"Ever notice how art seems to grow more powerful the more people try to take it away from us? Take for example: the movies, TV shows, songs, and podcasts we watched and listened to this year. Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio made a movie in One Battle After Another about revolutionaries who fight back against an authoritarian government. The Pitt used a tried-and-true TV format the medical drama, to talk about our worsening health care system."
"Hell, even late-night TV took on the current presidential administration directly. But it wasn't all doom fighting against the gloom. Powerful music by Spanish-language and K-pop singers expanded our tastes and dominated the charts. Video games and novels helped us escape to new worlds, and the end of a certain podcast represented an all-important turning of the page as we enter 2026."
"I don't care what movie raked in the most money or inspired the most discourse. One Battle After Another is the movie of the year. Paul Thomas Anderson is working at the top of his craft in this Vineland-inspired tale about an ex-revolutionary who, to quote Magnolia, might be through with the past, but the past ain't through with. It's some of Anderson's most linear storytelling, and far and away the most commercial effort of his career."
Art grew in cultural power as creators used movies, television, music, books, and games to confront political and social crises. Filmmakers and actors dramatized resistance to authoritarianism, while television formats like medical dramas addressed a worsening health care system. Late-night programs challenged the presidential administration directly. Spanish-language and K-pop music broadened mainstream tastes and topped charts. Interactive media and novels provided immersive escapes. The conclusion of a major podcast signaled a transition into 2026. One Battle After Another received particular praise for its craft, genre blending, linear storytelling, and community-centered themes.
Read at www.esquire.com
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