One Battle After Another Has The Highest Metacritic Score With 96

One Battle After Another, the highly anticipated political action thriller from writer-producer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, is one of the best films of the year. Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, the film follows a washed-up revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) who reunites a group of former radicals who reunite to rescue his daughter from an evil nemesis (Sean Penn).

Alongside DiCaprio and Penn, One Battle After Another also stars Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, Tony Goldwyn and newcomer Chase Infiniti in various roles. The $130–175 million budget film had its world premiere on September 8, with critic reviews pouring in ahead of the film’s scheduled theatrical release by Warner Bros. Pictures on September 26, 2025.

On Metacritic, One Battle After Another is now the highest-rated 2025 movie with a 96 Metascore based on 36 reviews. Although the film is technically tied with Julia Loktev’s My Undesirable Friends: Part I documentary, One Battle After Another prevails thanks to wider visibility and consistency among top critic outlets. On Rotten Tomatoes, it also holds a strong 98% rating.

What This Means For One Battle After Another

Leonardo DiCaprio with a gun in One Battle After Another

This critical milestone all but guarantees that One Battle After Another will be a dominant force during awards season. Paul Thomas Anderson is no stranger to acclaim, but this marks one of his highest-rated films to date. The film’s mix of revolutionary politics, personal redemption, and late-capitalist decay strikes a timely chord, and its $175 million budget justifies its reception.

With names like DiCaprio, Penn, and del Toro attached, One Battle is poised to become a hit following mainstream release. For Chase Infiniti’s debut, the film could be a major turning point in her career. Furthermore, studios observing this politically charged, dense narrative’s success may be more willing to greenlight similar projects, marking a rise in the lesser-explored genre.

Our Take On One Battle After Another’s Rating

Leonardo DiCaprio looking shocked while holding a rifle in One Battle After Another — Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another

According to ScreenRant’s review of One Battle After Another, the praise is largely justified. ScreenRant’s Gregory Nussen calls the film “Paul Thomas Anderson’s most electrifying film to date,” describing how it clearly feels like “a deeply personal film for Anderson.” They highlight how Anderson succeeds in melding his signature style with “Pynchon’s postmodern, plucky, weed-hazed humor” without losing coherence.

Given that One Battle After Another has received generally positive reviews from 36 critics on Metacritic as well as another 80 on Rotten Tomatoes (although some may overlap), the 96 Metascore seems not just earned, but perhaps modest. One Battle After Another isn’t merely a spectacle, it’s shaping up to be one of the most memorable films of the year.