Acclaimed novelist Bret Easton Ellis has sharply criticized Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film One Battle After Another, calling it a politically charged piece of propaganda masquerading as cinematic art. While the film has received widespread praise from left-leaning critics, Ellis argues that its acclaim stems more from its progressive message than from its actual artistic merit.
Speaking on his podcast, Ellis acknowledged Anderson’s past brilliance—especially in the 2007 classic There Will Be Blood—but said the director’s latest effort falls flat. He described One Battle After Another as “not a very good movie” that has been overhyped due to its ideological leanings. According to Ellis, the film’s glorification of leftist revolutionary movements, particularly Antifa-style activism, is what resonates with critics in the current political climate—not its storytelling or cinematic execution.
Ellis went further, suggesting the film will be remembered not as a classic but as “a kind of musty relic of the post-Kamala Harris era,” a reference to the current administration’s leftward shift. He criticized critics who hail the film as “important,” urging them to “read the room” in light of the heightened political violence and unrest, including the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk.
While Ellis admitted the cinematography was “gorgeous,” he accused both political sides of misreading the film. The right sees it as a threat, the left as a rallying cry—yet Ellis believes the film fails to reflect the true political atmosphere of America in late 2025.
“There’s a liberal mustiness to this movie that already feels very dated by October 2025,” Ellis remarked. “It reads a tiny corner of the room, but it does not read what is going on in America.”
His comments have reignited debates about Hollywood’s ideological bias, as critics and audiences increasingly clash over whether films should reflect or challenge prevailing political narratives.
