California plays a starring role in “One Battle After Another,” filmed in locations from one end of the state to the other.
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Humboldt County has been enjoying its rare moment in the Hollywood spotlight; Sacramento and the Anza-Borrego Desert also have more than cameos in the Paul Thomas Anderson movie.
The descriptions below don’t give away any major plot points — but if you have zero tolerance for spoilers, see the movie first.
The Anza-Borrego Desert
The final chase puts three cars on a dizzying rollercoaster stretch of desert highway. There’s some movie magic involved in the perspective, but the “Texas Dip” is a real place, where Borrego Springs Road drops and rises as it crosses a seasonal wash. The low wall where teenage Willa takes cover is also real, a sign announcing “Welcome to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.”
About 10 miles to the northeast, in Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area, is the eerie canyon where Col. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) meets up with bounty hunter Avanti.
Humboldt County
Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) makes a frantic phone call outside Murphy’s Market in “One Battle After Another.” (Warner Bros/TNS)
Eureka and Arcata play the part of Baktan Cross, the fictional community where Willa (Chase Infiniti) and her father Bob live. Among the locations:
• Murphy’s Market, 4020 Walnut St., Cutten. In January 2024, one of the earliest photos from what was then known as “The BC Project” showed Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) in plaid bathrobe and wraparound sunglasses outside Murphy’s. The payphone in the scene is a prop; it briefly replaced the store’s water machine. Across the street is Babe’s Pizza & Pasta, which was dressed as a Mexican restaurant for the movie.
• Eureka High, 1915 J St., Eureka. Willa’s school.
• Raliberto’s Taco Shop, 1811 G St., Arcata. It’s in the shadow of the overpass where Bob flees on foot along a highway.
• Sequoia Park. The escape tunnel from Bob and Willa’s house emerges in the forested city park.
Sacramento
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Scenes involving a bank robbery and the subsequent chase were shot in downtown Sacramento. The Christmas Adventurers’ headquarters is Ronald Reagan’s old house (1341 45th St.), and Lockjaw’s medal ceremony is inside the Sacramento County Superior Courthouse.
Lompoc
The chapel where Willa meets Lockjaw is at La Purísima Mission. Shooting also took place at the historic mission in San Juan Bautista.
