5 best acting performances from ‘One Battle After Another’

Paul Thomas Anderson creates a rich and complex world in One Battle After Another, a Leonardo DiCaprio-led action spectacle about a former revolutionary fighter drawn back into the murky underworld when his daughter is in danger. As his personal troubles intersect with political disillusionment, cracks begin to appear in society's apathy. A gunz ablaze tale follows.

The critical and commercial success of this action thriller puts it in the running for the Oscars, and that comes down to the nuanced portrayals from the main cast. Whether it's Leonardo DiCaprio's duality as the helpless, bumbling former fighter or the quiet intensity of Teyana Taylor's screen presence, the sharp writing is brought to life by some of the best acting performances.

"To sustain a story over two hours and 40 minutes, you have to care about the characters and take those big swings in terms of the emotional arcs of people and their pursuits and why you love that person and why you hate this person. That’s not a thing that ever goes out of fashion."- Paul Thomas Anderson about the movie for Los Angeles Times, published on September 18, 2025.

Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer. The list is in no particular order and contains spoilers for One Battle After Another.

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Lockjaw, Perfidia, and other best acting performances from One Battle After Another

1) Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn)

Lockjaw plays the perfect antagonist in One Battle After Another (Image via YouTube/Warner Bros.)

In one of Sean Penn's most complex roles, he dons the wolf in sheep's skin persona like a crown. When fans see him as the commanding officer, they know he abuses his powers immediately. It is in the way Lockjaw ruthlessly navigates his antagonism, going as far as remorselessly killing members of the French 75 to get what he wants. But his convoluted sense of self comes out slowly.

Lockjaw embraces his power while going further down a dark path by any means. If he needs to be pathetic and grovelling to satisfy his lust for Perfidia, he will do it. If he needs to gain an edge with someone more powerful by suddenly changing his demeanor, he will do it. That's what makes him so dangerous, because when greed consumes morality, nothing stops him from being the ultimate villain.

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2) Pat Calhoun/Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio)

DiCaprio takes on a new role as a stoner and former revolutionary (Image via YouTube/Warner Bros.)

DiCaprio stars as a has-been revolutionary who puts his past behind him to raise his daughter. His bumbling, stoner personality is hilarious at first glance, but underneath the cluelessness lies a fractured and complex man who has had the fire beaten out of him. Now, he is just a shell of a revolutionary who wants his daughter back, and that sets the tone for One Battle After Another.

But even if he has hung up his battle boots, he constantly finds his hilarious self in a pickle. This contradiction holds up a mirror to current hot-button topics, about finding one's purpose in a volatile socio-political space. DiCaprio's every expression and movement holds gravitas, and his ability to show a raw and unfiltered version of Bob Ferguson is a treat for movie fans everywhere.

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3) Charlene Calhoun/Willa Ferguson (Chase Infiniti)

Infiniti plays Bob and Perfidia's daughter, Willa/Charlene (Image via YouTube/Warner Bros.)

In one of the most intense debuts to date, Chase Infiniti plays Willa/Charlene, the daughter of revolutionaries. While her role starts as the catalyst for the hero and the villain to face off, she is so much more than the damsel in distress. Even before she is kidnapped, she is a fiercely independent teenager living with Bob's drug addiction issues, so that foreshadows what she is capable of.

Infiniti brings out an unfiltered rage and fear at Willa's circumstances after Lockjaw kidnaps her. When her new reality puts her on the run from a far-right extremist group and her biological father, she learns to look out for herself in One Battle After Another. She represents the face of the new-age revolution, and her tenacity shows the audience that she is ready for the job.

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4) Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro)

Del Toro as Willa's Karate teacher and Bob's friend (Image via YouTube/Warner Bros.)

Every movie needs a comedic relief, and for One Battle After Another, it is Benicio Del Toro's Sensei Sergio. His laid-back humor and personality pump the brakes on Bob's headless chicken demeanor. However, that doesn't take away from his morality as a revolutionary, working actively to safeguard Mexican immigrants by offering them safe passage through a hidden tunnel.

Sergio's dynamics with Bob make up some of the best parts of the Paul Thomas Anderson spectacle, and that is because of Del Toro's ability to handle a high-stakes premise with a light-handed deftness. This means jarring comedy amidst dangerous situations, but also a character every fan can root for in the movie's dire circumstances.

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5) Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor)

Taylor plays Perfidia, one of the main leads (Image via YouTube/Warner Bros.)

Perfidia is the face of the revolution. Steely, dedicated, and defined by her activism, she stands her ground and knows her worth. But her complexities as a woman on a dangerous path to justice and a new mother to Willa set her apart as one of the best characters in One Battle After Another. Her frustrations with her limitations are relatable, even if she is under wildly different circumstances.

She is Bob's partner, but more than that, she has a strong sense of self that anchors her minimal but impactful screentime. Her magnetic charisma as she faces Lockjaw, compared to her battle with postpartum depression, brings out the many facets of a woman who is forced to fight for what she wants, so that she can create a better world for her children to live in.

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Catch One Battle After Another in theaters worldwide. HBO Max is expected to have streaming rights for the movie, but the details are yet to be announced.