Pop Culture Happy Hour

Episode: One Battle After Another And What's Making Us Happy

Date: September 26, 2025
Host(s): Aisha Harris, Glen Weldon
Guest: Monica Castillo (freelance film critic and programmer)
Focus: Review and discussion of Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, One Battle After Another, followed by the “What’s Making Us Happy” recommendations segment.

Overview

This episode dives into Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest feature, One Battle After Another, a sprawling action thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a washed-up ex-revolutionary. The roundtable—Aisha Harris, Glen Weldon, and Monica Castillo—unpack the film's urgent political messaging, standout performances (notably Sean Penn), and Anderson’s filmmaking craft, before transitioning, as always, to their cultural recommendations for the week.

Main Discussion: One Battle After Another

Introduction and Premise (00:22–01:38)

• Aisha Harris describes the unpredictable nature of Paul Thomas Anderson’s filmography and sets up One Battle After Another as an action thriller—“he’s in fine form” (00:22).
• Glen Weldon introduces Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Bob, a stoned-out former revolutionary searching for his missing daughter against a backdrop of institutional corruption and white supremacy (00:41).
• The ensemble cast includes:
  • Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob
  • Chase Infinity as Willa (Bob's daughter)
  • Sean Penn as Colonel Lockjaw (the antagonist)
  • Benicio Del Toro as Sergio (karate instructor ally)
  • Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills (Bob’s love, Willa's mom)
• Character name choices receive approving nods for their audacity and panache.

Key Themes and Character Insights

The Film’s Politics and Urgency (02:09–03:34)

• Glen Weldon: Praises the film’s clear-eyed approach to ridiculing white supremacy, noting its contemporary resonance:

  “White supremacy isn’t a radical fringe notion. It's back in the public square. It's public policy. And that's ridiculous. And that needs to get called out and ridiculed. And that's what this movie is doing. And not for nothing, having a great time doing it.” (02:09)

• Weldon observes the film strikes a fun and engaging tone rather than being heavy-handed, contrasting it humorously to “Eddington”—“It’s fun in every way that Eddington isn’t” (03:29).

Sean Penn: Villainous Highlight (03:34–03:51)

• Aisha Harris: Impressed by Penn’s performance as Colonel Lockjaw:

  “He is hamming it up. And I don't mean that in a derogatory way. He seems to be having maybe too good of a time playing this character.” (03:41)

• Monica Castillo: Echoes the sentiment, saying he’s “so good at it. So scary. I didn't recognize him at first... Oh, my God.” (03:51)

Anderson’s Craft and Visuals (03:51–06:07)

• Monica Castillo: Marvels at Anderson’s ability to balance a new genre and push himself creatively:

  “He just, like, grabbed onto that third rail of like, let's talk about politics right now, and made an exciting Thriller out of it... it is a masterclass. Firing it all on cylinders.” (04:29)

• Praises the desert car chase sequence:

  “I got to see this in IMAX and I felt like I'd never seen a car chase that good before... it was eye poppingly beautiful.” (04:59)

• Aisha Harris: Compares the chase to French Connection but “in the desert... so well paced and choreographed” (05:33). Also notes the film's near three-hour runtime is never felt.

Character Arcs and Stereotypes (06:07–10:14)

• Aisha Harris: Notes DiCaprio is in familiar territory as a faded, unreliable man, echoing earlier roles but still delivering entertaining sequences (such as the long password memory scene) (06:07).
• Glen Weldon: Explores the film's treatment of radicalism and how Bob embodies a version of the “60s burnout” whose legacy has been overwritten by mainstream culture. Weldon suggests Bob operates as the audience surrogate—someone burnt out and numbed by modernity, who finds himself persecuted because “people are actually out to get him” (08:52–10:09).

  “You need to particularize and localize what you’re fighting against... 250 years of systemic oppression needs a face, right? A face you can punch, and this film smartly... [delivers] punchable faces.” (09:59)

Revolution, Representation, and Critiques (10:14–17:24)

• Monica Castillo: Connects the film’s portrayal of activist burnout to real-life questions about sustaining movements and personal tolls (10:18).

