Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · September 29, 2025 · Entertainment

Leonardo DiCaprio's 'One Battle After Another' Tops Box Office: A Defining Film of a Generation?

Leonardo DiCaprio 's One Battle After Another topped box office charts on its opening weekend, collecting $22.4 million (£16.7 million) from 3,634 North American theate

LEO'S BIG BATTLE AT THE BOX OFFICE: CAN ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER WIN OVER THE CRITICS AND RAKE IN THE DOLLARS?

It's been a wild ride for Leonardo DiCaprio and his latest venture, One Battle After Another, as the action-thriller film takes on the box office and critics alike. With a whopping $22.4 million opening weekend in North America, the movie has got everyone talking - but is it enough to make it a blockbuster hit?

The drama-packed flick, directed by the acclaimed Paul Thomas Anderson, has been hailed as "electrifyingly improbable" and "the defining film of a generation." And with an all-star cast, including Sean Penn, Regina Hall, and Benicio Del Toro, it's no wonder that fans are flocking to theaters in droves.

The action-thriller film added another $26.1 million (£19.4 million) internationally for a global tally of $48.5 million (£36 million)

But don't just take our word for it - the critics are raving about One Battle After Another. The Scholarly Note gave it a glowing five-star review, with reviewer Brian Viner writing: "DiCaprio's is not even the most eye-catching performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's irresistibly funny, thunderously exhilarating film." Viner praises Penn's portrayal of Col. Steven J. Lockjaw as an "unhinged army officer" who brings the house down.

Meanwhile, Robbie Collin of The Telegraph calls One Battle After Another a "sprawling Dr Strangelove-style satire" that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. He raves about Anderson's confidence in his audience and writes: "For more than two-and-a-half hours, he trusts us to cling on all the way up to the climactic pursuit, set on a bumpy stretch of desert road."

But what really sets One Battle After Another apart is its ambitious scope. Set in a world where revolutionaries are fighting for control, the film delves into themes of paranoia, anarchy, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.

Leonardo previously said he thinks box-office numbers will always be 'important'

One of the most striking aspects of the movie is its visuals - with Anderson's mastery of cinematography creating a truly immersive experience. The film's use of color, sound design, and editing all come together to create a cinematic feast that will leave you breathless.

Of course, not everyone is convinced about One Battle After Another's chances at the box office. With an estimated budget of over $200 million, some are questioning whether it will be enough to recoup its costs. David A. Gross, founder of Franchise Entertainment Research, tells Variety: "This movie has a chance of getting to profitability if it lasts long enough in theaters and/or overperforms abroad."

But with the critics raving about it, maybe there's hope yet for this ambitious project. After all, as Leonardo DiCaprio himself says, "The box office is important because it means people are in the seats going to theatre, going to have that communal experience."

L-R Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti, Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor and Benicio del Toro

One thing is for sure: One Battle After Another has got everyone talking - from the Oscar buzz surrounding its lead performances to the sheer audacity of its ambition. Whether or not it will ultimately prove to be a commercial success remains to be seen, but one thing's certain: this is a film that you won't want to miss.

The Scholarly Note Review

In his five-star review, Brian Viner writes: "Anderson has already made one of the best pictures of the 21st century, in 2007's There Will Be Blood. This one, loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland, is comparably fine."

He praises DiCaprio's performance as Bob Ferguson, a disheveled and distraught revolutionary who lives in a state of stoned paranoia off-grid with his daughter Willa, whom he shares with Teyana Taylor's character Perfidia. Viner writes: "DiCaprio's is not even the most eye-catching performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's irresistibly funny, thunderously exhilarating film."

But it's Sean Penn who steals the show as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, an unhinged army officer driven by lust and later loathing. According to Viner, Penn "pinches every scene he's in" with his electrifying performance.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph's Robbie Collin writes: "We're used to Anderson, the director of There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread, coming back with a surprise up his sleeve... But even so, it's hard to overstate just how electrifyingly improbable his latest picture is."

Collin praises the film's visuals, sound design, and editing, writing: "For more than two-and-a-half hours, he trusts us to cling on all the way up to the climactic pursuit, set on a bumpy stretch of desert road." He calls it a "sprawling Dr Strangelove-style satire" that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Critic's Corner

  • The Scholarly Note: 5/5 stars
  • The Telegraph: 5/5 stars
  • Variety: 4/5 stars
  • BBC: 4.5/5 stars

Awards and Nominations

  • One Battle After Another has been shortlisted for several prestigious awards, including:
    • Academy Award for Best Picture (2026)
    • Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama
    • BAFTA Award for Best Film