.

One Battle After Another is a harrowing journey through a deeply troubling vision of America (that might as well be tomorrow if the country stays its baffling course). While there are plenty of genuinely funny moments throughout, nearly all of the levity comes at the expense of the ex-rebel's failure to keep up with increasingly confusing circumstances due to years of constant self-medication. It's grim, but the picture offers hope by demonstrating how those who keep a level head will stick around long enough to see the next battle.


FRAGMENTS
- The idiotic division amongst the revolutionaries as depicted in the film, best exemplified by the fraught communication between Bob and Comrade Josh as they argue over passwords, reminds me of how Jin Yong depicts the rather ineffectual rebellion against the Qing Dynasty in his satirical wuxia novel The Deer and the Cauldron

- It seems absurd but totally believable for the white supremacist secret society to be Christmas-themed

- Kevin Tighe makes a brief appearance as the leader of the white supremacist secret society, but I'll always remember him as John Locke's asshole father on Lost


007 CONNECTIONS
- Benicio del Toro (Dario in Licence to Kill)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Wood Harris (Officer Gale in Ant-Man)

- Benicio del Toro (Taneleer Tivan in Thor: The Dark World, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers: Infinity War)

Marty Supreme

MARTY SUPREME
2025 | Dir. Josh Safdie | 150 Minutes

"I have a purpose. You don't. And if you think that's some kind of blessing, it's not. It puts me at a huge life disadvantage. It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through, and with that obligation comes sacrifice. Okay?"

Marty Mauser dreams of winning the world table tennis championship, and he will allow nothing to get in the way of his dream.

While the basic premise of Marty Supreme fits into the mold of a standard inspirational sports drama, Josh Safdie instead delivers a wild and kinetic character study on an unrelenting narcissist. The film opens by introducing Marty Mouser as a convincingly charming and determined ping-pong savant with a penchant for bending the truth, but the second act of the film is the actual frantic heart of the picture. In a desperate attempt to raise funds for another shot at glory, Marty astoundingly compounds bad decision upon bad decision and brings about a rather shocking amount of indiscriminate mayhem, death, and destruction to everyone in his sphere of influence. That Marty in actuality already ruined his chances of competing again in an official capacity should come as no surprise as it is inevitably revealed in the final third of the picture, his extreme refusal to compromise loops back around as self-sabotage. The narrative reiterates over and over that its protagonist will stop at nothing to pursue his dreams, and ruining the lives of virtually everyone who crosses paths his path is acceptable collateral damage as far as he's concerned, from dangerous criminals to the people who love and support him. Marty Supreme would be a real slog to sit through if its star and the escalation of pure chaos weren't so mesmerizing.

For all of its comical bedlam, Marty Supreme does offer some entertaining table tennis action, particularly in its opening and closing acts. Cinematographer Darius Khondji shoots these sequences with as much dynamic energy as the intense bursts of violence throughout the middle section of the picture. Visually, the entire film looks authentic to its 1950s setting courtesy of excellent work from production designer Jack Fisk, though numerous 1980s pop hit needle-drops gives the general vibe of the feature a fascinating discordant quality, perhaps suggesting Marty's misguided ambition is decades ahead of his time.

As the insanely driven table tennis whiz kid and pathological liar, Timothée Chalamet would be totally insufferable if he weren't so captivatingly committed to the part. Chalamet's charisma is undeniable and he plays the role of Marty to perfection that the viewer may alternately vicariously enjoy his fleeting success or revel in his comeuppance. Playing Marty's hopelessly devoted paramour Rachel, Odessa A'zion is as heartbreaking as she is, perhaps appropriately, aggravating. Tyler Okonma delivers a naturally affable performance as Marty's best friend and fellow table tennis hustler Wally, sharing excellent on-screen chemistry with Chamalet. In the role of washed-up movie star Kay Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow plays a specific aura of graceful jadedness incredibly well. Real-life millionaire blowhard Kevin O'Leary is perfectly cast as Kay's wealthy husband, fitting as Marty's would-be benefactor who doesn't hold back from laying the boy low when presented with the opportunity. The supporting cast also features stand-out work from Luke Manley as Marty's enthusiastic impressionable supporter Dion, Emory Cohen as Rachel's short-tempered husband, Géza Röhrig as Marty's Hungarian table tennis champion colleague Bela, Koto Kawaguchi as deaf Japanese rival Endo, and Abel Ferrara as a lowkey terrifying criminal.

