Variety Scribe Doubles Down on Absurd ‘One Battle’ Theory

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

George Orwell’s “1984” reads like an instruction manual today for too many journalists. Take MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough:

“Start your tape right now because I’m about to tell you the truth. And f-you if you can’t handle the truth. This version of Biden, intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever.”

And no, Scarborough didn’t resign in disgrace following that Fake News broadside. He’s still gainfully employed and has yet to share an on-screen mea culpa for that rant.

And then there’s Owen Gleiberman.

The Variety film critic recently weighed in on “One Battle After Another.” The Paul Thomas Anderson film is an unabashed love letter to violent extremists, praising those who target ICE-like agents.

Naturally, film critics adore the film, including Gleiberman. Art remains subjective.

What’s less subjective is “OBAA’s” obvious, unrelenting Left-wing nature. The film glorifies far-Left radicals and paints U.S. officials as immoral racists who rule with an iron fist. Our so-called heroes use any means necessary to free illegal immigrants from custody.

• Guns
• Bombs
• Fireworks

And, if that messaging isn’t loud and clear after two-plus hours, the film ends on a note that reaffirms its pro-terrorist posture. These aren’t Proud Boys attacking the government over J6 imprisonments. The on-screen radicals want open borders at all costs.

Tell that to Gleiberman, who pushed an absurd think piece over at Variety suggesting the film isn’t a “left-wing movie.”

This isn’t merely a matter of semantics. In a strange way, the lionization of “One Battle After Another” as a cinematic manifesto, a movie that sees itself as part of “the resistance” and tips its hat to the glory of being a “radical,” has fed directly into the skewed right-wing view of the film.

Breitbart News’ John Nolte debunked the op-ed as effectively as needed.

The reason the liars at Variety are running to Battle’s defense only after it’s been out and hailed as a leftist masterpiece for nearly a month, is because the truth about Battle’s appalling politics is becoming a liability in the Oscar race, as is the fact it bombed at the box office. So now it’s all, No, no, no. This movie is totally apolitical because Christian nationalists and blah, blah, blah…

And, yes, “OBAA” could lose as much as $100 million due to its sky-high budget (a reported $130 million).

As they say at Instapundit, read the whole thing.

This reporter wasn’t going to weigh in on the matter after Nolte’s thorough debunking. What more is left to say after that?

And then this X post came across my feed. Gleiberman not only thinks “OBAA” isn’t “Left-wing” but neither were Saturday’s No Kings rallies.

Really.

The post came after this missive from critic Sonny Bunch of The Bulwark.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is not a left-wing movie, but it is a liberal/center-left movie. (It’s basically No Kings: The Motion Picture at the conclusion.) EDDINGTON, on the other hand, is a left-wing movie. https://t.co/PHPQYRBmy2

— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) October 19, 2025

Here’s Gleiberman’s response.

How is No Kings a “liberal/center-left” position? No Kings is…anti-authoritarian. It’s saying there should not be KINGS in America. Is that “liberal” or “center-left” to you? https://t.co/dgraXhUWvW

— Owen Gleiberman (@OwenGleiberman) October 19, 2025

Does Gleiberman think the radical, free speech enemies at Antifa are truly “Anti-Fascist” as their name cartoonishly implies? Did the Inflation Reduction Act reduce inflation? What about the Affordable Care Act? Are health care premiums lower today than when President Barack Obama gave life to that bill?

This X response to the critic’s post made the most sense.

☝️This is a perfect example of the inability to see beyond one’s distorting, ideological lens to such an extent that a position predicated on partisan spin is considered a neutral “common sense” stance. A bad trait for someone purporting to be a critic. Know thyself.

— Thomas Banuelos (@ReelTommyB) October 20, 2025