Bret Easton Ellis Critiques Leonardo DiCaprio’s Film
Bret Easton Ellis, known for his novel “American Psycho,” has taken issue with the film “One Battle After Another,” featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. He argues that the film is being praised primarily because of its alignment with leftist ideals.
On “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast,” he expressed his surprise at the film’s acclaim, as it has become the highest-rated movie of 2025 on Metacritic, achieving a score of 95, as reported by Variety.
Although Ellis has previously praised director Paul Thomas Anderson, he has voiced strong disagreement with the glowing reviews for Anderson’s latest work, according to MovieMaker.
Ellis stated, “It’s kind of shocking to see these kind of accolades for — I’m sorry, it’s not a very good movie — because of its political ideology. And it’s so obvious that’s what they’re responding to.”
He questioned the hype surrounding the film, suggesting that it’s being regarded as a masterpiece simply because it fits a certain political narrative. “Why it’s considered a masterpiece, the greatest film of the decade, the greatest film ever made… because it really aligns with this kind of leftist sensibility,” he remarked.
Looking ahead, Ellis predicted that the movie would eventually be viewed as a “musty relic” of the post-Kamala Harris era, saying it’s something people might gather around out of pretense rather than genuine appreciation. “There’s a liberal mustiness to this movie that already feels very dated by October 2025,” he added, expressing that it seems disconnected from the current American landscape.
He also pushed back against a critic who labeled “One Battle After Another” as an “important” film, firmly disagreeing. “No, it is not,” he emphasized.
Returning to his earlier point, Ellis reiterated, “It has really not read the room. It has not read the room at all about what’s going on in America.”
The film stars DiCaprio as a revolutionary who emerges from hiding when a villain threatens him and his daughter. It also features performances from actors like Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and Teyana Taylor.
Since its release on September 26, “One Battle After Another” has grossed over $114 million worldwide, marking Anderson’s first film to exceed the $100 million mark, according to Variety.
