BEST FILMS OF 2021
The Oscars are back tonight and, as usual, I use the time to go back and look at some of my favorite movies from the previous year. This gives me the time and chance to see festival and awards seasons films that maybe came out late in the year and only just became available for in-home viewing. This article will cover 2021 films (not the Oscar season) so don't be surprised if you don't see awards season movies from this year but do see them from last year. On with the show!
#10- King Richard
Venus and Selena Williams are two tennis legends that need no introduction- which is why it is so refreshing to see a sports drama not focused on the stars of the sports but rather the person behind them. It may have been a more conventional path to make the film center around the two sisters, but King Richard instead gives refreshing attention to their father, Richard Williams (Will Smith), in a story about fatherhood as much as it is about tennis. Is this a story of a genius father looking out for his daughters’ best or is it a man of immense ego using them to rise the family star and gets unbelievably lucky? The movie itself doesn’t spend a lot of time answering that question and leaves it open to the interpretation of the viewers as it grounds the story with one of the best performances of the year, thanks to Will Smith. It hits a lot of the common sports underdog story beats that audiences are familiar with, but its framing on an interesting subject puts it far ahead of the pack.
#9- Encanto
Another film rooted in the theme of family- a trend for this year. This film had the misfortune of being released just as a new wave of COVID hit and drove most ticket buyers out of the theaters. As a result, it almost flew completely under the radar until its release on Disney+ brought it to the attention of small screens everywhere. Encanto is breathtakingly animated. That should come as no surprise given this is a flagship Disney Animation Studios project, and it is complemented by a list of banger music numbers (least of not which is that earworm that we don’t talk about). Lin Manuel Miranda had himself a killer year but more on that later. Songs and animation, however, do not a movie make. You still need a story and compelling characters and this one has it in spades as it tackles the cracks that can form under the foundation of a seemingly strong house. If that metaphor is a little too on the nose then fear not because it handles the topic of open conversation and healing wounds with an energy and sensitivity that’ll likely keep the most cynical (or most energetic kid) hooked and engaged.
#8- Judas and the Black Messiah
“Now, wait! This was from two years ago,” you must be thinking as it garnered a lot of attention during the 2021 Oscar season and swept up such awards as Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya and nominations for Supporting Actor for Lakeith Stanfield, Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture. Well, check your calendars. I’m not the Oscars and I look at the movie season annually like any sane person would! Judas and the Black Messiah came out late in last Oscar season and for good reason received nods in all those prestigious categories. With killer performance and a timely topic on governmental impact on race relations, this film was the whole package. It may be off season but not forgotten by this film fan.
#7- West Side Story
When this film was first announced, I was actively dreading it. The original 1961 movie is a classic for a reason and I grew up with a VHS copy as a kid. It remains one of the best Romeo and Juliet films to date and one of the best musicals of all time. So how could they possibly do it justice? How many times has Hollywood remade a classic and turned it into hot trash? Too many to count. But in Steven Spielberg’s veteran hands he takes everything that worked about the original, slaps a shiny new coat of paint on it, and gives us some of the best performances of the year to boot. It’s a bright, colorful film with killer sets, slick choreography, eye popping costume design, and all the great music numbers everyone remembers. It’s got an energy that’ll trick you into having fun and will make you forget about the oncoming tragedy that lands just as well as the bright points.
#6- PIG
Nicholas Cage is one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, quirks and bad movie picks in all. He is most well-known for his wild dramatic performances and him “losing his Sh**” as some have affectionately put it. It’s a rare but welcome thing when a movie comes along to really challenges him and offer a look at his more subtle side. Cage doesn’t need to be yelling or screaming in this movie. His quiet disposition and distant stare say it all. The film dives down a narrative rabbit hole in what begins as a man looking for his lost truffle pig and only gets more head scratching and wild from there. It’s one part mystery and one part character study of a man who left his old life behind. It needed a talented actor to keep audiences along for the ride. This was shockingly one of the best of the year and quickly dismissed claims of it being just a John Wick copy with a pig.
