In 2021, the world of entertainment and popular media underwent a radical transformation as digital-first behaviors, accelerated by global pandemic shifts, became the new baseline. From the rise of "snackable" video content to the absolute dominance of streaming, 2021 was defined by a blend of comfort-seeking nostalgia and groundbreaking new formats.
Television and streaming served as the primary cultural campfire in 2021. While 2020 was about comfort and nostalgia, 2021 was characterized by high-concept, high-stakes narratives that reflected a collective sense of social anxiety and inequality. No project exemplified this better than the South Korean survival drama Squid Game. Emerging as a global phenomenon on Netflix, it became the platform’s most-watched series ever, proving that international audiences were more than willing to "overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles," as director Bong Joon-ho famously suggested. Simultaneously, the Marvel Cinematic Universe successfully pivoted to the small screen with series like WandaVision and Loki, using the episodic format to explore grief and identity in ways a two-hour film could not.
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