Chaotic, nerve-wracking, and thoroughly engaging, it's an entertaining illustration of the high cost of pursuing dreams for those who refuse to compromise to the ruin of all. The manner in which bad situations exponentially escalate in this narrative is, in a word, bonkers. What represents Marty best is not the gimmicky custom orange ping-pong ball that he so wishes to be his trademark but a relentless destructive wrecking ball. The devastation it leaves behind demands attention.


FRAGMENTS
- Josh Safdie's brother and frequent collaborator Benny Safdie directed The Smashing Machine in 2025, another unconventional sports drama centered on a promising athlete's fall to obscurity, though Marty Supreme is objectively a much, much better picture 

- That poor, poor dog

- I honestly did not recognize Penn Jillette as the antisemitic gun-totaling farmer


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame) 

Hamnet

HAMNET
2025 | Dir. Chloé Zhao | 126 Minutes

"I shall be one of father's players."

 

Free-spirited Agnes Hathaway falls in love with aspiring playwright William Shakespeare, and while their union is met with opposition from their respective families, they happily start a family together. However, Shakespeare's frequent travels to London frustrate Agnes as she is left alone to care for their children. When terrible tragedy strikes, Agnes fails to understand how Shakespeare is able to carry on with his work -- until she attends the premiere of his latest play.

Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same name by writer/director Chloé Zhao and O'Farrell herself, Hamnet is a beautifully filmed exceptionally moving drama. The narrative takes viewers on a tumultuous soul-stirring journey, chronicling the courtship of William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway, the births of their children, the devastating loss of their boy Hamnet, and the first performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet all from Agnes' point of view. Brilliantly directed by Zhao with a powerful performance from lead Jessie Buckley, the film is a remarkably emotionally accessible exploration of the challenges of being in a relationship with an artist and how grief may be channeled into lasting works of art.

Cinematographer Łukasz Żal skillfully captures lush green landscapes in natural lighting that immerse the audience in Agnes' paganistic world, while he delicately illuminates interior night scenes to emulate period-accurate lamplight, dark shadows particularly accentuating the most fraught and tragic moments of film. Production Designer Fiona Crombie delivers fine work, authentically recreating the look and feel of the setting in addition to creating a believably lived-in replica the Globe Theatre. Composer Max Richter's score is fine, but while the use of his famous work "On The Nature Of Daylight" strikes with surgical precision during the finale, it may jolt those who associate the piece with other cinematic works right out of the picture.

As Agnes delivering her finest work yet, Jessie Buckley gives a natural, bold, and versatile performance, seemingly effortless in the way she draws sympathy from the audience. While slightly leaning into tortured artist cliches, Paul Mescal is appropriately convincing as Shakespeare. Emily Watson makes the most out of what amounts to a stock character role as Shakespeare's initially disapproving eventually empathetic mother Mary. Jacobi Jupe nearly stealing the entire production as little Hamnet, utterly lovable playing the sweet and spirited little boy which proportionately makes the eventual passing of the child all the more tragic.

Conveying love, loss, and catharsis with incredible depth and clarity of emotion, Hamnet is a complete showcase of Chloé Zhao's mastery of cinematic craft. Sections of the feature are so affecting that the experience is akin to a full-on assault on the hearts of the audience. Jessie Buckley is undeniably excellent in the lead role and young Jacobi Jupe's heart-rending breakout performance is magnificent.