#5- Nightmare Alley
Guillermo del Toro is at it again! The director famous for killer production design and bringing adult fairy tales to life hits another winner in Nightmare Alley. Though perhaps more meditational and slower paced then The Sound of Water or Pans Labyrinth, it oddly has a similar spirit. It is a parable that looks at the folly of ego and a person enamored with their own ability and fame. Bradley Cooper gives one of his finest performances yet (in a career that’s becoming full of them) but it is really the director’s confident hand on this film that brings this fantastical tale to life. The sets are beautiful and the cinematography is stunning in the capture of the cynical, borderline Burton-esq gothic undertones. It is a talented director doing what he does best, and who could ask for more?
#4- CODA
This was a movie many people missed due to it being locked away on the Apple TV vault. It’s actually thanks to award season that it has gotten so much attention and its moment in the light. CODA is a beautiful movie in its contradictions. CODA stands for Child Of Deaf Adults and follows a senior student of an entirely deaf family as she tries to balance her family life with her final year of high school. It is a year that bring out her passion of song and music- something her family at first cannot understand as she tries to figure out what she wants out of her life and how that factors into obligations to her disabled family. Again, it is yet another film dealing with the theme of family and the good and bad that comes with it. The movie is juggling a lot of balls- showing us a glimpse into the deaf community, a coming of age story, a near-musical and yet when everything lands it all falls in place. You’ll forgive the movie for kind of looking like it was shot for TV, because it’s such a sweet uplifting film and just the kind of feel-good energy you may be looking for to begin the new year. And also it just may be the frontrunner winner for tonight.
#3- Spider-Man: No Way Home
I make it no secret that I am a massive Spider-Man fan. He has been my favorite hero since I was a kid. With a sixty-year history, massive character library, and tons of stories from the comics, there are so many directions to take this character. John Watts has done a phenomenal job creating new spin with this icon within the MCU. By drawing inspiration from John Hughes coming of age stories, he caps off his trilogy with the best yet- creating an arc that almost serves as a full origin story over the course of three films that brings Peter full circle, back to where we’d seen him in so many movies. This film is BY FAR the most fun I had in theaters this year. The crowd was eating it up. It had the laughs, it had the action, it had the stand up and cheer moments, it certainly had the nostalgia (with many returning characters from past franchises), but most of all it had a surprising amount of drama and heart. It was more than just the end of a trilogy- it was a celebration of an era of live-action Spider-man films. And what an era it has been. We can only hope for more such celebrations to come.
#2- Tick, Tick…Boom
I went back and forth on which of these next two films were my favorite. They are about as different as you can get. This was a film crafted by people who truly were in love with the subject. Remember when I said Lin Manuel Miranda had a good year. He is behind the camera and directing on this one and clearly it is both a story and subject that means a lot to him and where he can inject his years of musical theater experience. For Andrew Garfield, he turns in what I believe to be the greatest performance of his career and of the year as Jonathan Larson, a down and out of luck stage writer who is close to giving up on his dream. You can see in every scene his passion and work that went into portraying this character- made all the more impressive given his flawless American accent and the fact he had to sing! Tick, Tick…Boom is an overwhelming optimistic movie despite the tragedy at its core that completely succeeds in its message that no one knows how much time they really have; so just go for what you want in life. Such a powerful message could only have landed thanks to a team with a real connection and commitment to the man it is celebrating.
#1- DUNE
Of course, number one is Dune. How could it be anything else? Well, there was a lot of fantastic movies this year, but for me, Dune is perhaps the best epic science fiction and fantasy film that we have seen since Lord of the Rings. This genre is insanely hard to bring to the big screen as it requires a lot of world building, patience, and scale to right. The choice to split the classic novel into two paid off in a way that easily can come off as a money grab (Hunger Games or the Hobbit), but here allowed director Dennis Vellinueve the time he needed to bring the world on the page to the screen. From the visual effects to the costume design to the sound to the music and sets- EVERYTHING just clicks in a way we haven’t seen for a long time. The creator’s knew what makes epic fantasy truly epic and have delivered one of the best of all time. Now give us that Part Two and lets see if this can hold up with the greats!
So there you have it. My favorite movies of the year. Do you disagree? Agree? Let me know down below what should have been on my list or let me know how wrong I am!