This article contains spoilers for Everything Everywhere All At Once and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.Most action-adventure movies, be they of the sci-fi, fantasy, or superhero variety, typically end the same way. The hero defeats the villain and saves the day using some combination of strength, skill, cunning, and determination — however, many of the most popular movies from the past year or so have broken away from that trend somewhat.

These days, it’s becoming something of a recurring theme in popular movies for the central conflict of the film to be resolved not through force, but through compassion. It’s a notable departure from the usual formula of action-packed movie climaxes, but it consistently resonates with audiences in ways that a more traditional story wouldn’t. To understand why this has become such an increasingly common occurrence, we must first explore how recent films have explored this theme of empathy within their narratives, and why moviegoers find it so compelling.

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This Is What We Do

The three Spider-Men embrace at the end of No Way Home

While there’s no single film that can be singled out as the source of this trend, one of the earliest major examples is Spider-Man: No Way Home. Peter Parker has always been defined by his compassion and selflessness, and No Way Home emphasizes this more than arguably any other Spider-Man movie. Most Spidey films, even the animated masterpiece Into the Spider-Verse, feature the web-head stopping his foes through a typical superhero brawl. No Way Home is unique for having a story centered around Peter attempting to save the lives of his enemies, not just defeat them. “This is what we do,” Aunt May tells Peter in one pivotal scene. In No Way Home, what sets Spider-Man apart from his fellow heroes is his determination to save everyone — even those who seem beyond saving.

This emphasis on empathy would continue across nearly all of 2022’s superhero films. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever all feature antagonists who are defeated not through brute force like in most MCU movies, but by the hero appealing to their humanity. Even The Batman, as dark and gritty as it is, is ultimately a story about how hope and kindness are stronger than fear and vengeance. Animated movies are no exception to this trend either — in both Disney’s Encanto and Pixar’s Turning Red, the conflict is caused not by any villainous scheme, but by a broken family in need of reconciliation.

Even the recent DreamWorks sleeper hit Puss in Boots: The Last Wish places some focus on empathy. Throughout the film, Puss’ proud bravado is contrasted by his innocent sidekick Perrito. While Puss initially dismisses Perrito’s dream of becoming a therapy dog, Perrito’s kindness and optimism are repeatedly shown to be just as effective at solving problems (if not more so) as Puss’ skill with a blade. And later on, it’s Perrito’s compassion that allows Puss to overcome his paralyzing fear of the mysterious wolf, aka Death himself. In the end, Puss wards off Death not by winning their climactic duel, but by humbly accepting his mortality and resolving to value his final life — a conclusion he only reaches thanks to his bonds with Perrito and Kitty.

But of course, there’s no greater film from 2022 that encapsulates this trend better than Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film’s plot spans numerous genres and countless universes, but at its core, it’s a story about the importance of empathy and kindness. Throughout the movie, the major characters are all confronted with the vast, cruel, uncaring nature of reality, and deal with it in their own ways. Some embrace despair, while others try in vain to control the chaos of existence. However, it’s mild-mannered Waymond Wang (Ke Huy Quan) who delivers the answer that saves everything: compassion.

We Have To Be Kind

Evelyn Wang stood in front of Waymond and Joy Wang to protect them

In the film’s climax, Waymond screams out to a raging battlefield, desperately urging everyone to stop fighting. “We have to be kind,” Waymond declares. “Please. Be kind, especially when we don’t know what’s going on.” Simultaneously, in an alternate universe, an alternate Waymond gives a parallel speech: “You tell me it’s a cruel world. I know that. I’ve been on this Earth just as many days as you. When I choose to see the good side of things, I'm not being naive. It is strategic and necessary. It's how I've learned to survive through everything[…] This is how I fight.”

These two speeches serve as the thesis statement of Everything Everywhere All At Once: in a world that feels hopeless, we find hope by being kind to one another. Optimism and empathy aren’t foolish or pointless — they’re crucial for survival. And indeed, the film’s protagonist Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) puts her husband’s ideals into action in the film’s final showdown, in which she defeats her opponents not through force, but by helping them all find the happiness they need. It’s a message that’s resonated with moviegoers everywhere, earning the film a place as an instant classic.

At first, it may seem strange that there are so many films in such a short period of time that put focus on the power of compassion. But when one considers what the world’s been like for the past few years, this trend starts to make sense. So far, the 2020s have been defined by a global pandemic, intense political polarization, and ever-growing concerns over the environment, the economy, and bigotry, just to name a few. In a time when people feel more alienated and alone than ever, it’s no wonder that they’ll want relief from all the pain and fear of the world. And in many ways, typical action movies aren’t cut out for the job.

A Different Kind of Hero

Puss In Boots Skyrim

Most mainstream action-based movies follow a simple formula. There’s a problem, and the hero solves the problem by beating up the villain. Nice, clean, and straightforward. But in the real world, it’s never that easy. In recent years, people have become more and more aware of systemic issues, which are far beyond the scope of one person. In movies, the day is saved once the likes of Palpatine, Voldemort, or Thanos are dead. But nowadays, that kind of story no longer rings true — especially when peace is achieved through violence. In a world so filled with hate and brutality, some moviegoers have begun to question the use of violence as a means of solving problems in pop culture.

As such, it’s no surprise that so many storytellers have channeled the anxieties of the 2020s into a different kind of story. The biggest movies of the new decade aren’t glorifying violence with snarky, self-aware dialogue. They’re sincere, heartfelt, and show that true strength comes from kindness. And while there are some enemies who can’t be beaten through compassion alone — your Green Goblins and Jack Horners — that’s no reason to dismiss it entirely. Because it’s by lifting each other up that we find the strength to get through life’s struggles, and it’s our love for one another that gives us hope when we need it most. And now more than ever, we need stories that remind us of that truth.

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