ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER: Paul Thomas Anderson vs. the New American Order
Description
In this solo episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, host Joe Curdy dives headfirst into ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER — Paul Thomas Anderson’s most politically charged and urgent film to date. (And, on a personal note, Joe also pulls back the curtain to reveal two major reasons why he is usually very positive about rating films!)
Based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, Anderson’s latest work unfolds as a sprawling and provocative look at revolution, authoritarianism, and the fight for human dignity in a fractured America. Through Joe’s lens, this episode explores how Anderson translates Pynchon’s chaos and satire into a modern reflection of the world today — where undocumented immigrants are hunted and forcibly deported by a draconian U.S. government under Donald J. Trump’s leadership.
With spoilers throughout, Joe shares his Letterboxd review and a deeply personal reflection on the film’s themes, visual style, and political relevance.
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER isn’t just another PTA epic — it’s a call to look at the moral decay beneath the surface of American life, and a cinematic act of resistance against the “New American Order.”
Whether you’re a longtime Paul Thomas Anderson devotee or simply curious how cinema can mirror our modern political reality, this episode offers a raw, unfiltered deep dive into a film that’s bound to spark conversation.
⚠️ Spoiler Disclaimer:
This episode contains major spoilers for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you may want to watch it first before listening.
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