Whether people think so or not, so called “woke art” movies have been around since the start of film, and really amped up around the 1970’s. For example, maybe one of the wokest (yes it is a word, I had to check) movies ever released, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, came out in 1975; a cult classic that transcended film and queer media (if you thought of Wicked when I said queer media, you’re my kind of person). Now, 50 years later, “woke art movies” are alive and well, and not only are they alive— they are oh-so-popular. Political art does not explicitly thrive in Hollywood either. The surge of political media is found in the “Big Apple” on Broadway. Art is inherently political, but there has been a surge of politically themed art within the last few years that has left audiences begging for more.
Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, was a historically fictional vampire horror movie (also technically a musical but that’s a conversation people are not ready for) that broke the box office and got a record number of sixteen Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Sinners follows two twins, known as Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) and their younger cousin, who is known as Preacher Boy (Played by Miles Caton). Set in the Mississippi Delta in 1932, it explores themes of racism and white colonialism, while also highlighting the impact of black culture on the music world. Sinners took home the Oscars for Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography. It also took home multiple Golden Globe Awards, BAFTA Awards, Actor Awards, and even Grammy Awards. (If you have not seen this movie, RUN do NOT walk.)
Another box office champion, Wicked and Wicked: For Good, directed by Jon M. Chu, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, was one of the biggest pieces of pop culture for the past three years. The movie adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical had us all obsessulated and for a good reason. The musical explains the events that come before The Wizard of Oz. It follows a girl named Elphaba who has been bullied for her green skin and telekinetic power for the majority of her life. She attends Shiz University and meets Glinda, a mean girl turned best friend. Eventually Elphaba’s powers bring them to the Emerald City to meet The Wizard where she tells him that she wants to help the animals of Oz, who are being silenced (because animals can talk in this story— Obvi!). The two friends uncover that The Wizard is the one behind the silencing of the animals, painting them as villains in order to control the people of Oz through fear. After uncovering this corruption, Glinda cowers to the power of the Wizard in fear of losing her status, while Elphaba harnesses her own power and defies him. The people in power paint her as wicked (if you haven’t caught on, she’s the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz), and that is where movie one— or act one for the staged version— ends. Even without the plot of movie two, you can see the political undertones and commentary on racism through Elphaba’s appearance and complacency through Glinda’s reluctance to stand up for what is right.
In April of 2024, the West End Revival of Cabaret was transferred to Broadway, where it ran until September of 2025. Cabaret is potentially one of the most influential musicals of all time, as it takes place in Berlin in the 1930’s. Before Nazi occupation, Berlin was an extremely progressive city. The musical follows an American reporter named Clifford Bradshaw and his time in Germany shortly before the Nazi Party took over. He finds a seedy cabaret called the Kit Kat Klub, where he meets his lover: Sally. As the Third Reich rises to power, Bradshaw watches as the people around him either support it, or ignore it. When asked to move to America in order to escape Nazi occupied Germany before it was too late, Sally replies with “it’s only politics, and what has that got to do with us?” He watched relationships form and crumble in fear of antisemitism due to the rise of Nazism, and the show ends with him leaving alone for Paris as the rest of the cast falls to the third reich taking power. The political message of Cabaret is how complacency is just as bad as being a part of the problem, and ignoring the issue ends in destruction. The club is a metaphor for ignoring the problem, as it was used by the patrons to escape their problems— and the musical does a great job of distracting the audience as well. I saw the Broadway revival of Cabaret in December of 2024, knowing nothing about the show besides the fact that it was provocative/sexually inappropriate, and had Nazi’s. Before the end of the first act (when a major character is revealed to be a part of the Nazi Party) I had completely forgotten the show was even about World War II. The show does a stellar job of distracting the audience through flashy costumes, dancing, and music, much as the club distracts its patrons from the politics surrounding them every day. While Cabaret has closed on Broadway, it’s still running in London. This is a show that I could talk about for hours (as you can probably tell) and I urge every person who has not seen it to watch any production you can find.
Shortly after Cabaret closed on Broadway, Ragtime opened at the Lincoln Center. Ragtime takes place in 1902, and follows a wealthy white family, a Jewish immigrant and his young daughter, and a black musician and his lover as their lives intersect in New York City. Already, you can tell this show has political themes just based on character description. It explores themes of racism, antisemitism, and the change of cultural practices in America at this time. One of the less obvious numbers in this show that explores these ideas is “What a Game.” What presents itself as a comedic and light hearted number in Act Two, actually explores the theme of trying to ignore and escape from problems. Father (many characters are referred to as their familial roles in this show; we don’t know their names) brings his son, Edgar (often referred to as “Little Boy”) to a baseball game to escape the turmoil their family is facing in regards to politics and racism. At the game, Father notices that the majority of the players are immigrants; a change made while he was out of the country for work. This number is important to Father’s character and his perspective on the America he remembers prior to leaving, and how within the span of a year America has diversified. While immigrants may not have been fully accepted, (which is evident by the patrons of the games spewing antisemetic slurs towards the players), progress was certainly made if they are allowed to play in Major League Baseball. If you are able to get to New York before August, I implore you, buy a ticket to Ragtime. The show was supposed to close in January, and has then been extended twice. I had the privilege of seeing the show in March and it was genuinely one of the best pieces of theatre I have ever seen. In fact, I plan on buying another ticket before the show closes (coming from a broke college student, if that does not speak volumes I genuinely do not know what does).
Political themes are found in kids films as well. Zootopia 2, came out this past year; the first movie which came out in 2016 was highly received. In a world where predators were being targeted as vicious savages, the two groups of predator and prey were split. The entire premise of the movie is a metaphor for racial stereotyping and prejudice. I mean, when you break it into its simplest components, A Bug’s Life is about the unfair treatment of the working class, and labor injustices. The Lorax, while more obvious, is about environmentalism, and makes comments on the danger of capitalism and greed. The same messages can be found in Wall-E, one of the most highly rated movies of recent years. The Lego Movie explores the dangers of conformity and corporate control while Encanto showcases the hardships that accompany generational pressures and societal expectations. These are only a few examples of the millions of kids’ movies with political messages. This is not to deter parents from letting their kids watch these movies (if anything, it should encourage them), but it is to show how significantly politics influences the media we consume, no matter the age or format.
The idea of calling certain movies “woke art movies” is honestly pretty dumb. As I mentioned before, art is inherently political. No matter the age it is intended for, the genre, whether it is for stage or screen, it is political. Art has been used to question authority throughout history, and even when art is not trying to be political, it is. The ability to create freely and express your opinion through art is political, and was not always allowed. Even today, in many areas of the world, there is censorship on what can be created and by who – Big Brother is always watching. Making art and being creative is political. With that being said, art with intended political undertones tends to be well received due to its ability to be related to current climates. So future filmmakers, playwrights, authors, and lyricists: keep making “woke” art.