One Battle After Another is the latest project from director Paul Thomas Anderson and is one of his most notable movies to date. Set in a near-future dystopian America, the movie follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a former left-wing revolutionary who has spent years in hiding after his radical group was dismantled. Bob lives quietly with his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), trying to leave the past behind, until a menacing character from his past resurfaces.
At its core, One Battle After Another is a political thriller that sees its characters reckon with intergenerational responsibility and the personal cost of living up to one’s ideals. Several movies like One Battle After Another highlight similar themes and highlight the fact that human beings have always had to reckon with these truths. There are also movies that showcase how various artists over the years have handled these complex topics in unique ways, including by using humor and family-centered stories.
1
‘A Thousand and One’ (2023)
A Thousand and One introduces Inez (Teyana Taylor), a hairdresser who reclaims her son from the foster care system in New York City after seeing him on the street. The two struggle in a constantly changing New York City that’s been gentrified. As she does her best to provide a life for her son, she has to confront her own traumatic past that has contributed to her often troubled present. The movie spans several years and shows how this family gets by and comes together even in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
People should watch A Thousand and One after One Battle After Another because both movies, while different in style and focus, powerfully examine personal struggle against larger socio-political backdrops. Both stories center around parents who, regardless of what’s happening around them, are committed to doing right by their children. While One Battle After Another dramatizes overt resistance and revolt, A Thousand and One offers a quieter, more subtle story of resistance about a mother fighting for her child.
2
‘The Searchers’ (1956)
The Searchers is a Western that’s based on Alan Le May‘s novel of the same name. Like the novel, the movie introduces Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), a middle-aged Civil War veteran who goes on a journey to find his abducted niece Debbie (Natalie Wood). As Ethan and his younger companion Martin (Jeffrey Hunter) journey across vast, unforgiving landscapes, the line between rescue and revenge blurs.
Both movies center on a man consumed by the search for a missing girl, a mission that gradually becomes a reflection of his inner demons. The Searchers and One Battle After Another present perfect examples of antiheroes. Watching these movies back-to-back provides an interesting education into how this archetype has evolved over time. Additionally, both movies deconstruct myths about American identity and invite viewers to consider the lessons they may have been taught about American history and culture.
3
‘Mystic River’ (2003)
Mystic River is a neo-noir drama that introduces three childhood friends, Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon), and Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins). After growing up in a working-class Irish-American neighborhood, the three are reunited as adults after the brutal murder of Jimmy’s daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum). Sean, now a detective, leads the investigation while suspicion falls on the emotionally damaged Dave.
Watching Mystic River after One Battle After Another allows movie fans to shift from large-scale political conflict to a deeply personal psychological drama. Both movies center on men who are shaped by past wounds, whether from state violence or childhood trauma. Both movies feature Sean Penn in some of his most nuanced roles of his career. Mystic River and One Battle After Another highlight Penn’s ability to bring humanity to characters who, in lesser hands, would be impossible to do.
4
‘The Battle of Algiers’ (1966)
The Battle of Algiers is an Italian-Algerian war drama that mainly focuses on Ali La Pointe (Brahim Haggiag), who was one of the most influential Algerian revolutionaries during the Algerian War of Independence. The movie portrays the tactics of both the Algerians and the French, including bombings, assassinations, torture, and repression, with unflinching realism. The movie plays like a documentary and fully immerses viewers in the horrors of this conflict.
Watching The Battle of Algiers after One Battle After Another gives movie fans a powerful historical lens to deepen their understanding of revolution, state violence, and the personal cost of resistance. Both movies boldly portray conflict not just from the insurgents’ perspective, but also from the state or military power trying to suppress them. Through The Battle of Algiers and One Battle After Another, viewers can see how tools of rebellion and control evolve across time, yet the human cost remains heartbreakingly similar. Bonus (minor spoiler!): Bob is seen watching The Battle of Algiers while smoking weed on the couch in One Battle After Another.
5
‘The French Connection’ (1971)
The French Connection is a crime thriller based on a true story. The movie follows two New York City detectives, “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider), as they uncover a massive heroin smuggling operation run by a French drug syndicate. Known for its raw realism, documentary-style camerawork, and a legendary car chase through the streets of Brooklyn, The French Connection explores themes of obsession, moral ambiguity, and the blurred lines between justice and brutality.
