A new film just released on streaming platforms is being dubbed a modern day classic. One Battle After Another, a new thriller generating Oscar buzz, sees Leonardo Dicaprio as a washed-up former freedom fighter who is living off the grid with his teenage daughter. Pat is drawn back into his old lifestyle when his daughter is kidnapped. 

The genre-bending film has elements of an action thriller, heist movie and political satire. From acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson, critics and fans alike have called the action-packed picture a thoroughly entertaining watch. Empire Magazine went so far as to say: “In years to come, when this appears on TV late at night, it’ll be impossible to switch off. It’s just one of those films. A stone-cold, instant classic.”

Audience members have praised the film’s “immaculate” pacing and comedic moments.

Sixteen years ago, Pat and his partner Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) were members of French 75, a far-left revolutionary group that stormed a US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre and freed hundreds of prisoners.

It made him a target of Colonel Lockjaw, a white supremacist leader (Sean Penn). Even after living off-grid for years, Pat is anxious and lives in a state of stoned paranoia. Now, his nemesis has resurfaced and his daughter is missing.

Rounding out the star-studded cast are actors Benicio del Toro and Regina Hall.

The action thriller has a stellar reputation and 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ consensus reads: “An epic screwball adventure teeming with awe-inspiring action set pieces, One Battle After Another is Paul Thomas Anderson’s most entertaining film yet, while also one of his most thematically rich.”

The Oscar buzz around One Battle After Another has made it an early frontrunner for Best Picture. Anderson has yet to win an Oscar despite being nominated 11 times. Earlier this month, the film picked up best picture at the Gotham Awards.

As one critic commented: “There are sequences here so fluid and lucid that remaining sceptics may feel obliged to bend the knee. The messaging is basically: Start polishing that overdue Best Director Oscar now or don’t give it out at all.”

The Hollywood Reporter dubbed the film as “bracingly timely”, with The New Republic saying: “Somehow, a slacker epic decades in the making turns out to be exactly the movie for right now.”

The film was loosely adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s novel, Vineland, and one critic dubbed the film “Anderson’s take on the Great American Novel”.

One viewer wrote on Reddit: “Seen this twice now and think it’s an incredible film that absolutely lives up to the hype. Its an absolute blast of a film that just flies by in no time.

“The incredible score from Johnny Greenwood paired with a propulsive pace that’s constantly on the move but never feeling overwhelming makes this such an exhilarating watch.

“For as tense as the film can be there’s so much hilarious stuff in here too.”

Another said: “My take… one of the best films of the last 10 years. Benicio’s character is peak.”

One Battle After Another is available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video or Sky Store.