If I had to select only five films from 2021 that I was able to see (and that stuck with me out of all the rest), these would be my picks.
Zack Snyder's Justice League
Many should agree that the 2017 "theatrical" release of this long-awaited DC Comics team-up event was not the true version. So imagine our excitement when director Zack Snyder revealed that his long-fabled 4-hour cut of JL was actually happening, and how thrilling it was when it was finally released. ZSJL inserts much-needed time with Aquaman Arthur Curry, Flash Barry Allen, and especially Cyborg Victor Stone. Snyder's cinematic trademarks and idiosyncrasies are on full display in an uncompromising expression of creative freedom, despite some graphic, violent imagery at times.
[ ] Another 2021 director's cut worth checking out: Sylvester Stallone's Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago.
Many should agree that the 2017 "theatrical" release of this long-awaited DC Comics team-up event was not the true version. So imagine our excitement when director Zack Snyder revealed that his long-fabled 4-hour cut of JL was actually happening, and how thrilling it was when it was finally released. ZSJL inserts much-needed time with Aquaman Arthur Curry, Flash Barry Allen, and especially Cyborg Victor Stone. Snyder's cinematic trademarks and idiosyncrasies are on full display in an uncompromising expression of creative freedom, despite some graphic, violent imagery at times.
[ ] Another 2021 director's cut worth checking out: Sylvester Stallone's Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago.
Encanto
Lin-Manuel Miranda has been having a year, from the film version of his 2008 Broadway smash In the Heights, to his directorial debut with the Jonathan Larson biopic tick, tick . . . Boom!; and this bright and lively gem in Disney's animation library. Just as they did with Raya and the Last Dragon earlier this year, the Disney artists take full advantage of onscreen representation and rich world-building, this time with a wonderful and worthwhile story of a Mexican family full of magical gifts, except for the main protagonist (the plucky, bespectacled Maribel). I doubt many families won't even talking about this one for months now. Trust me, you need to see this one.
Lin-Manuel Miranda has been having a year, from the film version of his 2008 Broadway smash In the Heights, to his directorial debut with the Jonathan Larson biopic tick, tick . . . Boom!; and this bright and lively gem in Disney's animation library. Just as they did with Raya and the Last Dragon earlier this year, the Disney artists take full advantage of onscreen representation and rich world-building, this time with a wonderful and worthwhile story of a Mexican family full of magical gifts, except for the main protagonist (the plucky, bespectacled Maribel). I doubt many families won't even talking about this one for months now. Trust me, you need to see this one.
Pig
Nicolas Cage gives his best performance in years, as a hermit and former chef on a dark odyssey to find his stolen truffle pig. That premise alone sounds ridiculous on paper, even more so when you consider Cage's general track record in recent years. But whoever thought a film about a runt could be so deep, bleak, and engrossing? Cage's scene in the restaurant, in particular, is a masterclass in acting. An unlikely story of loss and grief, exceptionally made and told.
Nicolas Cage gives his best performance in years, as a hermit and former chef on a dark odyssey to find his stolen truffle pig. That premise alone sounds ridiculous on paper, even more so when you consider Cage's general track record in recent years. But whoever thought a film about a runt could be so deep, bleak, and engrossing? Cage's scene in the restaurant, in particular, is a masterclass in acting. An unlikely story of loss and grief, exceptionally made and told.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The terms "oversaturation" and "fan-service" (we're looking at you, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) need not apply when this jaw-dropping movie is seen to be believed. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a big surprise (and an entertaining entry) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no question. But if movie houses have been struggling for months to bring audiences back to the theaters, then this year-end roller-coaster (and the best of the solo Spidey films in the MCU by far) breaks that curse, reminding us that the (exclusive) moviegoing experience is still alive and well.
The terms "oversaturation" and "fan-service" (we're looking at you, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) need not apply when this jaw-dropping movie is seen to be believed. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a big surprise (and an entertaining entry) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no question. But if movie houses have been struggling for months to bring audiences back to the theaters, then this year-end roller-coaster (and the best of the solo Spidey films in the MCU by far) breaks that curse, reminding us that the (exclusive) moviegoing experience is still alive and well.
C'mon C'mon
Another exceptional indie coming-of-age film about a photojournalist who looks after his young nephew while the boy's mother is away during a family crisis. A profound and raw synchronization of emotions, editing, music, rich performances (led by Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffman, and newcomer Woody Norman), and bold direction (courtesy Mike Mills, who also wrote the screenplay). A window into the generational relationships between adults and children.
Another exceptional indie coming-of-age film about a photojournalist who looks after his young nephew while the boy's mother is away during a family crisis. A profound and raw synchronization of emotions, editing, music, rich performances (led by Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffman, and newcomer Woody Norman), and bold direction (courtesy Mike Mills, who also wrote the screenplay). A window into the generational relationships between adults and children.
Other 2021 films I really liked:
[ ] Kenneth Branagh's Belfast
[ ] John Krasinski's A Quiet Place, Part II
[ ] Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (dir. Destin Daniel Cretton)
[ ] Steven Spielberg's West Side Story
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