One Battle After Another Ends With a Promise

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Spoilers follow for One Battle After Another, including the ending.

The film *One Battle After Another* depicts a world saturated with official violence. The U.S.-Mexico border is shown as a place of intense surveillance where authorities operate with unchecked power, intimidating people, conducting raids, and even taking over schools. Despite this bleak setting, the film surprisingly offers a hopeful message about the power of individuals to stand up, help each other, and find strength when the government fails to protect them. *One Battle After Another* is both a stark and uncompromising look at America’s history of over-policing and militarization, and a quietly optimistic exploration of how communities can build resilience in the face of authoritarianism.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film draws inspiration from Thomas Pynchon’s novel *Vineland*, particularly its exploration of what happens to people after a revolution falls apart. While *Vineland* looked back at the 1960s from the 1980s, this film spans the early 2000s to the present day. It centers on the connections between Pat (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), their daughter Charlene (Chase Infiniti), and military colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). The story kicks off when Perfidia vanishes and Lockjaw, who was secretly having an affair with her, becomes fixated on finding Pat and Charlene, now living under new identities as Bob and Willa. He’s also drawn into an anti-immigrant group called the Christmas Adventurers Club, fueling his desire for power and setting off a chase. As Lockjaw pursues them, Deandra (Regina Hall) tries to protect Willa, Bob battles his own struggles with intoxication to find her, and Lockjaw uses his connections to law enforcement, the military, and the wealthy elite to hunt them down.

The Christmas Adventurers Club is made up, unlike the first two groups mentioned, but the PTA’s portrayal isn’t far from real-world concerns. They depict a hidden, powerful elite controlling the country and posing a serious threat. While the club’s traditions – like only eating off Christmas plates and greeting each other with “Hail St. Nick!” – seem ridiculous, isn’t any ideology based on prejudice equally absurd? The book, *One Battle After Another*, is filled with moments like these: details that are initially amusing – like a character’s tight shirts or poorly-made tattoos – but ultimately reveal the author’s disdain for those who abuse their power to harm others.

The film clearly values protecting people over blindly supporting authority. This is especially evident in its portrayal of Baktan Cross, a city invaded by Lockjaw’s forces, and the citizens’ courageous resistance. Lockjaw’s group uses hateful language, callously labeling sanctuary cities and their inhabitants with derogatory terms and falsely accusing local businesses of illegal activity. This negativity is powerfully countered by the strong sense of community led by Sergio St. Carlos, known as Sensei, a respected martial arts coach. Sensei becomes a crucial ally to Bob when Willa goes missing, and Benicio del Toro delivers a captivating performance as a calm and capable leader. Dozens rally around Sensei as he expertly coordinates a response, guiding immigrants through hidden tunnels. With quiet confidence, Sensei assures Bob they’ve faced similar challenges for generations. A shared cry of “viva la revolución!” feels a bit cheesy, but it’s an uplifting moment reminiscent of *Fantastic Mr. Fox*. Sensei then enlists a group of skateboarding teenagers to help Bob escape, and their daring rooftop maneuvers are both exciting and humorous. Even when Bob stumbles, the scene ultimately highlights the heartwarming image of young people guiding a veteran into a safer future.

Throughout *One Battle After Another*, it’s evident that Sensei and the Baktan Cross community are just one part of a much larger resistance. Many organized groups are prepared to fight back against the government. For example, DJ Howard Sommerville leaves instructions for his allies to broadcast a warning if he’s arrested-or even killed-by Lockjaw’s forces, and two children carry out his plan, alerting other cities to the raids. A hospital nurse secretly helps Bob escape, showing her support for Sensei’s cause. A group of nuns offers Willa sanctuary, believing it’s a fundamental act of faith. Even a bounty hunter who previously worked with Lockjaw has a change of heart when he realizes Willa will be killed by the white supremacists he’s delivering her to.

The novel concludes with a series of brutal acts. Tim, a member of the Christmas Adventurers Club, attempts to protect the club’s reputation by killing Lockjaw and Willa after discovering their connection. Willa manages to fight back, killing Tim herself. Shockingly, Lockjaw survives being shot, but when he returns hoping for acceptance, the club poisons him, leading to his death in a dismal office. Ultimately, he is killed by the very people he considered his own.

One way to interpret the ending is that Lockjaw’s death doesn’t actually change much. The systems of power – things like border detention centers and the military’s actions – will continue as before, and the wealthy will keep profiting from others’ suffering. Sadly, much of that is already happening today. However, the real point of *One Battle After Another* isn’t about preventing those things. It’s about celebrating the idea that each generation has the freedom to decide *how* they will fight for change. The children who hear Howard’s radio signal, Sensei’s friends, and Willa all represent that power of choice.

The film’s ending shows Willa finally understanding who she is. After rejecting Lockjaw as her father and reaffirming Bob as her dad, she reads a letter from Perfidia that explains why she joined-and later betrayed-the French 75. As she and Bob set up new cell phones to stay connected, a radio tuned to a French 75 station announces a protest in Oakland. Without hesitation, Willa leaves, accompanied by Tom Petty’s “American Girl.” Like the song suggests, she’s an American woman shaped by the country’s promises, ready to face a big world and fight for what’s right. Earlier, Perfidia’s mother revealed her daughter came from a family of Black activists, and now Willa is continuing that legacy, joining others who are working to create a fairer system for those who have been hurt and forgotten. Ultimately, *One Battle After Another* suggests that no matter what America offers us, we have the power to make our own promises-to support each other, and keep fighting, one battle at a time.

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2025-09-26 00:55