In Episode 43 (and not 42 as Clare so confidently announces in the first minute!) of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, we're discussing 2025 Paul Thomas Anderson film, One Battle After Another.
As well as examining the success of using dark comedy and satire to present themes of authoritarianism and revolution, particularly through the caricaturing of both the right and the left, we contextualize the politics of the film within the current rise of fascism in the United States.
We consider the presentation of failed violent revolution and the suffering of the individual in the face of perpetuating institutions. We look at the way in which rebellion can be undermined both by the weaknesses of individuals and the indistinctness of messaging or abundant bureaucracy. We are particularly interested in the burden of a fight placed on the shoulders of the next generation.
We critique the way in which the film was depicted either as a call to violence, by the right, or a celebration of left-wing protest, by the left. Rather, we conclude that, despite the film's sympathy for those who confront authoritarianism and champion liberty, it does so in the spirit of challenge, adopting the extreme representation of each end of the political spectrum by the other as a means both to provide comedy and provoke serious political thought.
In this episode we specifically quote from the following interviews and articles:
https://www.theringer.com/2025/09/29/movies/one-battle-after-another-movie-themes-explained-analysis
https://ew.com/teyana-taylor-defends-one-battle-after-another-perfidia-scene-that-hit-hard-11905646
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/teyana-taylor-golden-globes-breakout-year
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