- 2 months ago
Get ready to celebrate the best of the past year in pop culture with our MsMojo Awards 2026! From breakthrough stars like Teyana Taylor to blockbuster hits like “Sinners” and the smash-hit animated sensation “Kpop Demon Hunters,” we’re honoring the films, music, TV shows, and unforgettable moments that defined 2025. Join us for highlights, surprises, and the stories behind this spectacular year in entertainment!
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00:00Hi Bobby! Yeah, hi! Um, what are you doing? About to eat our pre-show ramen. Pre-show? What about
00:05the
00:06show show? Hey! Welcome to Ms. Mojo. We've got the spotlight warming up and the champagne on ice
00:12because today we're honoring just some of the pop culture that brought the mojo to 2025. I love you.
00:18I love your movie. It's really good. It's not just diversity good. You're gonna win. Oh, I love you
00:22so much. We're not gonna win, but I love you. Biggest breakthrough. The entertainment industry
00:28is full of talented people who grind for years without taking their careers to the next level.
00:33So it's especially gratifying when we get to watch one of them finally get the recognition they deserve.
00:38Delroy Lindo is a great example here. I'm still processing, if I'm really honest, but it's
00:44wonderful and part of my response has to do with how positive everybody else's response has been.
00:51I have a lot of support. This workhorse actor has spent 50 years turning in strong performances
00:56across film, TV, and theater. His Oscar nomination for Sinners feels well-deserved,
01:01but we want to shine a special spotlight on Tiana Taylor. If there's anyone who exemplifies what it
01:07means to be resilient, it has got to be Tiana Taylor. After an early career start choreographing
01:12for Beyonce in 2006, she pursued her own music career only to be met with a lot of false starts.
01:18I wanted to release my song and it was called Swag that I did when I was 15. This is
01:22before the word
01:22was even being used. Now it's overused and now it's just like, you know what I'm saying? But I just
01:29feel like my first album that was never put out was so ahead of its time. Through sheer willpower,
01:35she carved a niche for herself, but eventually grew frustrated by lack of support from her label
01:39and pivoted her primary focus to acting. Despite several exceptional performances following the switch,
01:45she continued to fly a little under the radar, but 2025 changed that.
01:50You didn't count on me. You didn't count on my fight. The message is clear.
01:56Free borders, free bodies, free choices, and free from f***ing fear!
01:59Her portrayal of Perfidia in one battle after another was passionate, layered, and vulnerable.
02:05Standing out even in a cast of serious acting heavyweights, it earned her multiple accolades,
02:10including a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination.
02:13We're happy to give Taylor her flowers here as well. Her talent and tenacity have more than earned it.
02:1820 years in a game of just, you know, pouring into others and, you know, it feels good to feel
02:25appreciated and seen and loved on, you know?
02:28Best animated film. Having long dominated the animation category at most major award shows,
02:34Disney entered the lists again in 2025 with a sequel to their 2016 Oscar winner, Zootopia.
02:39You know, this is not your worst idea.
02:43Wow, that was almost a compliment.
02:45Your worst idea is what you did with your ears.
02:47Boom!
02:49Alright.
02:50The aptly titled Zootopia 2 was widely praised by critics and audiences alike for its wit and warmth,
02:56going on to be one of the biggest hits of the holiday season.
02:59But no animated film in 2025 could come close to the golden triumph of K-pop Demon Hunters.
03:17Released direct to streaming in June of 2025,
03:20It's clear no one expected this original story of a demon-slaying girl group to make much noise.
03:26But noise it made indeed.
03:28And its fans made even more.
03:30Happy fans, happy hoon moon!
03:33An intriguing blend of ancient Korean folklore and modern K-culture,
03:37K-pop Demon Hunters immediately stood out for how fresh it felt.
03:40Of course, it didn't hurt that the story itself,
03:43which explored the ideas of shame, imperfection, and self-acceptance,
03:47proved to be universally relatable.
03:49Or that the animation was incredible.
03:51Or the main characters, allowed to be both badass warriors and flawed,
03:56sometimes goofy human beings, were so easy to fall in love with.
03:59Yeah!
04:01You're gonna kick their butts!
04:03Yeah!
04:03That's my girls!
04:05Not sure about this whole demon thing.
04:06I mean, they seem like nice people, but loving the energy!
