Paul Thomas Anderson’s gritty action thriller has been the talk of the town now for more than two months. Released on September 26, it’s been the subject of controversy, debate, criticism, and praise, leading to One Battle After Another being one of the front-runners for the Academy Awards next year. That being said, it wasn’t exactly what you’d call a box office smash, but it did take in enough money to topple one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century.
Still in select theaters, One Battle After Another has thus far grossed a total of $202,150,456 at the worldwide box office as per The Numbers, surpassing Denis Villeneuve’s phenomenal 2016 sci-fi drama, Arrival. The Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner vehicle managed to make $202,109,476 by the time it was all said and done, but, interestingly enough, it still beats Anderson’s award-winning film in one specific category.
The bulk of One Battle After Another’s box office take has come from international markets, with just $70,614,205 of its gross being from North America. On the flip side, Arrival fared much better domestically, earning $30 million more for a total of $100,546,139. Coincidentally, Arrival’s international earnings were – you guessed it – $30 million less than One Battle After Another’s.
‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Arrival’ Share Surprising Similarities
On the surface, it might seem like One Battle After Another and Arrival have absolutely nothing in common. After all, one is a sci-fi drama and the other a black comedy action thriller. However, a deeper examination of the two reveals that they share surprising similarities that you might have missed, especially when it comes to their themes.
In One Battle After Another, fear and mistrust are the dominant players, which leads to tremendous conflict between the characters, both internally and externally. The same can be said of Arrival, where humanity is forced to confront its fears about the unknown, leading to the military, and Adams’ character of Louise Banks, basing their decisions on both real and existential pressures, just like Leonardo DiCaprio’s character did in OBAA.
Both movies also deal with the complexities of facing some very real human emotions despite our tendency to suppress them. Grief, loss, and love are all on display in both One Battle After Another and Arrival. Anderson’s movie uses violence, political strife, and resistance to get to what really matters, while Arrival takes a more nuanced approach, looking at them through the lens of language, communication, and the perception of time.
Structurally, the two movies couldn’t be further apart, but when it comes right down to it, they’re both tales as old as time that highlight how different genres of film broach similar topics and get their message across. They’re perfect examples of art imitating life, and though they might not be for everyone, that doesn’t discount the fact that when put side by side, One Battle After Another and Arrival share striking similarities that shouldn’t be ignored.
You can check out Arrival streaming now on Paramount+, and One Battle After Another on all digital platforms.
- Release Date
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September 26, 2025
- Runtime
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162 minutes