Debapriya Bhattacharya
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘One Battle After Another’ tells the story of ex-revolutionary Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), who used to be the demolitions expert for the militant activist group French 75. At present, he lives alone with his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), spending his day smoking and drinking in a constant state of paranoia. Willa’s mother was a member of the group, but left them when she was an infant, knowing that life with family was not for her.
When a threat from the past, ruthless conservative nationalist Colonel Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), reappears in Bob’s life, he makes a frantic attempt to keep his daughter safe. He reaches out to his old contacts for support, but finds his way blocked by a forgotten password. The action thriller on the subject of political resistance drives home how the actions of militants implode on themselves. If the story has you intrigued, the following movies similar to ‘One Battle After Another’ are sure to entertain you.
12. No Country for Old Men (2007)
Based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, the Joel and Ethan Coen directorial ‘No Country for Old Men’ opens with a drug deal that goes wrong, and millions in cash are left in the desert. When Vietnam War veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) arrives at the scene, he cannot help but take the cash. Soon, he finds himself hunted by heartless hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), who indiscriminately kills anyone who comes in his way. Llewelyn is also pursued by Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), as he investigates the crime and seeks to protect Moss from danger. Llewelyn, being on the run in the countryside and making the best of the resources he can gather, bears resemblance to Bob Ferguson’s run to protect his daughter in ‘One Battle After Another.’
11. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Adapted from Richard Condon’s eponymous novel, ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ centers around Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington), a Gulf War veteran who has nightmares about an ambush that his team faced on the battlefield. As the pain of the memories intensifies, he begins to doubt his reality and question his memories, ultimately coming up with the conjecture that his memories have been altered by an experimental procedure. Ben reaches out to Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), a man who served with him and is now running for Vice President, who refuses to pay heed to his ramblings despite holding a high opinion of him. However, Ben refuses to back down from uncovering the truth, putting people in positions of power on edge. Like Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another,’ Ben in the Jonathan Demme directorial is forced to get back out in the field at a time when he had put those days in the past.
10. The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
Originally titled ‘Der Baader Meinhof Komplex,’ ‘The Baader Meinhof Complex’ is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Stefan Aust. The Uli Edel directorial is set in West Berlin in 1967, where a visit by the Shah of Iran triggers a massive protest that is brutally quelled by the German police. The incident manages to radicalise Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck), who walks away from her family and bands with Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu) and his girlfriend Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) to form the militant Red Army Faction. Declaring West Germany a fascist police state, the group engages in violent terrorist attacks at multiple places to disrupt the government machinery. The actions of the Red Faction Army mirror those of French 75 in ‘One Battle After Another.’
9. Zero Dark Thirty (2013)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ is a dramatized retelling of the manhunt for Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader who became infamous as the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Considered one of the most wanted men on the planet, the search for the terrorist leader went on for almost a decade, under two separate administrations in the US. The film shows how the work of CIA intelligence analyst Maya (Jessica Chastain playing a composite character based on real people) becomes instrumental in locating Osama, and the mission that the US Navy Seal undertakes to neutralize the threat. The hunt for Osama resonates with the ruthless hunt for the French 75 members in ‘One Battle After Another.’
8. Argo (2012)
Adapted from CIA operative Tony Mendez’s memoir ‘The Master of Disguise’ and a Wired news report by Joshuah Bearman, ‘Argo’ is directed by Ben Affleck and stars him as extractor Tony Mendez. When the US embassy in Tehran is stormed by militants in November 1979, 66 Americans are taken hostage. Among them, six manage to take refuge with the Canadian ambassador, but their lives continue to be at risk. When the US government contacts Tony to bring back the hostages, he goes to Iran posing as a Hollywood producer scouting locations and attempts to pass off the hostages as his crew. Like Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another,’ Tony does whatever it takes to avoid capture and keep his charges safe.