04:09Spending an unprecedented 15 weeks in the Netflix Top 10,
04:13the film is, as of 2026,
04:15the most-watched original film in the platform's history.
04:18And a sequel has already been greenlit.
04:20The future looks bright for this shining underdog.
04:23I thought I wanted couch, but...
04:25I think couch can wait.
04:27Hi, everyone!
04:29Romy!
04:30Oh, my gosh!
04:31Hi!
04:31Hi!
04:32Hi!
04:33Hi!
04:33Hi!
04:34Hi!
04:35Hi!
04:37One of the best parts of live musical performance
04:39is how it can bring something totally new to the songs we love.
04:42Prior to the premiere of Wicked for Good,
04:44the cast appeared in a televised special entitled Wicked, One Wonderful Night,
04:48where the songs from the beloved show were performed with unique and beautiful new staging.
04:52We'll be happy to be there!
04:57Dancing through life!
05:00And who could forget Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show?
05:03The supporting visuals offered clever social commentary,
05:07but watching Lamar put the final nail in the coffin of his feud with Drake
05:10scratched that special petty itch that even the best of us have.
05:14Why you showin' like a, ain't you tired?
05:16Tryna strike a chord and it's probably a minor.
05:21For larger-than-life spectacle, though,
05:23we could only give it to the Mayhem Ball in Rio de Janeiro.
05:27Hold me in your heart tonight
05:30And I'm matching all the time for tonight
05:33Lady Gaga's two-hour extravaganza was packed full of all the things we expect from Mother Monster.
05:39Energetic choreography?
05:41Check.
05:41Inventive staging?
05:43Check.
05:43Eye-popping costumes?
05:45Check.
05:45Lady Gaga served it all while singing and dancing her lungs out,
05:49like the superhuman we suspect she might be.
05:52Show me the light
05:56I'm up to call my light
05:58Through the ebb and flow of songs throughout the night,
06:01she was never giving one drop less than 110%.
06:04It was an electrifying reminder of why, after all these years,
06:08she remains one of the biggest names in the game.
06:18best film you probably didn't see as release windows get smaller and markets for certain
06:24types of movies contract any given year is going to have some superb pieces of cinema that go
06:29completely under most people's radars uncuff me that's not actually what you want because i don't
06:34think you know what you want if you really thought about what you wanted it wouldn't be what you
06:37wanted. Sometimes they still managed to catch a little spotlight off award season, like the
06:42stunning impressionistic Hamnet or the sharp and strange Begonia. There's Andromedan code all over
06:47your Instagram. You're barely even hiding it. I mean, look at you. I'm supposed to believe you're
06:54a 45-year-old woman? Human? Woman? On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kiss of the Spider Woman went
07:01almost entirely unnoticed in spite of its incredible visual style and stellar lead
07:06performances. But perhaps one of the most unique films of 2025 is also, ironically, one of its most
07:12unsung. The Testament of Anne Lee is a revelation. Not one ripple to break on our song. All is peace
07:22before us. This experimental musical tells the story of the titular founder of the Shaker religious
07:29movement. The film uses the ecstatic worship practices of the historic sect to build its
07:34mesmerizing musical numbers.
07:50While the cinematography is a marvel, it's the intimacy that director Mona Fastfold achieves that
07:55is truly remarkable. We're drawn effortlessly inside of not just the scenes, but the emotions driving
08:01them. Whether in its moments of ecstasy or despair, Anne Lee makes the viewer feel everything
08:06intensely, due in no small part to Amanda Seyfried in the titular role.
08:25Translated through her breathtaking performance, we find a character journey rooted in the past,
08:29but also powerfully resonant in the modern world. It's a spellbinding experience that should
08:34definitely make your future watch list.
08:45Most bingeable watch. 2025 marked the long-awaited return of several shows fans have been impatiently
08:52waiting. Welcome back, Mark S.
08:58In a minute. Severance dropped its second season after a three-year drought, immediately pulling
09:04audiences back into its twisting narrative. Likewise, Andor also returned after three years
09:09to close out its chapter of the Star Wars saga with a powerful, timely exploration of oppression
09:14and rebellion that was hailed as one of the best entries in the franchise's history.
09:18I'm not sure how to thank you.
09:31Make it worth it.
09:33On the lighter side of things, The Summer I Turn Pretty's final season had its fans hooked
09:37and arguing over the central love triangle from beginning to end. But when it came to shows
09:42that kept viewers glued to the TVs, none was ever really going to beat out Stranger Things Season 5.
