EP297 – One Battle After Another

The Analysis: A Movie and TV Podcast

EP297 – One Battle After Another: PTA’s Event Cinema Masterpiece Matt and Bob are back with special guest Spenser Davis to break down Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another — a film already being hailed as one of the best of the decade. From VistaVision screenings to opening-night AMC experiences, the crew dives into what makes this movie feel like a true cinematic event. We unpack Leo’s “doofus era” performance, Benicio del Toro’s scene-stealing calm, Sean Penn’s wild villain turn, and how PTA balances chaos, comedy, and revolution in a way that feels both urgent and timeless. The conversation hits everything from Oscar predictions to Spielberg/Scorsese praise, the “Christmas Adventurers Club,” and the instant-classic desert car sequence that had audiences holding their breath. This episode is part awards talk, part dad talk, and all-in movie love — a celebration of PTA’s 10th film as a pop-culture and critical milestone. Lightning has struck.