"One Battle After Another" is Paul Thomas Anderson's ("Boogie Nights") newest film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a washed-up radical who cares for his only child, Willa. Bob realizes through raising his daughter is becoming too much like her revolutionary mom.

Willa goes missing after Bob's home is attacked by the evil Sergeant Lockjaw, played by Sean Penn ("Mystic River").

Completely off the grid of society, Bob must navigate California with his friend Sensei Sergio, played by Benicio Del Toro ("Sicario"), find Willa before Lockjaw does and finally seek his revenge.

This movie is an intense ride but also a hilariously unexpected comedy.

DiCaprio has done it again as the lovable fool, Bob, playing the character as if he came out of "The Big Lebowski" and mixed it with his character from "Shutter Island". DiCaprio gets to shine in his comedy acting as Bob struggles through obstacle after obstacle, while trying not to lose his cool. He plays the role of a drugged-up fool so well that it was hard to believe it was him. This movie solidified DiCaprio as one of the best actors ever, if he wasn't already in the running. His performance alone is worth the price of admission.

Sean Penn plays the best bad guy I've seen in a movie this year! Lockjaw is a force of nature, and a terrifying one, too. Penn's acting is incredibly unhinged, uptight and unstoppable as Lockjaw. He has so many entertaining and some very funny scenes that Penn gets to utilize as his acting playground. His stare on its own is sure to make people shiver.

His character is the definition of revolting, and some of the actions his character takes are sure to make people's "love to hate" list in terms of villains.

Chase Infiniti is stunning as Willa. Her will to overcome insane obstacles and trauma made me absolutely love her character. She was a fierce and angry woman, hell-bent on getting back to her dad. Infiniti brought a raw, angry performance that will make your blood boil as she fights to survive the insanity Lockjaw puts Willa through.

There's a scene where it's just Willa and Lockjaw acting that had my fists clenched tight and my brow dripping with sweat. What an incredible performance!

Del Toro is brilliant as Sensei Sergio. Like Bob, he was also a revolutionary who took care of his immigrant family, while supporting them with his income. His chill demeanor was a hilarious contrast to Bob's drug-induced stress. Both of them bounce off each other seamlessly, and Sergio was great as go with the flow stereotype.

He was a great side character and a great part of the film's unexpected comedy. The scene in the movie that involves Sergio's apartment and Bob's phone troubles will have you rolling with laughter and second-hand embarrassment.

Anderson's directing is crisp and bewitching. I loved the orange and yellow color palette. It's a very warm film with a cold message about immigration and the people involved in governmental status. There's a scene that involves a bunch of hills and a desert that had my eyes locked in for what was about to happen. Anderson really knows how to direct a great thriller, using some great panning shots. Somehow, he was able to make a giant church feel like a small cage, which made my skin itch with agonizing suspense.

This film is nearly perfect, but I do think the movie wastes some time with over-elongated shots and some scenes with dialogue that drag on. I feel like you could shave half an hour off the film to make it more tolerable for casual audiences.

Overall, this is a great film to get lost in. The movie is full of great performances, great action, really laugh-out-loud comedic moments and a heartfelt story about family and past mistakes. I'd give the film a 9.5/10.

Carter Salley is Central Michigan Life's resident film reviewer and co-host of the pop culture podcast "Raving Geeks." He is majoring in media arts.