As someone who loves Paul Thomas Anderson (I saw There Will Be Blood at least five times in theaters), I have no excuse for waiting so long to finally watch One Battle After Another. The 2025 movie, which was a hit with critics despite being a box office “flop,” not only lived up to the hype but also exceeded my expectations. PTA’s new thriller is a fun-as-hell, goofy, and badass movie full of rich characters (even those less-than-savory folks) played by some of the best living actors.
While I’m glad that Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro are receiving heaps of praise and some Golden Globe nominations, there’s one performance that’s not getting enough love: Regina Hall’s Deandre, a French 75 revolutionary who is a force of calm throughout this nearly three-hour epic. Seriously, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this wonderfully understated performance.
