So this movie is being acclaimed as potentially "the best movie of 2025" by critics, awards, nominations, and some of my peers. Personally, I feel that it fell flat in many areas. I wanted to enjoy this movie, much more than I actually did. I saw it in theaters, pretty soon after it came out, and thought, maybe it would grow on me, but it never did. If anything, I feel like the more I think about it, the stronger I feel about not liking it. Not due to any political messages, more that it lacked substance or fell flat on nearly every point it tried to make. 

The opening sequence's pacing was all over the place, which I understand is to do with the chaotic nature of the revolutionary actions. I understand they needed a sec scene with Lockjaw and Perfidia, and also with Bob, but it was headache inducing. It should have been a clue that the sex scenes were more "important" than the revolution missions. 

Finally, the pacing and tone settled into a cohesive story, but this where I thought it would actually get interesting to me. Instead of having characters care about their individual "causes", nobody (save for some side characters) seems to instead. 

Bob's motives at least make some sense. He needed to lay low, and raise his daughter, leaving his old life behind, while keeping an eye over his shoulder. He has flaws, as he is burnt out, a stereotype stoner, which fules his paranoia even more. His character lacks depth, as it is implied that he only got involved in the revolution due to the fact that he was curious, while having a crush on Perfidia, then quickly is in over his head due to her recklessness. His character was one of few saving graces for the movie, as he was at least an understandable and realistic character. His scenes with Sergio were (in my opinion) the strongest scenes in the movie. I felt myself wanting the majority of the movie to be between them, and seeing more of Sergio's side. Sergio was still somewhat involved in his cause, with an interesting front and setting, caring for his community.

Perfidia, on the other hand, was such a disappointing character. She is definitely flawed (which isn't a bad trait for a character to have, but the execution was not good). She appears not to actually care about any cause, just that she found a lifestyle that benefits from her chaotic urges. She immediately rats out her compatriots, with very little motivation, when she is caught, and basically finds any opportunity to be cartoonishly promiscuous whenever she can. She doesn't care about her daughter, Bob, Lockjaw, the revolution, or even herself. I'm not saying she needs a redeeming quality, but it just made me roll my eyes nearly every scene she was in or mentioned. 

Lockjaw was played well by Sean Penn, but the character, himself, also lacked both depth and good writing. It is like he pretends he cares about his job, ideals, Perfida, or even what is supposedly his biggest motivation: getting into his racist club. All of that falls flat. I get it, he is both racist and horny while also definitely a hypocrite. None of it seems believable enough to buy. The end sequence, after he does the DNA test to confirm that he has an interracial daughter should have ended on the desert road sequence, like they teased, because his actual death then becomes less satisfying and unnecessary. 

The movie drags each act about 20 minutes too long in each act. I get that it has all of the big names behind it, some decently well made shots (while others are dragged on past the point of effectiveness to an almost nauseating level at parts), and all of the hype with the topical plot points. The movie barely focuses on the parts of the revolution, or the current event topical talking points that I think a lot of the praise is coming from. I thought the movie would attempt to tackle some of the actual issues that coincide with modern topics, but instead it just seemed to follow flatly written characters, and an agent trying to prove he isn't as much as a hypocrite as he is. I would have liked to have a fleshed out plotline that followed the revolution, versus the agents. Sergio and his post-revolution group and what has come from the actions before the time jump could have been a fun side plot to explore more. Why should I care about any side? The execution was not done well, while there was definitely potential that the movie never lived up to. 

Sorry for the long post and rant, but am I the only one who feels this way?  

One Battle After Another - Am I the only one who feels this movie is overrated?