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Society & Culture

One Battle After Another: A Brown & Black Breakdown

podcast October 17, 2025


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Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another got the casting right, but did it get Latinos and Blacks right?

People are still talking about the film One Battle After Another. We breakdown how Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie handles Black and Latino characters in Hollywood. With Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Chase Infinity starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, we ask: do these characters finally get the depth they deserve, or are they still written for white audiences? We also ask whether this three-hour film merits a rewatch.

Episode Summary

  • Are Black & Latino roles evolving?
  • Revolutionaries and redemption
  • DiCaprio, Taylor & Del Toro on screen together
  • Benicio’s “Sensei” and immigrant storyline
  • Black female portrayals under the microscope
  • Representation vs. white gaze in Hollywood
  • Why Lindelof’s Watchmen and Coco got it right
  • Teyana Taylor’s rise from VH1 to PTA prestige
  • Latino and Black artists entering prestige cinema
  • The future of inclusive filmmaking
  • Verdict: Entertaining but imperfect

Subscribe and listen to Brown & Black: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kXU3nCQQK6Udf7DzzD7x8 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brown-black/id1524696879

Follow us: 📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/brownblackpodcast Jack Rico: https://twitter.com/jackricotv Mike Sargent: https://twitter.com/mikesargent

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