This year, the most resonant films were not escapes from reality, but confrontations with it. Across genres and continents, a powerful triptych of films emerged, united by a central theme: the struggle of individuals and communities against oppressive systems. These stories, grounded in political urgency and dark humor, moved beyond allegory to engage directly with the global climate of resistance and state repression.
Three films in particular defined this movement. Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident unfolds as a tense, tragicomic road movie in Iran. It follows a group of former political prisoners who believe they have captured the man who once tortured them. The film, itself an act of defiance made clandestinely by a banned filmmaker, wrestles with profound questions of trauma, justice, and collective responsibility in the shadow of a regime. Its moral heart is often guided by the perspectives of children, offering a fragile hope for the future.
From Brazil, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent is a paranoid thriller set during the 1970s military dictatorship. It follows a professor, smeared by state agents and stalked by an assassin, as he attempts to flee the country. The film cleverly bridges past and present, concluding with a modern-day coda where archivists listen to his testimony. This structure underscores a chilling warning: the threats of authoritarianism are not confined to history but can re-emerge for new generations.
Completing the trio is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, a monumental thriller set in a United States haunted by resurgent fascist forces. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a former revolutionary on the run with his teenage daughter, hunted by a vengeful colonel from his past. The film masterfully creates a sense of temporal dislocation, where decades pass but oppressive tactics—like the violent rounding up of migrants—remain grimly unchanged. The daughter’s character becomes the narrative’s anchor and its symbol of enduring hope.
These films are connected by more than their themes. They share a distinct, absurdist humor that lampoons the brutality of power, whether it’s corrupt guards taking bribes via credit card terminals or the ridiculous pageantry of a white supremacist club. The laughter they provoke does not dilute the fear their worlds inspire; instead, it highlights the pathetic nature of the sinister forces at play.
Ultimately, this year’s standout cinema moved away from tales of solitary heroes. Instead, it presented narratives of community, solidarity, and intergenerational resilience. They are films deeply engaged with the present moment, reflecting real-world struggles and carrying a potent, shared message: that resistance, both on-screen and off, is often an act of necessary hope, passed like a torch to the future.