10 Best Movies of 2021
According to me, anyway
Nothing like laying out the whole vibe of your publication and then immediately hitting you with a listicle. But hey. It’s New Year’s Eve. It’s basically a rule that one must top-10 that day. So here are my favorite films from one of my least favorite years!
F9: The Fast Saga - Before this, I had seen zero of the Fast and the Furious franchise. None. I knew they talked about family and drank Corona and that was pretty much my entire knowledge of what these movies were about. But there were no new movies out, I have the AMC A-List, and I was going to use it. And honestly? I flat out loved this movie. It is absolute nonsense from beginning to end, but it is deeply entertaining. Yes, I love finding meaning in movies, but I also am here for a good time, and this provided that in spades.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines - When I saw the trailer for this movie the first time, I thought it was going to be one of those “kids these days, with their phones” screeds, and that is just not for me. Instead, we got a movie with a neurodiverse family, queer rep in a lead character, stunning and unique animation, and a look at how we can use technology for good AND for bad. The voice acting is fantastic, the story is excellent, and a dumb wooden moose made me cry. If you’re a parent, this is an absolute must-watch, but being a parent is not a requirement for enjoying this movie.
Spider-Man: No Way Home - This is a solid movie. I love Tom Holland’s take on Spider-Man, and this fit beautifully into the story they have been telling. Dan Murrell (one of my favorite critics) suggested that this movie makes all three the origin story for this Spider-Man, and I absolutely agree. But beyond just being a really good story, this movie provided the answer to why going to the movies is still worth it, if you can safely do that. The energy from the crowd was just electric, and could not be duplicated at home. There is a lot of shade thrown at the big blockbusters by “filmy” types, but there were shared moments with the audience at this movie that I didn’t have at any other more '“important” movies. I cried the first time I went back to a theater, and it was precisely because I had so missed this kind of experience.
The Last Duel - If only you Millenials would put down your phones, you would have seen one of the best movies of the year! Okay, I obviously disagree with director Ridley Scott on this one (we’re still in a pandemic, movies can be expensive, most eventually stream somewhere if you’re patient - there are lots of reasons why people don’t attend movies that have nothing to do with their phones), but this is an absolutely phenomenal movie. There is some stunning acting, and the writing is truly wonderful. The movie is told from the perspective of each character, so essentially you watch the same movie three times, but each time it is slightly altered. The subtlety of the changes is breathtaking and can catch you off guard. I have nothing but praise for this film. (Content warning - this movie includes a rape scene twice. I felt like it was a non-exploitative depiction, but please know that it is not an easy watch.)
Come From Away - This is probably a little bit of a cheat, since it is a pro-shoot of a Broadway musical and not a proper film. But movie musicals are notoriously difficult to pull-off and I want more pro-shoots available to the public. The story of planes diverted to a small Canadian town after the attacks on 9/11 is deeply touching. The minimalism of the set and the way the cast is used is simply marvelous, and if you’re watching a Tony-nominated musical from 2018, skip Dear Evan Hansen and watch this instead. You will not regret that decision, I promise.
Candyman - Part remake, part sequel, fully creepy, Nia DaCosta’s Candyman was my favorite horror of this year. This movie was faithful to the original, but every change allowed greater ownership of the mythology to the Black community. Where the original recognized racial inequality, it still centered whiteness. This iteration chose to center blackness. And while it never steps away from the social aspects of gentrification and police violence, it also doesn’t shy away from some straight up slasher gore. I’m excited to see what Nia DaCosta does with The Marvels in 2023.
Nobody - Maybe it’s just because I’m a Gen X’er and I’m obligated to love everything Bob Odenkirk does, but this was a fantastic movie. No super powers, no magical healing between fights, this movie starts bloody and just keeps getting bloodier. Odenkirk looks like your dad who happens to be a super-spy. But not the kind who miraculously avoids being hit. Instead he’s the guy who gets beat up a lot, but can beat you up worse. It is a perfect blend of over-the-top violence and down-to-earth story-telling. Action movies are a tough sell for me, but this one did the job really well.
The French Dispatch - Lest you think I am all action and horror movies, I am still pretentious enough to love some Wes Anderson, and his love letter to journalism was absolutely delightful. While this looked exactly like every other Wes Anderson film and had most of “his” actors in it, this was a bit of a departure, story-wise. Rather than one through line, it is a collection of vignettes. It is a walk through of a magazine (The French Dispatch) and each article is a fresh story. It still has his impossibly witty dialogue, whimsical framing, and sudden violence, but the focus on smaller stories made it a new kind of experience.
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street - I am a sucker for a documentary, and if it contains Jim Henson in it, I am down. I absolutely loved every minute of this movie. From outtakes of Muppets blaming their mistakes on the humans, to Big Bird singing “It’s Not Easy Being Green” at Henson’s funeral, every moment of this was a gift. I also loved that this documentary highlighted some of the difficulties the show faced because of the diversity of the cast. I watched this not long after reading The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee, and it was fascinating to see that played out in Sesame Street. The decision to make this show particularly relatable to black children had the benefit of raising up children of all races. Heart-warming, educational, funny - it is all of the things you expect from a documentary about the most famous street on television.
Pig - No one is more surprised than me that my favorite film of the year stars Nicholas “Not The Bees!” Cage, but here we are. There were a number of movies and television shows that addressed grief this year (and given the immense losses suffered as a result of the pandemic, that is not a surprise), but this this movie about a man and his truffle pig was the best one. It is a quiet movie; deliberate. It examines grief from various perspectives, some healthier than others, but all relatable. I can’t say much about this movie because I don’t want to spoil it, but please know that it is so worth your time and it will linger with you long after the credits roll.
Those are my top 10. What movies did you love this year? What are you looking forward to in 2022? Let me know! Happy New Year!