The best movies and TV shows this year had one thing in common.

When their name comes up in conversation, you can't contain your rage.

You celebrate their failures and mock their successes.

You tell anyone who will listen why they're NOT to be trusted.

What is this feeling?

It's your petty adult grudge.

Most of us have one. Whether it's your work nemesis who you've waged a secret war on. A high school bully who tried to send you a Facebook friend request in 2012. A girl playing GA on a rival netball team that once shoved you kinda hard when you were 16.

As it turns out, this year's biggest TV and movies have revolved around grudges.

Beginning with Wicked, the film begins with Shiz University school students, Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Ervivo), both deciding they loathe each other (via song) basically because one is blonde and the other is green.

Watch The Spill's Laura Brodnik interview the stars of Wicked. Post continues after video.

This grudge carries through to the halfway point of the film until the two witches find common ground in their daggy dance moves they break out at the school formal. Relatable!

But for a large chunk of Wicked, these two had a mutual dislike of each other. "Loathing, unadulterated loathing. For your face, your voice, your clothing," they sang.

"Let's just say, I loathe it all."

I get it, girlies. Sometimes, you've just got to channel all your energy into an enemy.

On the latest season of Bridgerton, Eloise decided to focus solely on how she felt betrayed by Penelope for her secret identity as Lady Whistledown, even picking up a bestie replacement to wave in Penelope's face. This is girlhood politics!

Eloise's grudge against Penelope monopolised the season so much that the middle Bridgerton daughter barely spoke about anything else.

It makes sense — grudges can be all-consuming.

For another Netflix streaming sensation, Emily In Paris, a grudge between Emily and Camille has continued to dominate the drama. In the case of Camille, she seemingly spends all her spare time scheming against her former friend, Emily.

Camille was on the receiving end of a grudge on Emily In Paris: Image: Netflix.

Over on Nobody Wants This, Kristen Bell's Joanne spent the bulk of the first season trying to win over the affections of Esther (Jackie Tohn) but to a mixed response.

Esther has decided that she hates Joanne and once this is decided on, it's not easy to walk it back.

Grudges are so addictive that they can even be formed between two sides of yourself.

In the horror movie, The Substance, Demi Moore's Elizabeth creates a younger version of herself with Margaret Qualley and eventually, she resents and competes with herself.

At first, Elizabeth is a little irked by her younger self, but eventually, the two entities wage war on each other, and it doesn't have a pretty ending.

Thankfully, most grudges don't end like the final messy moments of The Substance.

Quite the opposite, an enemy can be a wonderful thing, especially one based on petty circumstances.

A grudge makes life a little more exciting, helps drive you to strive for success and it makes you feel like a main character, who must defeat an enemy… or at the very least, eye-roll every time they post another pic of their fiancé on Instagram. And if the very best characters are all doing it, they must be onto something.

So go ahead, start a grudge! It couldn't be more on trend in 2024.

Feature image: Universal Pictures/Mubi.