09:48Is that, uh, anything she saw us?
09:53Yeah.
09:54One of the defining TV shows of the last decade and the biggest hit in Netflix history, the
09:59final season was always going to be a big event. And the three-year wait between seasons
10:04only added to the increasingly frenzied hype.
10:07So everyone and everything's trying to hold you back and tear us apart because this, this is our year!
10:16Season 5 dropped in three batches on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve, effectively making
10:22everyone's holiday plans for them. With 10 years of anticipation and fan expectations riding on it,
10:28it was probably inevitable that the end of Stranger Things would be divisive.
10:32But love it or hate it, almost everyone was watching. And we'll be back watching again
10:37just as soon as that ninth episode drops. It's coming any day now, we're sure of it.
10:41There is a story that he can never tell. The story of the mage. Or at least not the real
10:50story.
10:51Best song from a film.
10:52We know what you're expecting to hear. Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters has had an incredible run.
10:57We're not saying it isn't a great song. Is it the best from K-Pop Demon Hunters, though?
11:02I'm done hiding, now I'm shining like a ball of...
11:09Um, Rumi, are you okay? Do you need some water?
11:13I just ate five. I'm gonna take five.
11:15It might be the most popular, but on such a stacked soundtrack, it's got a lot of stiff competition.
11:20So what could possibly beat it? Well, Miley Cyrus' soaring Dream as One from Avatar
11:25certainly deserves some consideration.
11:28Every time we dream, we dream as one.
11:34Wicked made a respectable play for the title as well, adding two new songs to part two.
11:39The Girl in the Bubble is an especially nice showcase for Ariana Grande.
11:53But no, our vote goes somewhere else.
11:56Something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time.
12:01It might hurt you.
12:03Hope you don't lose your mind.
12:05I Lied to You is one of the most memorable components of Sinners, which is saying quite a lot.
12:10Starting off as a soulful blues song, it transforms when its beat drops out.
12:30All of a sudden, the blues become a spine onto which is grafted an eclectic blend of sounds.
12:35Rock and hip-hop join with gospel, tribal drumming, and even Chinese opera
12:40in a celebration of music's connective power.
12:54This intoxicating merging of genres, eras, and cultures is a sonic thesis statement on one of Sinners' primary themes.
13:01Showing music as a living, adaptive entity that transcends all barriers.
13:06Managing to sound both brand new and ancient all at once,
13:09I Lied to You will have goosebumps rolling over your entire body.
13:13If a single song really could penetrate time and space, this one might be it.
13:18Somebody take me near your eyes
13:33Biggest album
13:34Bad Bunny kicked off 2025 well when he released his sixth studio album,
13:39Debí tirar más fotos, in January.
13:41Its near-perfect critical ratings and strong chart performance
13:45made its eventual Grammy win seem like a no-brainer.
13:48And for many music fans, it remains the best of 2025.
13:57The pop girls weren't going to let it go unchallenged, of course.
14:01Lady Gaga's mayhem highlighted the best of her madcap creativity,
14:04while Lily Allen's West End girl took listeners through a breakup with raw honesty and bold composition.
14:10And yet, nothing managed to match the impact of...
14:13The life of a showgirl.
14:14Oh, my lord, never made no one like you before.
14:22Throughout her career, Taylor Swift has proven time and again that one of her greatest gifts is in reinvention.
14:28With the life of a showgirl, she blends elements of all her past selves to make an album that is,
14:33if nothing else, unique within her vast catalog.
14:36Tracks like The Fate of Ophelia and Opalite showcase her gifts as a lyricist,
14:41while Ruin the Friendship reminds us all of her prowess as a storyteller.
14:52Predictably, the album also generated plenty of discourse,
14:55with Cancelled and Actually Romantic stirring up plenty of drama.
14:59And Wood introduced a cheeky, love-dazed version of Swift that took plenty of listeners by surprise.
15:04I ain't got to make all my...
15:06Forgive me, it sounds cocky.
15:09Amatize me and open my eyes.
15:11Overall, this album isn't the critical darling of 2025.
15:15Even the Swifties are split on how they feel about it.
15:17But it was the biggest thing going in the pop music conversation,
15:20and something about it feels very suited to the year of its release.
15:24Time will tell where it falls in the scope of Swift's career,
15:27but for the time being, at least it gave us plenty to talk about.
