REVIEW COLLECTION: Standout Films of 2021, Definitive Edition

WRITER'S NOTE: The following was originally posted on my Facebook page, "B.E. Kerian," on March 29, 2022. Not all films mentioned are recommended, but have been selected based on their strong artistic and thematic undertones. 

Belfast

Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical drama set in 1969 Ireland, reflecting on his youth and hometown amidst a turbulent period of political and social upheaval. Shot in beautiful black-and-white (with clever images of color sprinkled in), resulting in a captivating coming-of-age tale. 

CODA

I was late in seeing this now-Oscar-winning drama (which first premiered at Sundance last year). It's easy to understand its widespread appeal, given its authentic (even groundbreaking) portrayal of deaf individuals in a universal story about the struggles between family and responsibility, and pursuing one's dreams and ambitions. The central Rossi family can be crass at times (with numerous discussions revolving around sexual activity), but the dramatic arcs and destinations are ultimately worthwhile and loving. 

C'mon, C'mon

Writer-director Mike Mills' engrossing story features Joaquin Phoenix as a photojournalist who looks after his young nephew (Woody Norman) while the boy's mother (Gaby Hoffman) is away during a family crisis. A raw and introspective look at the generational relationships between adults and children, as well as mental illness and grief. 

Drive My Car

I'd speak more highly of this three-hour film, were it not for its problematic 40-minute prologue (which features silhouetted and partial nudity). That's disappointing, because the rest of the film is otherwise a masterclass in immersive character study and emotional storytelling, not to mention a profound multilingual approach. 

Encanto

Disney Animation has come a long way in the last decade alone. The Mouse House has done an incredible job of presenting stories of marginalized communities and rich cultures (look at Moana), and even righting some past wrongs by way of more realistic representation (Zootopia, anybody?). But their latest worldwide phenomenon ranks among their very best, not just for its colorful and lively animation and songs--the whole soundtrack is great, honestly. Its central characters (including the bespectacled Mirabel) are incredibly layered and relatable. More importantly, Encanto is a beautiful story of family and community that deserves to be talked about and seen over and over. (And yes, that includes Bruno.) My favorite film of the year. (Read my full review.) 

Passing

A daring and provocative study of race and identity, set during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s. Actress Rebecca Hall makes a remarkable debut as writer-director, while lead actresses Tessa Thompson and, especially, an unrecognizable Ruth Negga give transcendent performances. One of the most challenging films in recent years.

Pig

Nicolas Cage gives easily his best performance in years as a hermit chef, whose companion truffle pig is stolen, leading him on a dark odyssey back into civilization to find it. A bleak but intriguing story that looks for meaning in the most unlikely of places. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home

If ever there was a movie that motivated audiences to go back to the theaters in droves, Marvel's latest Spidey flick was ultimately the one to do it. Fan-service, perhaps. But it's the best kind. Not only does this rank as arguably the best cinemagoing experience since Avengers: Endgame. It also stands as the best of Tom Holland's trilogy of solo outings as an ever-growing Peter Parker, as well as something of a proper franchise closure (in more ways than one). Spidey-fans, you're in for a real roller-coaster. 

West Side Story

Steven Spielberg hasn't lost his unique cinematic touch with his first big screen musical: an adaptation of the beloved stage production of the same name, first made for the screen in 1961. This new version exceeds it in more ways than one, primarily in its authentic cultural representation. Kudos to newcomer Rachel Zegler (as Maria) and especially Ariana DeBose (knocking it out of the park as Anita), just two of the many shining performances in this stunning-though-tragic tale, essentially a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, but never more relevant than ever. 

Zack Snyder's Justice League

This one's a bit of a cheat, but those of us who've been following the DC Film Universe from the beginning will agree that the "theatrical version" of Zack Snyder's anticipated superhero team-up wasn't the true version. You could say this four-hour cut (released on HBO Max last year) was a long time coming. That being said, many DC and Snyder fans couldn't have been more thrilled to see the director's intended vision finally come to fruition. And it is a WHOLE lot better! Our favorite moment: when our heroes first fight, set to Junkie XL's electrifying score. (Read my full review.) 

