“One Battle After Another” is set in a near-future, alternate-version United States , primarily in and around a fictional “sanctuary city” in Southern California called Baktan Cross, with key early scenes near the U.S.–Mexico border at an immigration detention center.

Story world setting

  • The film takes place in a dystopian, semi-futuristic United States under an increasingly authoritarian security state.
  • Much of the action centers on Baktan Cross, a fictional California town portrayed as an off‑the‑grid sanctuary for migrants and former revolutionaries.

Time period

  • The narrative spans roughly sixteen years, starting with militant actions at a border detention facility and then jumping forward to follow the ex‑revolutionary father and his teenage daughter.
  • Critics describe the timeframe as an “alternate” near future blending present-day politics with speculative elements, rather than a specific real‑world year.

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