15:31I welcome the chaos.
15:32The rule of show business is,
15:36if it's the first week of my album release,
15:38and you are saying either my name or my album title, you're helping.
15:42Best hit song.
15:43Okay, we'll admit up front that 2025 was an odd year for pop music.
15:47Considering we couldn't even agree on a song of the summer,
15:50there's no clear runaway winner.
15:52Heck, Cat's Eye's Gnarly, which seemed to rage-bait its way to viral hit,
15:55might be the best illustration of pop music in 2025.
15:59Oh my god, this song's so late.
16:01Congratulations.
16:02Now you've been like, gang.
16:03Gang, gang, gang, gang, gang.
16:06Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl album wasn't without a candidate.
16:10The Fate of Ophelia charted well,
16:11and certainly features a catchy chorus.
16:14You took me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fader.
16:18Sabrina Carpenter also returned.
16:20Manchild, the lead single off her album Man's Best Friend,
16:23evokes the breezy, retro style that sent her to the pop A-list with her previous album,
16:28and is a fun listen, even if it doesn't quite recapture the magic of Espresso.
16:33Manchild, are you always gonna runnin',
16:39takin' all my lovin' for me?
16:41Alas, no.
16:43If it's magic we want,
16:44we suppose we just have to say the magic word.
16:53This single from Lady Gaga's Mayhem
16:55is everything that was great about her earlier career releases honed to perfection.
17:00An electropop dance beat pulses through the song,
17:03practically daring you not to move along with it.
17:06But variations between chorus and verse keep the energy changing,
17:09and the listener engaged.
17:10With a haunting dance, now you're both in a trance,
17:15it's time to pass your spell on the night.
17:18There's also something a little dark in the production,
17:21something almost spooky that makes Abracadabra feel distinct
17:24from other synth-heavy tracks in Gaga's discography,
17:27almost like she's some kind of pop sorceress drawing us under her thrall.
17:31Not that we mind.
17:32In a conscious land, therefore love tonight.
17:38Best Franchise Film.
17:39It was a year of both feast and famine in the franchise film game.
17:43While several legacy titles fell far short of expectations,
17:46others soared.
17:47Like Wicked for Good,
17:49which garnered softer critic scores than its previous entry,
17:51but was still an unquestioned success at the box office.
17:55Wonderful.
17:57They'll call you wonderful.
18:00Come and be wonderful.
18:03Trust me, it's fun.
18:04James Cameron continued to wow audiences
18:06with another visually astonishing trip to Pandora and Avatar Fire and Ash.
18:11And after several uneven years,
18:13the MCU pulled out two solid additions with Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four First Steps.
18:18But look, up in the sky, it's the DCU with Superman.
18:23Everybody okay?
18:28Hey buddy, eyes up here.
18:30After the divisive handling of the DC Extended Universe,
18:34Warner Brothers relaunched their superhero franchise
18:36with James Gunn's take on the Man of Steel in summer of 2025.
18:40And what better way to start over than to go back to basics?
18:43Okay.
18:47What do you know about these biological parents of yours?
18:51Just that they sent me here to serve humanity
18:55and to help the world to be a better place.
18:58After years of grim and serious Superman films,
19:01the 2025 reboot was a breath of fresh air,
19:04featuring a story that was fun without feeling lightweight
19:07and heartfelt without skewing corny.
19:09David Cornswet proved a worthy successor to The House of L,
19:12bringing plenty of charm to the iconic hero
19:15and serving as an excellent steward
19:17for the film's deeper themes of kindness and empathy.
19:20Plus, Superdog Crypto finally made his live-action film debut.
19:23Hot damn.
19:25What?
19:25It's a flying dog.
19:29Best Film Soundtrack
19:30A great film soundtrack works as a flavoring
19:33that deepens and enhances the story on screen.
19:36Wicked had a lot of its heavy lifting done for it
19:38by the award-winning show tunes it imported from Broadway,
19:41but they undeniably elevate the movie all the same.
19:44I do believe I have been changed for a girl.
19:50Mickey 17 stood out for a quirky, unexpected score
19:54that perfectly matched the quirky, ambitious film,
19:56and Sinners' blues and folk-infused music
19:58was the film's beating heart.
20:16Avatar, Fire and Ash is an immersive listening experience
20:20that works perfectly in tandem with the film's visuals.