7. A Prophet (2010)
Originally titled ‘Un prophète,’ the Jacques Audiard directorial ‘A Prophet’ centers around Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim), a young Muslim man who finds himself incarcerated in a French prison and struggles to fit in. Seeing his plight, Corsican mob boss Cesar Luciani (Niels Arestrup) takes him under his wing. Taking care of assignments for Cesar allows Malik to interact with other convicts with confidence and slowly rise up the prison hierarchy. However, it ultimately leads him to a path of conflict with his mentor. Malik’s struggle and the shifting relationships between the convicts are reminiscent of Bob Ferguson’s ordeal in ‘One Battle After Another.’
6. Carlos (2010)
Helmed by Olivier Assayas, ‘Carlos’ retells the experiences of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez (Edgar Ramírez), a Venezuelan militant Marxist who is nicknamed by the media as Carlos the Jackal for his violent activities. In 1973, Carlos gets recruited by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and gets to work plotting assassinations, abductions, and bombings across Europe and the Middle East. He even storms the headquarters of OPEC and Vienna with his team and manages to kidnap several oil ministers, gaining notoriety across the globe. Similar to a young Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another,’ Carlos’ work remains an expression of political violence.
5. Incendies (2010)
Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s play of the same name and directed by Denis Villeneuve, ‘Incendies’ follows twins Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) Marwan, whose mother leaves them two letters following her death. Jeanne is instructed to take her letter to the twins’ father, while Simon is asked to take his to their brother. The request comes as a shock to them, as they have been previously unaware of the presence of both individuals. Nevertheless, they undertake their separate journey to discover the story of their mother’s violent, brutal past. The different life that the woman manages to provide her children till her demise is what Bob Ferguson tries to do for his daughter in ‘One Battle After Another.’
4. Sicario (2015)
The Denis Villeneuve directorial ‘Sicario’ is set around FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), who is charged with overseeing cartel activities overseas. Quickly rising through her ranks in the male-dominated field, Kate gets recruited by SAC officer Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) to a special task force to fight the war against drugs in the field, along the border between the US and Mexico. As Kate and her team travel back and forth between the countries with the help of former prosecutor turned assassin Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro), they set their sights on flushing out the bigger kingpins at play. The operation that the CIA launches is similar to what Colonel Steven Lockjaw is seen leading against French 75 in ‘One Battle After Another.’
3. Munich (2005)
Based on George Jonas’ non-fiction book ‘Vengeance,’ the Steven Spielberg film ‘Munich’ depicts the assassinations carried out by Mossad after 11 Israeli athletes and their coach were killed at the 1972 Olympics. The narrative follows agent Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana). who leads Israel’s retaliation, alongside bomb-maker Robert (Mathieu Kassovitz), forger Hans (Hanns Zischler), driver Steve (Daniel Craig), and veteran Carl (Ciarán Hinds). Their operation takes them across the globe, but as more and more people get killed, Avner starts questioning the morality of his actions. Much like ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Munich’ chronicles the operations and counter-operations of extremists and armed forces.
2. V for Vendetta (2005)
Marking the directorial debut of James McTeigue, ‘V for Vendetta’ is based on the DC Vertigo Comics limited series graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, with additional artwork by Tony Weare. Set in a dystopian future where the UK is under a fascist totalitarian regime, the narrative tells the story of V (Hugo Weaving), an anarchist vigilante who works towards starting a revolution through planned acts of violence. While on his quest, he comes across Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman), a free-spirited young woman whom he protects from the secret police, and who becomes an ally in his mission. V and the French 75 in ‘One Battle After Another’ fight a similar fight against oppressive authoritarian regimes.
1. Children of Men (2006)
Inspired by the novel ‘The Children of Men’ by PD James, the Alfonso Cuarón directorial ‘Children of Men’ takes place in a near-dystopian society where all the women of the world have become infertile. As mankind faces the threat of going extinct, wars break out, and the world sinks into depression. However, when a woman miraculously becomes pregnant, former activist Thelonius “Theo” Faron (Clive Owen) decides to do everything he can to take her to a sanctuary at sea. Many parallels can be drawn between ‘Children of Men’ and ‘One Battle After Another,’ with both taking place in societies on the brink of collapse and under a brutal authoritarian regime. Despite putting the days of activism behind them, Bob Ferguson and Theo rise to the occasion and do their best to ensure the safety of the people that they care about.
Read More: Where Was One Battle After Another Filmed?
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