OK so that was another peculiar year, I mean it was not as shit as 2020, but then again it was not as great as 1999 either. I managed to watch 143 films (over many different platforms) from the year 2021.
Some might say that that is a bit excessive, and to those people I would say, you are probably right. I really need to get a life. I will most definitely try and work on that in 2022, along with writing more. Yes, yes I know
I promise that a lot, however, I will really try this year. Pinky Promise! A full list of all the films I saw is published at the bottom, with a basic rating, in case you are interested. Again some of the films listed as watched
here might have been released in 2020 elsewhere, however, here in the lovely Czech Republic, I was only able to watch them this year.
So how was 2021 for films? I would say it was quite a good year, there were a lot more films that I rated Good or Excellent than there were ones I rated Bad or Awful, however, there were also quite a lot that I would just rate as Meh. So the same as usual.
Also please be aware that this post might contain unintentional spoilers
The Top Twenty One
21) Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
This film is one of the strangest and most surreal comedies you are ever going to see. Best friends Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) after losing their jobs at a furniture
store in Nebraska, decide to take their severance pay and go on holiday to Vista Del Mar, a super sickly bright resort in Florida, recommended to them by a friend. The film is full of absurd situations, including unlikely
romances, a plan by a supervillain to kill everyone at Vista Del Mar using trained mosquitoes, and a whole lot of songs that would not be out of place at Eurovision. However somehow it all seems to come together and work.
I had a lot of fun with this film.
20) Copshop
There is an art to making a good “Dumb Action Film,” and the team behind this film has gotten it right. Starring Gerard Butler, Alexis Louder, and Frank Grillo (after last year's underrated
Boss Level one of my new favourite actors). This film is an Assault on Precinct 13 style siege film, however a lot more fun. Fixer Teddy Murretto (Grillo) gets himself locked up in a Nevada jail, to get away from hitmen sent
after him, including Bob Viddick (Butler) who then gets himself locked up in the opposite cell, and the completely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs Anthony Lamb (Toby Huss). A fun game of cat and mouse then ensues, with rookie police
officer Valerie Young (Louder) stuck in the middle, not knowing who can and cannot be trusted.
19) Oxygen
This is a great Bottle film with all the action taking part in a damaged cryogenic unit. Elizabeth (Mélanie Laurent) wakes up in said cryogenic unit with no memory of who she is or what she is doing
there. With only the onboard A.I. (voiced by Mathieu Amalric) as her primary point of contact, Elizabeth must piece together what is happening, before her cryogenic unit runs out of oxygen and she dies. A tense sci-fi thriller,
with some great ideas, the film is however carried on the stellar performance of Laurent.
18) The Suicide Squad
Somehow James Gunn has breathed life into this franchise which was seemingly killed off in its first instalment in 2016. By working with the absurd nature of the characters, as
well as making them feel like an actual squad, Gunn has bought something fresh and new to the franchise. Also, the R-rating didn’t hurt as it gave Gunn some freedom to bring in some really fun scenes of violence to a
film that definitely needed them. Of the old squad, we get Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman) who is a much more likeable and fleshed-out character in this film. The new squad consisting of Bloodsport
(Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), all bring something unique to the film, with each getting moments to
stand out, as they take on their ridiculous mission. I would love to see another of these films, however, it might not happen, due to the poor box office, so fingers crossed.
17) Petite Maman
This is a lovely little film (literally little, coming in at 72 minutes). The film follows Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) who along with her parents goes to clear out her grandmother’s house after her passing. After things, get too much for her mother Marion, she leaves to be on her own, leaving Nelly
and her father to continue the clear out. Whilst exploring in the woods where her mother used to build forts at Nelly’s age, Nelly comes across a young girl (Gabrielle Sanz) building a fort also named Marion, and the
two of them become friends. As we go on, we learn that some form of timey whimey shenanigans have taken place, and the Marion that Nelly is hanging out with is actually her mother aged 8. A great film about mothers and daughters
and how people change.
16) Nobody
This film came from nowhere to be a film that no one knew we needed, but so did. Bob Odenkirk plays Hutch Mansell, the titular nobody. A mild-mannered family man, who it turns out, is a retired CIA assassin.
After disturbing a break-in at his home, a series of events causes him to call upon his old skills and brings him into conflict with the Russian Mob. Though this film lacks the fluid action and style of the John Wick films
(this film has a lot of similarities with the first film in that series), it makes up for it in brutality, which is a lot more realistic for this character, in this world. Some really good supporting cast including Christopher
Lloyd as Hutch's father David, and Aleksei Serebryakov as the main antagonist Yulian. I hope to see more of this series.