20:22And Hamnet pulses with emotional poignancy,
20:25but one soundtrack still manages to take them all down.
20:28It's a takedown, I'ma take you out, and it ain't gonna stop.
20:32K-pop Demon Hunters was an absolute juggernaut.
20:35Its songs achieved real-life chart success
20:37and penetrated deep into pop culture.
20:40Maybe that should have been a given coming out of a film
20:42about two superstar K-pop groups,
20:44but not since Let It Go has music from a film dominated in this way.
20:48Pull me up, I won't stop.
20:50You're my soda pop.
20:52It is annoyingly catchy, though.
20:54It's infectious.
20:56Here, it's not just one breakout song.
20:58It's end-to-end bangers.
21:00Knockin' you out like a lullaby.
21:03Hear that sound ringing in your mind.
21:06Better sit down for the show,
21:08cause I'm gonna show you.
21:10I'm gonna show you.
21:12I'm gonna show you.
21:12I'm gonna show you.
21:13From the film's driving intro,
21:15How It's Done,
21:16to its anthemic closer,
21:17This Is What It Sounds Like,
21:18there are no skips.
21:20Golden still has the world in a chokehold,
21:22while Saja Boys' two songs,
21:24Soda Pop and Your Idol,
21:25prove that a boy group probably could collect enough souls
21:28to unleash Doomsday if they put their minds to it.
21:42These songs are all thoughtfully crafted,
21:44and multidimensional,
21:46as well as being just fantastic pop tracks.
21:48If there's a Han Moon out there that still needs ceiling,
21:51this soundtrack could do the trick,
21:52no question.
22:06It's cool to see someone whose work we enjoyed in the past
22:08coming back for a new phase.
22:10Cameron Diaz lit up our screens in the 1990s and 2000s
22:14with her accessible comedic gifts.
22:16In 2025, she was back after a 10-year hiatus,
22:19and proving that she hadn't missed a step
22:21with the meta-titled Back in Action.
22:23Mom!
22:24She's fine, it's not that bad.
22:27That I could speak to.
22:29Similarly, Hilary Duff,
22:31a staple of many a millennial teen CD binder,
22:35released her first new music in 10 years
22:36with the single Mature.
22:38A full album is expected later in 2026.
22:41Better to hear you say
22:43You're so mature for your age, babe
22:46Coming back after a lengthy break is never easy exactly,
22:49but when you've got prior achievements to your name,
22:52it certainly helps.
22:53It's something else entirely
22:55if you've got to come back up from the bottom,
22:57which is why we're giving this category to
22:59EJ.
23:06The singer and songwriter was living every K-pop fan's dream
23:10when she signed on as a trainee
23:12at the storied SM Entertainment in 2003.
23:15But after a decade of training,
23:16she found herself dismissed from the program
23:18without debuting,
23:19and had to recalibrate the entire trajectory of her life.
23:37EJ eventually became good enough to find success
23:40making hits for a number of successful K-pop artists.
23:42But a project called K-pop Demon Hunters
23:45would rocket her into the stratosphere.
23:47Not only did she write on most of the songs
23:49on the smash hit soundtrack,
23:50EJ provided the singing voice for main character Rumi.
23:53Making fear, afraid to breathe
23:56Till the dark meets the light
24:02Hearing her hit those high notes is impressive enough.
24:04But as she's gotten opportunities to perform her work in person,
24:08the whole world has been left wondering
24:10how SM ever could have doubted her talent.
24:20As the song Golden racks up accolades,
24:22EJ has been at the center of it all,
24:24enjoying this well-earned victory.
24:26Finally, in her moment,
24:28after a lifetime of hard work and setbacks,
24:30she shows us all how the comeback is done, done, done.
24:33Now I'm here as a singer and a songwriter.
24:41And I'm so...
24:43It's a dream come true to be part of a song
24:47that is helping other girls, other boys,
24:51and everyone from all ages to get through their hardship.
24:54Best New TV Series
24:55There were a lot of surprises to be found on TV in 2025.
24:59Like that, the medical drama could be made relevant again.
25:03Yet the pit managed to resuscitate the genre
25:05with its gripping plotline
25:06playing out almost in real time across 15 episodes.
25:09We need to talk about your numbers.
25:11Of people we've saved?
25:12Metrics.
25:13Our door to balloon times beat federal standards.
25:16I'm talking about press-gaining scores.
