Ferroelectrics and related materials (e.g., non-traditional ferroelectrics such as relaxors) have long been used in a range of applications, but with the advent of new ways of modeling, synthesizing, and characterizing these materials, continued access to astonishing breakthroughs in our fundamental understanding come each year. While we still rely on these materials in a range of applications, we continue to re-write what is possible to be done with them. In turn, assumptions that have underpinned the use and design of certain materials are progressively being revisited. This perspective aims to provide an overview of the field of ferroelectric/relaxor/polar-oxide thin films in recent years, with an emphasis on emergent structure and function enabled by advanced synthesis, processing, and computational modeling.