  “There’s been so much conversation... How do you sustain a cultural momentum... In reality, that happens in countries the world over... you can tap into the movement, but you can't necessarily always quit it.” (10:18–11:30)

• Aisha Harris: Wants deeper exploration of the Black revolutionaries, especially Teyana Taylor’s sexualized character, Perfidia:

  “I wanted a little bit more of an understanding of what that revolution is for those Black characters... The Black and brown people are leading this charge. And I kind of wanted a little bit more of that before we turn to focusing on the Leo character.” (13:38)

• Glen Weldon: Acknowledges the surface-level treatment of revolutionaries of color, noting the film is a mainstream movie that “has subversiveness at its center” but is ultimately “a call to action, but not a humorless or didactic one, but a fun one.” (14:12–15:20)

  “Get off the couch, look around, and help each other. And I bought it.” (15:20)

• Monica Castillo: Appreciates the spectrum of revolutionary characters, from showy (Perfidia) to quietly competent (Regina Hall's Deandra, Benicio Del Toro’s Sergio), showing “different kinds of responses to this moment of action, a moment of crisis.” (15:35–16:29)

On Black Female Representation (16:29–17:24)

• Aisha Harris: Expresses concern over the film’s depiction of Black women, especially the sexualization/violence dynamic, and wishes for a more nuanced portrayal—but appreciates the prominence given to Willa, Bob and Perfidia’s daughter, played by Chase Infinity (16:29–17:24).
• Monica Castillo: Praises Chase Infinity’s performance as “astounding” in a complex coming-of-age role, holding her own alongside DiCaprio (17:24–18:20).

Closing Thoughts on Anderson (18:20–19:22)

• Aisha Harris: Sums up Anderson’s consistency as a filmmaker, his boldness in tackling a contemporary topic, and predicts the film will spark plenty of conversation:

  “Paul Thomas Anderson for me has never made a bad movie... I'm just very happy that he even decided that, like I want to at least try to address something that is happening now, something that's been happening for a very long time. But yeah, it's a fun time. I think people are going to have thoughts about it.” (18:20)

Memorable Quotes

• Glen Weldon (on the film’s villain):

  “You make your villain a white supremacist. That's like making your villain kill puppies or club baby seals. It's so cartoonishly evil... But this doesn’t. White supremacy isn’t a radical fringe notion. It's back in the public square.” (02:21–02:56)

• Monica Castillo (on Anderson’s craft):

  “Not only does he push himself and really try different things, both visually and narratively, it just feels like everything works together so precisely. Very entertaining. Completely riveted... I can’t say enough great things about this movie.” (03:51–05:06)

• Aisha Harris (on Black women’s narratives):

  “I do think the movie does give me something that I wanted more of. And that is, you know, this idea of Teyana Taylor's character, Perfidia, and what exactly her motivations are beyond just being a black woman... I wanted a little bit more of an understanding of what that revolution is for those black characters.” (13:32–14:07)

• Glen Weldon (on the call to action):

  “Get off the couch, look around, and help each other. And I bought it.” (15:20)

• Monica Castillo (on Willa’s character):

  “She’s like this naughty 16 year old who doesn’t trust her dad... trying to get him to wake up. And then she is kind of coming into her own at this moment and this, again, moment of crisis.” (17:24)

Important Timestamps

• 00:22 – Introduction to One Battle After Another and the roundtable
• 01:38 – Rundown of the plot and key cast
• 02:09 – The film’s political urgency and commentary
• 03:34 – Standout villain: Sean Penn as Colonel Lockjaw
• 04:29 – Monica Castillo on Anderson’s directorial craft
• 05:33 – The car chase scene analysis
• 08:13 – Layered depiction of counterculture; DiCaprio as audience surrogate
• 13:32 – Representation critiques: Black women’s roles
• 15:35 – Spectrum of revolutionary responses/leadership
• 17:24 – Praise for Chase Infinity (Willa)
• 18:20 – Closing thoughts on Anderson’s film and career

What's Making Us Happy This Week (21:42–25:59)

Monica Castillo:

• Bad Bunny’s Final Show at El Choli, Puerto Rico
  • Amazon live-streamed the last concert of his residency, sparking “memes and reactions and posts that people have been doing ever since then. It just felt like a moment for the community to come together and enjoy something, kind of celebrate Latino joy” (21:42)

Glen Weldon:

• Film: Plainclothes
  • In theaters, starring Russell Tovey and Tom Blythe; tackles entrapment of gay men by police in the 1970s.
  • Weldon highlights the film’s “solid wheel” storytelling and the choice of handheld video during emotional moments as fitting for a film about surveillance (23:02)

Aisha Harris:

• Documentary: Predators
  • Explores the societal and personal impact of the TV show To Catch a Predator, questioning whether it prevented abuse or simply created public spectacle and humiliation. Described as “complicated, layered, really harrowing and devastating and I highly recommend it” (24:02)

Overall Tone and Takeaway

The conversation balances critical analysis, political and social context, and enthusiasm for Anderson’s technical achievements and genre experimentation. The hosts appreciate the film’s ambition and entertainment value, while not shying away from critiquing its shortcomings in representation. As always, the “What’s Making Us Happy” segment closes out with a spirit of cultural curiosity and personal connection.

For more discussion and recommendations, find the Pop Culture Happy Hour team on Facebook and Letterboxd.

End of Summary.