FRAGMENTS
- 2026 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Sentimental Value also depicts the pursuit of personal catharsis specifically through theatrical artistic expression

- In a quirky bit of casting, Noah Jupe plays the actor who plays Hamlet, the role that was inspired by Hamnet played by his younger brother Jacobi Jupe

- Paul Mescal's tearful recitation of the beginning the Hamlet soliloquy over the Thames is a bit on-the-nose

- Memorably featured in Denis Villeneuve's Arrival among countless films and television shows, "On The Nature Of Daylight" was originally released on composer Max Richter's second album The Blue Notebooks, a protest album against the 2003 American invasion of Iraq

Frankenstein

FRANKENSTEIN
2025 | Dir. Guillermo del Toro | 150 Minutes

"If you are not to award me love, then I will indulge in rage."

In the frigid north, rescued by the crew of Danish ship from a seemingly invulnerable monstrous pursuer, a gravely injured Baron Victor Frankenstein relates to the captain an astonishing tale of scientific advancement gone awry.

Painted in broad strokes on an enormous canvas, Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is visually bold and emotionally explosive. The film unfolds in two engaging sections, one that firmly establishes Victor Frankenstein's madness and obsession as the product of a severe Oedipal complex, while the other, even more captivating, follows his creation's painful existential journey to understand his origin and come to terms with his accursed everlasting life in pursuit of meaning and purpose. Del Toro does a fine job of illustrating how both stories are steeped in tragedy, but as one attempts to overcome his misfortune through intellectual pursuit, he neglects his psychological shortcomings and foists his trauma upon a newborn entity that is consumed by destructive rage. Lofty ideas aside, del Toro can't resist inserting a sincere romantic subplot between the creature and Victor's sister-in-law-to-be that plays out rather awkwardly. His screenplay is also virtually devoid of subtext, as in one pivotal scene Victor's brother William literally tells Victor to his face that he is the monster. However, the picture is nonetheless a poignant examination of the universally relatable tension between parents and their children.

The production design by Tamara Deverell and the sets by Shane Vieau are absolutely breathtaking. The tower that serves as Victor's laboratory is uniquely opulent and memorable, each level constructed with meticulous attention to detail, with the giant stone face of Medusa on the main floor standing out in particular. The period costumes by Kate Hawley are stunning, particularly the elaborate dresses worn by Mia Goth in both of her roles. Save for one sequence featuring some janky-looking CGI wolves, the visual effects work is impressive all-around. Among the feature's bounty of ghoulish sights, the striking imagery of the flaming Angel of Death in Victor's feverish visions is outright iconic.

As Victor, Oscar Isaac is perfectly cast as the arrogant mad scientist, believably sad, petty, and vengeful. However, the best performance of the picture is from Jacob Elordi who is absolutely revelatory in the role of the towering pitiable creature, showcasing his entire range as an actor. Mia Goth plays William's fiancée Elizabeth taking on an admirable heavy lift to sell the romance between the bride-to-be and the creature, while she also appears briefly as Victor's mother. The supporting cast features Charles Dance fitting in his role of Victor's psychologically abusive father like a glove, Felix Kammerer as Victor's somewhat dopey brother William, Christoph Waltz chewing the scenery as Elizabeth's rich syphilitic uncle and Victor's primary benefactor, and a heartbreaking David Bradley as the kindly blind man who befriends and tutors the creature.

Thematic subtlety be damned, Guillermo del Toro's penchant for both appealingly monstrous and intricately ornate design work, breathtaking sets, and earnest sentimentality perfectly matches the spirit of Mary Shelley's pioneering Gothic horror novel. This iteration of Frankenstein is deeply moving, epic in scope, and simply gorgeous to behold. It's exactly the sort of adaptation one might expect from the auteur who built his filmography around sympathetic beasts and monsters who are all too human.


