In a year marked by political turmoil and societal unrest, the 2026 Golden Globe Awards ceremony shone a spotlight on a diverse array of boundary-pushing films that grappled with the complexities of the current climate. Leading the pack was Paul Thomas Anderson’s magnum opus “One Battle After Another,” a sprawling counterculture epic that earned four prestigious accolades, including Best Musical or Comedy and Best Director for Anderson himself.
Described as a work that “inhales and intuits both the current febrile mood of reactionary hysteria and the tension and depression of those opposing it,” the film’s triumph underscored Hollywood’s ability to capture the zeitgeist, even in the face of a tumultuous political landscape. Leonardo DiCaprio’s clueless, dishevelled ex-revolutionary performance was a standout, while the excellent Teyana Taylor was recognised for her supporting role.
Yin to “One Battle After Another’s” yang was Chloé Zhao’s impassioned romantic fantasy “Hamnet,” which took home the awards for Best Drama and Best Actress for Jessie Buckley’s nuanced portrayal of William Shakespeare’s wife. Buckley’s award was a well-deserved recognition of her ability to bring emotional depth and complexity to the speculative reimagining of the Bard’s personal life.
Elsewhere, Timothée Chalamet’s electric turn in the “hellzapoppin’ pingpong comedy” “Marty Supreme” earned him his first Golden Globe for Actor in a Musical or Comedy, cementing his status as one of the most distinctive and captivating young actors in the industry. Similarly, Rose Byrne’s performance in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” was lauded for its portrayal of the “nervous, jittery high anxiety” that has come to define the zeitgeist.
The ceremony also celebrated the excellence of international cinema, with Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian thriller “The Secret Agent” taking home the award for Best Non-English Language Film, and Wagner Moura being recognised for his powerful lead performance.
While the Golden Globes have been tarnished by scandals in recent years, this year’s list of winners was widely praised as an “intelligent and serious” reflection of the cinematic landscape, setting the stage for a highly anticipated awards season battle between the likes of “One Battle After Another,” “Hamnet,” and the “delirious” “Marty Supreme.”