Watching The French Connection after One Battle After Another provides viewers with a thrilling dive into the gritty realities of the law enforcement world. Both movies feature protagonists who are obsessively driven, whether chasing revolution or drug traffickers. One Battle After Another‘s revolutionary pursuit and The French Connection‘s detective manhunt reveal how obsession can blur ethical lines. Beyond action and intrigue, both movies focus on the toll these battles take on individuals, physically, mentally, and morally.
6
‘Midnight Run’ (1988)
Midnight Run is a buddy action-comedy film starring Robert De Niro as Jack Walsh, a tough ex-cop turned bounty hunter, and Charles Grodin as Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas, a mild-mannered accountant who embezzled millions from the mob. Tasked with bringing Mardukas from New York to Los Angeles in five days, Walsh faces a cross-country ordeal complicated by FBI agents, mobsters, and rival bounty hunters, all while dealing with Mardukas’ constant sarcasm and moral judgments.
Midnight Run offers the template for the action-comedy movie, and it’s easy to appreciate the fact that it’s one of the inspirations for One Battle After Another. While One Battle After Another might feature modern pacing, visuals, and stakes, Midnight Run delivers a masterclass in character-driven storytelling, sharp dialogue, and chemistry between its leads. Watching Midnight Run provides context for the genre’s roots, showing how tension, humor, and character growth can coexist naturally in a high-stakes journey.
7
‘Running on Empty’ (1988)
Running on Empty is a family drama that introduces the Pope family, who have been living on the run for years after parents, former anti-Vietnam War radicals, committed a politically motivated bombing that accidentally injured a janitor. As their teenage son Danny (River Phoenix) matures, he begins to long for a stable life and a future of his own, including a budding romance and a chance at a music education. These dreams put him in conflict with his family’s radical lifestyle.
Viewers should watch Running on Empty after watching One Battle After Another because the former offers a grounded and poignant reflection on the long-term impacts of living a life on the run. One Battle After Another presents high-stakes action, moral conflict, and the consequences of rebellion or resistance, while Running on Empty complements it with an intimate story about what happens after the battle. These stories explore what happens when ideals clash with family, identity, and the quest for a normal life.
8
‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street is a biographical crime drama that chronicles the rise and fall of a corrupt stockbroker, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), in the 1980s and 1990s in New York. The movie followsBelfort, who builds a wildly successful brokerage firm through fraudulent and aggressive sales tactics, amassing enormous wealth while indulging in a lifestyle marked by excess. As his empire grows, so does the scrutiny from the FBI, which ultimately leads to a spectacular downfall.
The Wolf of Wall Street and One Battle After Another highlight the fact that DiCaprio’s reputation as a leading man has been well-earned. In The Wolf of Wall Street, DiCaprio plays one of his most complex and arguably his least relatable characters, but he is still unforgettable. DiCaprio presents two wildly different characters in both movies, which is ultimately a testament to the range he’s always had as an actor.
9
‘Inherent Vice’ (2014)
Inherent Vice is a psychedelic noir set in 1970s Los Angeles. The movie follows private investigator Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) as he navigates a surreal and convoluted case involving a missing ex-girlfriend, real estate moguls, drug dealers, and a shadowy conspiracy. Blending dark comedy, mystery, and stoner culture, Inherent Vice captures the paranoia and countercultural vibe of the era.
Fans should watch Inherent Vice after One Battle After Another to explore a more surreal, introspective take on the aftermath of cultural and political upheaval. One Battle After Another serves as a spiritual sequel to Inherent Vice. While One Battle After Another may present direct confrontations, Inherent Vice dives into the hazy disillusionment that follows those battles, capturing the burnout and confusion of a post-1960s world. These movies highlight director Paul Thomas Anderson’s unique vision and cultural analysis.
10
‘There Will Be Blood’ (2007)
There Will Be Blood is a historical drama that introduces Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), a ruthless oil prospector in early 20th-century California who will stop at nothing to gain wealth and power. As he builds his empire, Plainview clashes with a charismatic young preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), exposing a bitter rivalry between capitalism and religion. The story is a meditation on ambition, greed, and the corrupting force of capitalism.
After watching One Battle After Another, movie fans should turn to There Will Be Blood to watch a story that’s a raw portrayal of power, ambition, and the human cost of domination. One Battle After Another focuses on external or ideological conflict, and There Will Be Blood digs deeper into the internal battle between a man and his inner demons. Anderson creates two opposite protagonists. Daniel Plainview’s descent into isolation and moral ruin is countered by any character in One Battle After Another who fights for a cause.