15) The White Tiger
I read the book that this film was based on a few years ago. Set in India, the film tells the story of Balram Halwai. From his beginnings as a bright child, denied an education after pressure from his family
forces him to work, through his rise to becoming a driver for a wealthy family, one of the only paths of advancements available to him, to the act that finally helps him break out of his confines as one of the poor people
of India (the rooster cage as Balram calls it), and set himself up as a successful businessman. This film is a good look at the divide between the rich and the poor in modern-day India, as well as the constraints society
places on the poor using religion, traditions, and corruption to keep them down.
14) CODA
Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the titular child of deaf adults (CODA). The only hearing member of her family, consisting of her, her parents, and her elder brother. After discovering a talent for singing at school
Ruby becomes conflicted between staying with her family who needs her help with their fishing business and following her own path and going to Berklee College of Music to follow her dreams of becoming a singer. Filled with
great performances throughout, this film received praise for its depiction of its deaf characters, which is understandable, as the deaf characters in the film are fully fleshed-out humans.
13) The United States vs Billie Holiday
Taking place in the last decade or so of Billie Holiday’s life. This film depicts the
various ways the F.B.I harassed and obstructed Billie Holiday, in an attempt to get her to stop singing Strange Fruit, as it is upsetting some people high up in the government. As they could not officially go after her for
singing the song, they went after her for drugs and by using the men in her life against her. This is a story of the state attempting to censor a piece of art, and the artist pushing through. An exceptional performance by
Andra Day, someone I was not really aware of before this film, but someone I will definitely be looking out for in the future.
12) Shiva Baby
This darkly funny comedy takes part mainly in a Shiva, a Jewish mourning ritual. Danielle (Rachel Sennot) does not
want to be at the shiva, to begin with, with her overbearing mother Debbie (Polly Draper) and her oblivious father Joel (Fred Melamed) and prying neighbours all making her uncomfortable. The situation does not get any better
when her ex-girlfriend Maya (an over-achiever loved by all) turns up, and then gets even worse, when her sugar daddy Max arrives, as does his wife and baby, whom Danielle knew nothing about. This modern comedy of manners is
well written with some sharp dialogue and pitch-perfect performances.
11) Summer of Soul Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised
This documentary is about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that took place over several Sundays in the summer of 69 (No Bryan Adams did no feature). The Festival was a celebration of black music and culture and did feature some of the most prominent black and Hispanic artists of the time, including B.B. King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone amongst many others. Although there were
about 40 hours of footage shot. it was mainly ignored for 50 years, and sat in a basement. Luckily it was found and revived. This documentary intersperses some of the fantastic performances, with news stories of the time relevant
to the black experience, and talking heads of the artists and those who attended in the current day.
10) The Harder They Fall
A little know fact about me is that I enjoy a good Western, and this is an especially good one. A fictional story featuring many real life black cowboys, law-men, and outlaws from the old west era, it
is fundamentally a revenge thriller. The film sees Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) going after Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) the man that killed his parents. He is joined in his pursuit, by Bass Reeves (The always superb Delroy Lindo)
and Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz) amongst others. Beautifully shot with some imaginative visual flourishes, however, what stood out for me above that and the magnificent performances (of course) is the soundtrack, a great mixture
of reggae, hip-hop, afrobeat and other contemporary black artists, the entire thing comes together to produce a unique western.
9) Pig
Nicolas Cage every now and again will appear in a film in which his performance reminds us of just how compelling an actor he truly can be. This is one of those films. Cage gives an understated performance
as Robin Feld, a former chef turned recluse, who lives in a cabin in the woods, with only his truffle foraging pig for company. When his pig is taken from him, he teams up with Amir (Alex Wolff), the man to who, he supplies
the truffles, and they go in search of his pig. Played out almost like a film noir, the pair’s investigation leading them and us, to some unexpected places. However this is more than just a man searching for his pig,
it’s a quiet look at grief and how people deal with it in different ways.
8) Supernova
A road trip film with Colin Firth (Sam) and Stanley Tucci (Tusker) a couple taking a camper van to the Lake District, to meet up with friends and family. Tusker has been diagnosed with dementia and is
contemplating taking his own life before dementia becomes overwhelming for himself and the man he loves. This film is all about the powerful performances of the two leads, as two people who love each other deeply, are
going through something devastating, and the toll it is taking on them both and their relationship.
