Legendary director Steven Spielberg praises Leonardo DiCaprio's new "bizarre" action thriller at early screening: "What an insane movie, oh my God"

Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob in One Battle After Another — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Paul Thomas Anderson's new action thriller One Battle After Another has caught the attention of both critics and none other than legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg following an early screening, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

"What an insane movie, oh my God," said Spielberg at the screening held at the Directors Guild of America theater in Los Angeles, via The Film Stage. The Jaws director was moderating a Q&A with Anderson at the event.

"There is more action in the first hour of this than every other film you’ve ever directed put together," Spielberg continued. "Everything, it is really incredible. This is such a concoction of things that are so bizarre and at the same time so relevant, that I think have become increasingly more relevant than perhaps even when you finished the screenplay and assembled your cast and crew and began production."

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Many critics have been praising Anderson's directional efforts, as well as stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor, and Sean Penn's performances. "Anderson is operating at the height of his powers—I was floored from start to finish… This is one of the best films of the year," wrote Fandango's Erik Davis. Variety writer Courtney Howard said, "DiCaprio is in top form. Teyana Taylor is a standout. Chase Infiniti is a revelation. She steals the show."

The modern American nightmare in VistaVision, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER finds PTA capturing our current hellish landscape in a darkly funny film loaded with thrilling car chases, deafening shootouts, and absurdism. Shocking but familiar images abound. One of the best of the year! pic.twitter.com/5CvXbFfcYDSeptember 9, 2025

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is PTA at his most ambitious, bold, and urgent. A gargantuan, powerful, crowd-pleasing swing with a visionary idiosyncratic voice, brilliantly blending action, adventure, comedy & drama while pushing the boundaries of blockbuster filmmaking into a new era pic.twitter.com/lsvKWyTu6hSeptember 9, 2025

With One Battle After Another PTA crafts an emotional yet incredibly epic American odyssey through the ideology’s that consume America. Sean Penn is haunting yet hilarious and made me shed tears. Incredibly muscular editing with car chase(s) That evoke THE FRENCH CONNECTION. pic.twitter.com/NW8mFro0wrSeptember 9, 2025

One Battle After Another follows DiCaprio as an ex-revolutionary living off-grid with his daughter, who one day goes missing, forcing him to face his radical past in order to find her. The film also stars Benicio Del Toro and Regina Hall.

One Battle After Another hits theaters on September 26. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies and movie release dates.

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.