Political messaging can be seen everywhere in American media in 2025. It’s seen in apocalyptic thrillers, teen dramas and even superhero films, making everything we watch a commentary on the paths the U.S is going down.
Although certain pieces of media are more subtle about their symbolism, others are more direct with their viewpoints. This past year, media portrayed everything from revolutions against the government to superpowered immigrants.
“One Battle After Another”
First, looking at films, there is Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.” The film follows Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Bob Fergeson, a retired left-wing revolutionary, in his efforts to find his daughter after the government goes after them.
Although the film has its comical moments, it is quite blunt with what it is trying to say about America. It depicts the government as an overbearing authoritarian regime stifling the will of the people. They hunt down and kill revolutionaries and immigrants alike, leading to fear and chaos among the masses.
The film also does not try to hide its very negative view of the military as a whole. It spends a decent amount of its runtime showing how scummy the army officers are, including specifically highlighting scenes where military officers use blackmail and coercion to get the information they want out of people. There’s also a brief but poignant scene where, during a protest, the military plants a person in the crowd whose sole purpose is to throw a Molotov cocktail at the police to incite a riot.
Focusing in on specific characters, the main antagonist in “One Battle After Another” is Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). Lockjaw is played as an exaggerated metaphor. He is portrayed as a comically hypermasculine, “alpha wolf.” He’s an unaccountable, authoritarian arm of the government. Lockjaw is a character who thrives on the control of the masses, a visual reminder of the “big brother” the government takes the role of.
“Superman”
James Gunn’s summer blockbuster “Superman,” follows the story of the superhero of the same name (David Corensweat) after he attempts to stop a war between one of the U.S’s allies and a neighboring country. “Superman” has themes of immigration, kindness and commentary on real-life wars.
The war presented in the movie is somewhat portrayed as a representation of the real-life war between Israel and Gaza. Although it's not exactly a 100% comparison, details of the war in the film are reminiscent of the real war.
Because of this, “Superman” finds itself walking a tightrope. The film tries to stay true to the optimistic core of the character. However, it can’t ignore the uncomfortable parallels between its fictional war and real-world conflicts.
When Superman intervenes to stop the violence, he’s framed less as a savior and more as a controversial outsider, someone who had no business interfering in this conflict but did so against his country's wishes.
It’s also hard to ignore the subtle jabs at the state of media and public opinion. After Superman’s intervention, the film cuts between opposing news anchors debating whether he’s a hero or a terrorist, mirroring real-life political commentary within the news. The film is very clear on its harsh opinions on how the government and populace treat public figures in crises.
“Zero Day”
Taking a look now into the world of television, there is Netflix's political thriller “Zero Day.” Starring Robert Deniro as a former president and lawyer, the plot follows him after a cyber attack cripples the country’s infrastructure.
The show has a clear message about the concept of fake news. Throughout the show, audiences see scenes detailing false evidence being quickly spread and news broadcasts twisting the truth. It creates this sense that no one is truly in control, and everyone is desperately reaching for something to hold onto in this deluge of misinformation.
Although some have argued the show doesn’t really have a point, “Zero Day” attempts to tell a story about the very real danger to democracy a lack of accurate truthtelling brings.
These are only a few of the ample amounts of political stories released in the past year. Politics appear in many films and shows. With themes of misinformation, government control and mirrors to real conflicts, each of these pieces of media are a window into American politics and how the masses grapple with them.