7) Judas and the Black Messiah
A fantastic companion piece to last year's The Trial of the Chicago 7, this film follows Bill O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) a petty crook turned F.B.I informant, who is tasked with infiltrating the Black
Panther Party in Chicago, and getting close to its chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). What follows is an interesting look at the inner working of the Black Panther Party, its work in the community and the charismatic
Fred Hampton, all leading unfortunately to the inevitable betrayal the title of the film alludes to. Excellent performances throughout, with Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya, the obvious standouts.
6) Last Night In Soho
I am a huge fan of Edgar Wright’s work and so was looking forward to this film since it was first announced. This horror mystery spanning two time periods (the modern-day and the swinging sixties),
sees wannabe fashion designer Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) move to London from Cornwall to attend the London College of Fashion. After moving into a bedsit, she starts having really vivid dreams about a young woman in the sixties
called Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) and becomes obsessed with her fate and her possible murder. Wright brings all his visual flair and filming techniques to bear on this film and produces a gorgeous film, full of energy and style,
however along with that there is also an evolution in storytelling shown by Wright.
5) Spider-Man: No Way Home
This in my opinion is the best Spider-Man live-action film, we have had so far, (Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse is still obviously the best overall.) Continuing on straight after the previous film ends,
we see Peter (Tom Holland) and his loved ones having to deal with Mysterio having revealed that Peter is Spider-Man to the world. When it gets too much Peter attempts to get Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make everyone
forget that he is Spider-Man. However, his meddling with the spell causes villains from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films and the Amazing Spider-Man films to come into the MCU. Though there are some good action set-pieces in this
film, what make this great is the performances from the returning villains (especially Alfred Molina as Doc Ock and Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin), most of whom are given moments to shine, and Tom Holland’s performance, as he finally has to grow up from being a Spider-Boy into a Spider-Man.
4) The Mitchells vs. the Machines
This was the biggest surprise film of the year for me. I had not heard anything about it, and then one day there it was on Netflix. This animated film is a wonderful story about a parent not understanding
their child’s passions and leading to a rift amongst them, and then the robot apocalypse happens. A fantastic film with lots of heart, and even more laughs. It is visually a feast for the eyes, as this unlikely family
attempt to save the world. The voice performances are all on point, with a special mention to Olivia Colman as PAL the villain of the film. An utter joy to watch.
3) Nomadland
This is a fascinating film by Chloé Zhao. Based on the non-fiction book, it follows Fern (an always-excellent Frances McDormand) who after losing her job and husband, becomes part of a community
of older Americans who live a nomadic lifestyle and travel around the states, following seasonal work. By keeping the professional actors to a minimum, and filling the film with actual members of the nomad community, Zhao
provides an authentic look at a culture a lot of us were unaware of. Well worthy of all the awards it won.
2) The Green Knight
This dark fantasy based on the Arthurian legend is beautifully shot with a stunning bleakness throughout it. Though the story does differ from the legend, this is still a compelling watch. Dev Patel brings
a vulnerable gravitas to the role of Sir Gawain, the knight of Camelot, who answers a challenge from the titular Green Knight and then must seek him out a year later, to complete his side of the bargain, even though it could
mean his own certain doom. An unusual coming-of-age story, where Sir Gawain must finally leave behind his idle ways and take responsibility for his actions. Very close to being number one on this year’s list.
1) The French Dispatch
With The French Dispatch, we may have reached peak Wes Andersoness. Which being a fan, is not a bad thing for me. Starring his ever-growing troupe of actors, the film is an anthology
film of 4 stories set in the fictional French town of Ennui-Sur-Blasé. Each story is a depiction of an article from the final edition of The French Dispatch, a supplementary magazine for a Newspaper in Kansas. Each
story is different to the previous, yet still maintains Anderson’s style and vision. I would definitely recommend this if you are a fan of Anderson or a fan of the French New wave as this is a loving tribute to it.
And my worst film of the year for 2021 is.........
Thunder Force
This film was a disappointment. I will not go into any detail on the plot, just in case I inadvertently make it sound better than it is. I will just say it is a poor attempt at a Superhero Comedy, where
I may be laughed at one thing, but even that got old quickly. The stellar cast gives some of the worse performances I have seen from them, including the usually reliable Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Bobby Cannavale and
Jason Bateman. This film goes for very low hanging fruit in both the comedy and superhero film genres. Just skip!
