The fourth time’s the charm for Paul Thomas Anderson. Three times before, he’s been nominated for the Oscar for Best Director. Only now, in his fourth outing, he finally gets to take home the trophy.

Anderson tonight is being honoured for his work on the epic thriller One Battle After Another, which he also produced and wrote.

The film follows a former revolutionary who goes into hiding with his young daughter, until an obsessive colonel tracks them down for a deadly confrontation.

The film is one pulse-pounding chase after another, but it comes studded with political themes tailored to the present moment: It probes questions of race, immigration and the circular nature of history.

Anderson was previously nominated for Best Director for his work on There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread and Licorice Pizza.


-ALJazeera