25:18Patient satisfaction?
25:20If they're still alive, they should be satisfied.
25:22Pluribus also subverted expectations,
25:25bringing pitch-black humor and riveting performances
25:27to a fascinatingly original apocalypse scenario.
25:30And if you'd asked us a decade ago,
25:32we would not have bet that Seth Rogen
25:34would produce one of the most clever,
25:36insightful, and beautifully shot satires of modern Hollywood.
25:39Yet there's the studio doing all that and more.
25:42Hattie, it's all happening.
25:43I know, isn't this exciting?
25:44It's so cool.
25:44No, I mean, it's really happening.
25:46I know, it's really exciting.
25:47I always loved the Globes, but...
25:48You know, especially when I was boozing,
25:50but being here as a nominee...
25:52Yeah, yeah, yeah.
25:52...it's on a whole other level.
25:53Worthy choice is all,
25:54but in terms of something that took over the cultural zeitgeist
25:57as both a great watch and a unique piece of TV,
26:00well, nothing breaks the ice quite like...
26:03Heated Rivalry.
26:04All right, boys, looking over here.
26:06Hey, watch me those numbers.
26:08Number three's excited.
26:09There's one.
26:10Where's number two?
26:11There we go.
26:13Gonna get a smile, please.
26:14Based on the Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid,
26:17this Canadian production was an instant phenomenon.
26:20It follows two hockey players from opposing teams
26:23across multiple years
26:24as their on-ice rivalry thaws out in the seam behind closed doors.
26:28And it is very steamy.
26:30I was just curious.
26:35Curious.
26:38And you make me curious.
26:39It's rare to see two men on a TV screen
26:42given the freedom to depict intimacy
26:43the way they do in Heated Rivalry,
26:45but just as refreshing is the way the show
26:47holds onto its emotional honesty.
26:49The star-making performances of Conor Story
26:52and Hudson Williams both as a couple
26:53and as individuals sell these two men,
26:56their complex relationship,
26:57and their rich interiority
26:59in a way that makes it impossible not to root for them.
27:01It's not always just you.
27:07I love you so much and I don't know what to do with it.
27:10Well-written, beautifully performed,
27:12and paced for maximum yearning,
27:14Heated Rivalry is the surprise slam dunk of 2025.
27:17Or rather, the surprise slapshot.
27:29Most dominant pop culture presence.
27:32Yeah, we're not even going to pretend there was another choice here.
27:35Taylor Swift sailed into 2025
27:37high on the history-making success of her Eras tour.
27:40She started off the year with multiple Grammy nominations
27:43for her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.
27:46And while she didn't win that night,
27:48she scored a massive personal coup in May.
27:50I get a call from my mom and she's like,
27:54she's like,
27:58you got your music.
28:00And I'm so sorry that this is,
28:04it's literally been so long since this happened.
28:07It's every time I talk about it.
28:08With the rights to her master recordings restored to her,
28:11Taylor finally had full control of her musical past,
28:14leaving her free to focus on the future.
28:16But it was still a shock to everyone
28:18when she announced her 12th studio album in August.
28:21Brand new album.
28:30The life of a showgirl dropped in October,
28:33instantly breaking records,
28:35topping charts,
28:36and setting new benchmarks of commercial success.
28:38And while she didn't immediately hop back on the road,
28:41in December,
28:41she did release a six-part docu-series
28:43taking her fans behind the scenes of the Eras tour.
28:46Preparing for the acoustic set
28:48is something that I do
28:51because I don't want to just wing it, you know?
28:55Like, I want there to be a sense of quality.
28:59I would never just get up there and be like,
29:01guess I'll try something.
29:02What's next?
29:03Oh, we're sure we'll be seeing plenty of Taylor in 2026.
29:07If for no other reason
29:08than her impending wedding to football player Travis Kelsey
29:11is bound to keep people interested.
29:13When they announced their engagement on Instagram
29:15in August of 2025,
29:16it became one of the platform's
29:18top 10 most liked and shared posts.
29:21No matter where you looked in 2025,
29:23Taylor Swift was there.
29:25This showgirl knows how to make the whole world her stage.
29:34Best film.
29:362025 was a particularly good year for movies.
29:39Across numerous genres and distribution models,
29:42there was no shortage of quality.
29:43I just want you to know that I really appreciate
29:45and really admire everything that you're trying to do.
29:47And I'm glad that I even got considered.