Complete list of Films I watched in 2021
Ratings
Excellent = Must watch
Good = Should watch
Meh = Fine
Bad = Can be avoided
Awful = Avoid
12 Mighty Orphans - Meh
A Quiet Place Part II - Excellent
America: The Motion Picture - Meh
Annette - Good
Antlers - Meh
Archenemy - Bad
Army of the Dead - Meh
Army of Thieves - Good
Baby Done - Good
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar - Excellent
Batman Soul of the Dragon - Good
Batman The Long Halloween Part One - Good
Batman The Long Halloween Part Two - Good
Beings the Ricardos - Meh
Best Sellers - Meh
Black Widow - Good
Blithe Spirit - Meh
Blood Red Sky - Bad
Breaking News in Yuba County - Bad
Candyman - Good
Censor - Good
Chaos Walking - Bad
Cherry - Bad
C'mon C'mon - Good
Coda - Excellent
Coming 2 America - Bad
Concrete Cowboy - Good
Copshop - Excellent
Cosmic Sin - Awful
Cry Macho - Good
Dune - Excellent
Edge of the World - Meh
Encanto - Meh
Eternals - Good
Everybody's Talking About Jamie - Meh
Fatherhood - Good
Fear Street Part 1 1994 - Good
Fear Street Part 2 1978 - Good
Fear Street Part 3 1666 - Good
Finch - Good
Flora and Ulysses - Bad
Free Guy - Excellent
Godzilla vs Kong - Good
Gunpowder Milkshake - Good
Halloween Kills - Meh
Happily - Good
Herself - Excellent
How It Ends - Good
In the Heights - Excellent
Infinite - Awful
Injustice - Meh
Jolt - Meh
Judas and the Black Messiah - Excellent
Jungle Cruise - Meh
Kate - Good
King Richard - Meh
Lamb - Good
Last Night In Soho - Excellent
Locked Down - Bad
Luca - Good
Midnight in the Switchgrass - Bad
Minari - Excellent
Monster Hunter - Awful
Mortal Kombat - Awful
News of the World - Excellent
Night in Paradise - Good
Night Teeth - Meh
Nightbooks - Good
Nine Days - Bad
No Man of God - Meh
No Sudden Move - Excellent
No Time to Die - Good
Nobody - Excellent
Nomadland - Excellent
Old - Bad
Old Henry - Good
One Night in Miami - Good
Outside the Wire - Bad
Oxygen - Excellent
Petite Maman - Excellent
PG Psycho Goreman - Meh
Pig - Excellent
Prisoners of the Ghostland - Bad
Promising Young Woman - Good
Raya and the Last Dragon - Good
Red Notice - Bad
Reminiscence - Good
Resident Evil Welcome to Raccoon City - Bad
Respect - Meh
Riders of Justice - Good
Settlers - Meh
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Good
Shiva Baby - Excellent
Snake Eyes - Meh
Space Jam A New Legacy - Bad
Space Sweepers - Good
Spider-Man: No Way Home - Excellent
Spiral From the Book of Saw - Meh
Stillwater - Good
Stowaway - Meh
Summer of Soul Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised - Excellent
Supernova - Excellent
Swan Song - Good
Sweet Girl - Meh
The Card Counter - Good
The Comeback Trail - Meh
The Courier - Meh
The Education of Fredrick Fitzell - Bad
The Father - Excellent
The French Dispatch - Excellent
The Green Knight - Excellent
The Harder They Fall - Excellent
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - Bad
The Last Duel - Good
The Many Saint of Newark - Good
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things - Good
The Marksman - Meh
The Matrix: Resurrections - Meh
The Mauritanian - Good
The Misfits - Bad
The Mitchells vs. the Machines - Excellent
The Night House - Good
The Power of the Dog - Excellent
The Protégé - Meh
The Starling - Meh
The Suicide Squad - Excellent
The Tomorrow War - Meh
The United States vs Billie Holiday - Excellent
The Voyeurs - Meh
The White Tiger - Excellent
Those Who Wish Me Dead - Meh
Thunder Force - Awful
Tick Tick Boom - Excellent
Titane - Good
Vacation Friends - Good
Venom: Let there be Carnage - Bad
Voyagers - Meh
Werewolves Within - Good
Willy's Wonderland - Bad
Without Remorse - Meh
Wrath of Man - Good
Zack Snyder's Justice League - Meh
Zeros and Ones - Bad
