Taylor Swift is in awe of the last movie she saw, One Battle After Another. While the 95% Rotten Tomatoes political action thriller continues its strong box office run, all eyes are on Swift with the release of her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, this past weekend. Swift’s theatrical event The Official Release Part of a Showgirl then overtook One Battle After Another at the weekend box office.
Despite losing this box office battle, One Battle After Another is secure in its status as an Oscars frontrunner. Last night (October 6), Swift appeared on The Tonight Show and gave her own review of the new political thriller, especially praising the performances: “Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor — how are they going to split the Oscar in half? […] Benicio was so funny, Leo was hilarious.“
Swift went on to say: “The fact that when you hear that theme each time, it makes you feel something different […] We are so lucky to be alive at the same time as Paul Thomas Anderson.” PTA, as the director is often known, directed the Best Picture winner There Will Be Blood, and produced other critically acclaimed pictures, including Punch-Drunk Love, Phantom Thread, and Licorice Pizza.
One Battle After Another follows ex-revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is pulled back into the action when an old enemy reemerges and kidnaps his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), against the backdrop of a raid launched on a fictional California sanctuary city, where the local population resists the military presence.
The other star Swift highlights, who indeed gives one of One Battle After Another‘s best performances, is Teyana Taylor, who plays Willa’s mother in the first segment of the movie before it moves to the primary timeline. While the entire cast is garnering praise, Taylor is the more likely Best Supporting Actress contender, while Infiniti might struggle to break through, as a brand-new star.
Leonardo DiCaprio is brilliant as always, though this may not be another defining performance of his career, while Benicio del Toro’s understated character probably won’t win him too many awards, but he is delightful in the role. Jonny Greenwood’s discordant score, meanwhile, is unconventional but perfectly captures the nature of these characters’ lives.
Paralleling Swift’s review, Jimmy Fallon commented on The Tonight Show that fans are lucky to be alive during Swift’s career. All around, the evening showed how it is possible to appreciate great art in uncertain times, especially something as impactful and aware as One Battle After Another.
- Release Date
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September 26, 2025
- Runtime
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162 minutes
- Producers
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Adam Somner