FRAGMENTS
- Andrew Garfield was originally cast as the creature but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts

- Dr. Frankenstein's tower looks like something pulled straight out of Konami's Castlevania video game series

- Doing perhaps what they do best, Charles Dance plays a very Charles Dance Character (see Game of Thrones, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, etc.), Oscar Isaac plays a very Oscar Isaac role (see Ex Machina, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, etc.), while Christoph Waltz plays a very Christoph Waltz role (see Inglorious Basterds, Spectre, etc.)


007 CONNECTIONS
- Christoph Waltz (Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre and No Time to Die)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- David Bradley (Church Keeper in Captain America: The First Avenger)

- Ralph Ineson (Ravager Pilot in Guardians of the Galaxy and Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps)

F1

F1
2025 | Dir. Joseph Kosinski | 156 Minutes

"If the last thing I do is drive that car, I will take that life, man."

Racing savant Sonny Hayes joins a floundering Formula One team at risk of being sold unless the team scores a victory within the season.

From director Joseph Kosinski and screenwriter Ehrin Kruger, F1 is essentially a competently crafted big budget extended advertisement for the sport of Formula One racing. The picture stylishly captures the thrill of race car driving through slick camerawork and masterful sound design. However, the narrative decidedly takes a backseat to the razzle dazzle, resorting to blending the standard sports film genre tropes of the underdog story and the seasoned veteran taking one more shot at glory, with a plot that's ultimately too thematically similar to Kosinski and Kruger's previous collaboration on Top Gun: Maverick. The old rogue indisputably proves that he is better than the talented young rookie (more so than taking him under his wing, forget passing the torch), severely bends the rules of the sport to give his struggling team an edge over the competition, and even successfully woos the pretty head of engineering while he's at -- wish fulfillment tailor-made for middle-aged dudes.

The racing sequences in F1 are a sight to behold, with pristine cinematography that clearly showcases every decisive turn, intense pit stop, and the occasional harrowing crash. The production filmed on actual Formula One racecourses in all of their glossy majesty ostensibly for authenticity and naturally as a savvy vehicle for promoting the sport. Disappointingly, celebrated film composer Hans Zimmer's score for the feature is mostly forgettable.

In the lead role of Sonny Hayes, the preposterous "nomadic racer-for-hire" who assists others in winning championships for various racing sports, Brad Pitt is perfectly charming though Hayes' somewhat shallow character arc as it is on the page undermines any angsty depth Pitt attempts to bring to the role. Damson Idris does what he can with the rather thankless part of cocky up-and-coming racer and momma's boy Joshua Pearce, serving more as a weak foil to Hayes than as a worthy counterpart and teammate. As technical director Kate McKenna, Kerry Condon manages to convincingly go toe-to-toe with Pitt until the engineering genius all but completely succumbs to his charms. The supporting cast also features Javier Bardem the team's stressed-out owner, Tobias Menzies as a slimy investor in the team, and Sarah Niles as Joshua's loving mother.

Rote storytelling aside, F1 is a serviceable entertaining cinematic experience that delivers precisely calibrated crowd-pleasing moments. It's not a film that's particularly interested in challenging viewers. Instead, the picture opts to reaffirm the older folks in the audience who carry even a shred of doubt over whether or not they've "still got it" should they wish to live vicariously through the handsome movie star in his 60s outfoxing his significantly younger competitors on the racetrack.


FRAGMENTS
- This feels like it may as well have been intended to be a long-gap sequel to Days of Thunder that was reworked to be a Brad Pitt vehicle, particularly considering its similarities to Kosinski's Top Gun: Maverick

- In his 60s, it stretches credulity that Pitt could be a viable race car driver, though as a point of attractive movie star comparison, he looks a hell of a lot better in this than Sean Connery looked in his 40s starring in Diamonds Are Forever

- Kerry Condon also appears in 2026 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Train Dreams


007 CONNECTIONS
- Javier Bardem (Raoul Silva in Skyfall)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Kerry Condon (FRIDAY in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame)

- Sarah Niles (Lynne Nichols in The Fantastic Four: First Steps)