Film: One Battle After Another

Billed as a Comedy/Drama, this lengthy film clocks in at 2 hours 50 minutes and definitely wasn't my choice. But in a quiet film year, I needed to get some value from my Odeon membership.

Sean Penn generally gets my vote – he doesn't always elevate a film to greatness, but he's consistently excellent. That holds true in One Battle After Another. However, his character, the story, and the film as a whole are deeply unsettling.

The plot follows a group of violent revolutionaries called the French 75, who we first meet as they attempt to free immigrants from prison. Some members – disappointingly portrayed mostly as Black women – let power go to their heads. What upsets me most is that an exclusive far-right group of officers and senior officials dare to call themselves the Christmas Adventurers Club.

Everyone seems to love this film, but I found it tense and uncomfortable throughout.

4/10