Bret Easton Ellis Shreds Leonardo DiCaprio's 'Woke' Film: A Liberal Critique
SCATHING REVIEW: Bret Easton Ellis Rips Apart Leonardo DiCaprio's One Battle After Another
The literary world is abuzz with controversy as outspoken author Bret Easton Ellis, 61, unleashes a scathing takedown of Leonardo DiCaprio's latest film, One Battle After Another. On his popular podcast, The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Ellis pulls no punches, dismissing the movie as a "not-very-good" effort that has only received glowing reviews due to its "political ideology."
The thriller, directed by 11-time Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson, has been hailed by mainstream critics as a "masterpiece," with some even calling it the most defining film of this generation. However, Ellis isn't buying it. In a candid and unapologetic assessment, he claims that the praise is nothing more than a product of the movie's leftist leanings.
"It's kind of shocking to see these kinds of accolades for— I'm sorry, it's a not-very-good movie — because of its political ideology," Ellis declares. "And it's so obvious that this is what they're responding to, why it's considered a masterpiece, the greatest film of the decade, the greatest film ever made. Because it really aligns with this kind of leftist sensibility."
One Battle After Another has been making waves since its release, with some conservative critics labeling it "woke" for its depiction of left-wing radical terrorists as protagonists. The movie's progressive plot follows DiCaprio's character, Bob Ferguson, a former member of a far-left revolutionary group who must reunite with his comrades to take down an evil cabal of white supremacists.
The film doesn't shy away from politics, opening with a graphic raid on an ICE detention center and featuring scenes of government agents shooting at unarmed civilians. Conservative viewers have been quick to pounce, accusing the movie of promoting radical left-wing ideologies and even going so far as to call it "an apologia for radical left-wing terrorism."
Ben Shapiro was one of the first to weigh in, labeling the film a "conspiracy theory" that suggests the United States is run by white supremacist Christian nationalists. Pro-Trump cultural critic Jack Mason of The Perfume Nationalist blasted director Anderson, calling him out for his supposed "liberal mustiness." Even right-wing firebrand Alex Jones got in on the action, accusing the film of "fetishizing the liberation of illegal aliens from detention centers via the murder of federal agents."
Despite the backlash, One Battle After Another has still managed to rake in over $100 million at the box office—a career best for Anderson. However, it's unclear if the movie will be able to turn a profit and make back its budget.
The film's defenders, including Steven Spielberg and Taylor Swift, have come out swinging, with Spielberg gushing about the movie's "insane" action sequences and Swift declaring that it's "crazy" to think that Anderson is writing, directing, and existing on a "higher level."
However, not everyone agrees. Conservative podcaster Alec Mouhibian called the film "pretentious," while The Standard's Nick Howells awarded it five stars but admitted that it's "not for everyone." Bookmaker Ladbrokes has taken the odds of the movie winning the 2026 Academy Award for Best Picture from 12/1 last week to a remarkable and rare evens.
In the end, it seems that One Battle After Another is more than just a movie—it's a cultural touchstone that will continue to spark debate and discussion for years to come. As Ellis so aptly puts it, "This is a kind of musty relic of the post-Kamala Harris era—something that everyone gathers around and pretends is so fantastic and so great when it really isn't, just to make a point."
Whether you're Team DiCaprio or Team Ellis, one thing's for sure: One Battle After Another has got people talking.
