American Psycho author blasts liberal movie critics over Leonardo DiCaprio’s woke film One Battle After Another

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Bret Easton Ellis, the author known for his controversial novel American Psycho, has strongly criticized Leonardo DiCaprio’s new movie, calling it poor quality in a harsh review.

In a recent podcast appearance, Bret Easton Ellis, 61, claimed that the movie’s positive reception from mainstream critics was solely based on its political message, rather than its artistic merit.

The 162-minute thriller, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson—who has received 11 Oscar nominations—has received overwhelmingly positive five-star reviews and praise from prominent figures like Steven Spielberg and Taylor Swift.

Okay, let’s talk about the new film, ‘One Battle After Another.’ While some critics are really going wild, calling it a generational masterpiece, honestly? I’m not seeing it. Ellis was pretty blunt about it, and I have to agree – the ‘masterpiece’ label feels like a bit of a stretch. It’s good, sure, but let’s not get carried away.

He recently expressed surprise on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast about the praise a particular movie has received, stating he believes it’s a poor film and suggesting its political message is the reason.

He explained that the film’s success and critical acclaim – being called a masterpiece, the best of the decade, even the greatest film ever – clearly stemmed from its appeal to progressive values. He added that it really resonated with a left-leaning worldview.

‘One Battle After Another’ feels like a dated piece that people overly praise, likely to prove a point, rather than because it’s genuinely good.

He felt the movie had a stuffy, old-fashioned quality that was already noticeable even before its release in October 2025. He thought it was out of touch with what people were experiencing in America, focusing on a narrow perspective rather than the broader national mood.

Some conservative viewers and commentators have criticized the movie’s storyline as being ‘woke,’ claiming it supports Antifa because it features a group of left-wing radicals as the main characters.

One Battle After Another is an action-packed thriller with political themes, inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel, Vineland.

In the movie, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Bob Ferguson, a man haunted by his past as a member of a radical left-wing group. He now lives a secluded life, battling paranoia and raising his daughter, Willa, played by Chase Infiniti.

When Willa disappears, Ferguson has to team up with people from his past – including his ex, Perfidia (played by Teyana Taylor) – to fight a dangerous group of white supremacists.

The movie immediately tackles political issues head-on, starting with a dramatic scene: a raid on an immigration detention center where government agents shoot at people who aren’t armed, as activists attempt to free those being held.

Some conservatives, like Ben Shapiro, have strongly criticized the book One Battle After Another, with Shapiro calling it a defense of far-left extremism.

He described the idea as a conspiracy theory claiming the U.S. is secretly controlled by white, Christian nationalists. According to this theory, people of color and allies – even well-meaning but ineffective ones like Leonardo DiCaprio – will have to fight against this entire system.

Alec Mouhibian, a conservative podcaster, strongly disliked the film, calling it pretentious and the worst he’d ever seen. Jack Mason, a pro-Trump cultural critic writing for The Perfume Nationalist, also heavily criticized the director and the movie.

Even Alex Jones, known for his strong conservative views, has criticized the film, claiming it glorifies the idea of freeing undocumented immigrants from detention centers, even if it means harming federal agents.

Despite earning over $100 million in ticket sales – making it Anderson’s most successful film to date – it’s still uncertain whether ‘One Battle After Another’ will recoup its production costs and become profitable.

Even though it didn’t do well in theaters, One Battle After Another has received excellent reviews, earning five stars from most critics.

In a five-star review for The Standard, Nick Howells praised the film as the most stylish and expertly crafted movie of the year, predicting it’s a strong contender for Oscars recognition.

David Gonzalez of The Cinematic Reel wrote that this film isn’t just excellent—it’s a standout movie for today, for the entire year, and could even become a classic for our time. He calls it a truly remarkable cinematic accomplishment.

As a lifestyle and entertainment insider, I’m seeing a *huge* shift in predictions for the 2026 Best Picture Oscar! Just last week, bookmakers Ladbrokes had the film at 12 to 1 odds. Now, they’ve dramatically shortened those odds to evens – that’s a really rare move, and it suggests they think this movie has a seriously strong chance of taking home the gold!

As a lifestyle and entertainment expert, I’ve seen a lot of reactions to films, but Steven Spielberg’s response to this one was truly something else! He was absolutely blown away, saying it’s an unbelievably action-packed movie – he genuinely believes the first hour has more thrills than *all* of my other directorial work combined. He kept emphasizing how incredible the entire experience is, and honestly, that’s high praise indeed!

It’s a really strange but surprisingly relevant mix of ideas, and I actually think it’s become *more* relevant now than it was when the movie was first made.

Taylor Swift raved about the movie while on The Tonight Show, where she was promoting her latest album.

It’s just one challenge after another! She exclaimed, referencing Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor, and wondered how the Academy would handle a potential tie for an Oscar. She added, ‘We’ll have to wait and see.’

It’s amazing to be alive during Paul Thomas Anderson’s career. He’s consistently creating incredible work, writing and directing it all himself, and it feels like he operates on a completely different artistic plane that we’re fortunate enough to witness.

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2025-10-13 23:52