29:51Family drama has dominated a lot of the spotlight,
29:54whether in the nuanced character study of sentimental value,
29:57the aching emotion of Hamnet,
29:59or the screwball action of one battle after another.
30:01Go.
30:03Go.
30:04Fork!
30:05So damn!
30:06Go.
30:08Fork!
30:08Bob!
30:09Go, Fork!
30:14Meanwhile, horror fans have been thrilled to see movies like Weapons getting their due,
30:18and musical lovers have plenty to dig into,
30:21but at the intersection of them all sits Sinners.
30:24We brought this with us from home.
30:27It's magic what we do.
30:30It's sacred.
30:32It's being.
30:33Part Southern gothic vampire horror,
30:36part social commentary,
30:37part surrealist musical fable,
30:39on paper, this film sounds like it's destined to go off the rails.
30:43Instead, it achieved the near impossible,
30:45a complex, compelling tapestry of characters,
30:48themes, and symbolism
30:49that film scholars will be unraveling for years to come
30:52that is also a thrilling popcorn movie.
30:54They killed your brother.
30:57Made Stack, one of them.
30:59My beau.
31:00Said they was gonna kill Lisa.
31:03If now ain't go time,
31:05then I don't know what is.
31:06Anchored by two career-high performances from Michael B. Jordan
31:09as the twins Smoke and Stack,
31:11Sinners took big swings
31:13and wove intricate ideas into the fabric of its narrative,
31:16all while balancing atmosphere with action.
31:19In fact, every single element on screen is firing on all cylinders.
31:23It's impossible to put this film into any kind of a box,
31:26which is appropriate,
31:27because like its vampiric characters,
31:30Sinners is destined to live on long after this award season has passed.
31:34This world already left you for dead.
31:37Won't let you build.
31:39Won't let you fellowship.
31:41We will do just that.
31:43Together.
31:46Forever.
31:46Before we continue,
31:47be sure to subscribe to our channel
31:49and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
31:53You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
31:57If you're on your phone,
31:58make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
32:02The Most Mojo.
32:03A category like this could mean anything,
32:06but what it really comes down to is being a game changer.
32:09Ryan Coogler didn't just direct what we consider to be the best movie of 2025,
32:13he went all in on it with a confidence that most people can't even hope to aspire to.
32:18Having found himself on the losing side of Hollywood economics in the past,
32:22Coogler wasn't playing around when he sat down to negotiate with Warner Brothers.
32:26I'm from a place that is very cognizant of capitalism.
32:36You know what I mean?
32:45Not only did he retain final cut of his film,
32:49ensuring his artistic vision would be uncompromised,
32:52but got first dollar gross.
32:54This means that he would immediately start earning a percentage of ticket profits
32:58before the studio had recouped the production costs.
33:00But his biggest get was undoubtedly his rights of ownership.
33:04I understand.
33:05It's the last diamond you ever gonna see from us.
33:08And if we see you or any one of your clan buddies cross our property line,
33:12we're gonna kill them right where they stay.
33:14In an unheard of win in modern Hollywood,
33:16Coogler ensured that 100% of the rights to sinners and its merchandising,
33:21licensing, and associated projects
33:23would revert to him in 2050, 25 years after the film's release.
33:27When the film became an instant hit, Hollywood freaked out.
33:31It was very controversial.
33:32A lot of people were on the studio side were mad at Warner Brothers
33:35because it was like, oh, you're giving away this value,
33:38but that's an example of like using that leverage.
33:41It's like, okay, you figure this guy's so good
33:44and he's got this cast and this script's so good.
33:47He's like, this is what I want.
33:49Change the business, essentially.
33:50A number of articles downplaying Sinner's achievements
33:53got a lot of side eye as a potential attempt to slow the film's momentum.
33:57But it couldn't be done.
33:59Coogler bet big on his vision, his talent, and his potential.
34:03And to say it paid off would be an understatement.
34:05It goes beyond moxie.
34:07It is sheer, unadulterated mojo.
34:10Ooh, Ryan, you just, oh yeah, I feel like this is it, man.
34:13Come on up here.
34:13We love you, bro.
34:14Come on, come get this award.
34:17Forget all that other stuff.
34:18What were your favorites from 2025?
34:21Let us know in the comments.
34:28We'll see you next time.
34:28Bye.
34:28Bye.
34:29Bye.
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