Others I liked: 

The Mitchells vs the Machines 

A hilarious and visually-inventive comedy. 

A Quiet Place, Part II 

An edge-of-your-seat follow-up, full of genuine suspense and immersion. 

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 

A big surprise of a Marvel movie. 

tick, tick . . . Boom! 

Andrew Garfield's best performance to date, as the late composer-lyricist Jonathan Larson, in Lin-Manuel Miranda's impressive, lively, and heartbreaking directorial debut. 

REVIEW COLLECTION: Standout Films of 2020

WRITER'S NOTE: The following is a collection of reviews posted on my Instagram accounts, @be.kerian and @film_freeq, and have been slightly edited. (Only two of these selections were written specifically for this post*, while another was taken from a previous blog post**.) 

For this list, I've selected ten films from 2020 that stick with me the most. Considering the theatrical window was limited that year (thanks largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many theater chains shutting down indefinitely and numerous release dates postponed as a result), my picks represent not only sudden change, but also perseverance and adapting to, quote-on-quote, "new normals." 

The Father

One of 2020's Best Picture Oscar-nominees stars the legendary Anthony Hopkins as an elderly man with dementia, and Olivia Colman (of The Crown) as his daughter, who serves as his caretaker. Some flaws in characterizations and a few convoluted transitions are evident, and the story is intense and heartbreaking to watch at times. But The Father stands as a new masterclass in acting and directing. Kudos to director Florian Zeller (who adapted from his stage play of the same name), and to Hopkins, whose extraordinary and gifted chops haven't lost their touch. An incredible film. 

*Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda's ambitious musical version of the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton is thoroughly clever, creative, and engrossing. Despite taking many liberties with history (and a few unnecessary language choices), Miranda's daring use of hip hop vernacular and a multi-racial cast (which originated on the Broadway stage in 2015, but filmed in 2016) is, as he described, "America then told by America now." It's a defining musical for this generation. 

Minari 

One of this season's Best Picture Oscar-nominees (along with a slew of other worthy accolades) centers on a Korean family living and making a new life in Arkansas on the 1980s. A moving, heartbreaking, and life-affirming story of immigration, generational bonds, and perseverance in uncertain times; it's also another benchmark in diversity and representation onscreen that is immersive and universal. Kudos to distributor A24 and writer-director Lee Isaac Chung.

News of the World

Generally known for making gritty action films like the Bourne sequels, and features based on provocative true stories like United 93, director Paul Greengrass shifts genres with this engrossing western drama. Based on Paulette Jiles' novel, News of the World stars Tom Hanks (as engaging and intuitive as ever) as a Civil War veteran who journeys across the American landscape to return a girl, raised by Kiowa natives, home. The film is thoroughly immersive, evocative, and often thrilling, but far from great (some of its wide shots are recognizably CGI). Still, there's a lot to appreciate in this well-made if episodic film.

Nomadland 

One of the year's most acclaimed films may be set in the early-2010s, but its setting and themes are quite relevant today, especially during a year where everybody was in lockdown. Acclaimed director Chloe Zhao (who also edited the film, and adapted the screenplay from Jessica Bruder's book of the same name) directs Frances McDormand as a women travelling and living across America, in all its breathtaking and ethereal scenery. Nomadland is also something of a travelogue of forgotten or abandoned places in the States, in the aftermath of the Great Recession. (It's intriguing that McDormand and co-star David Strathairn are the only recognizable actors in a cast of mostly unknowns, several of which are real-life nomads.) The result is bittersweet, challenging, and evocative. Another remarkable achievement.

One Night in Miami . . . 

The immensely talented Regina King made an impressive directorial debut with this engrossing adaptation of Kemp Powers' acclaimed play. Set primarily during the evening of February 25 in 1964, the film dramatizes how four historical icons met at a Miami hotel during the Civil rights movement. Featuring first-rate performances by Kingsley Ben-Adir (as civil rights leader Malcolm X), Eli Goree (as boxer Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay), Aldis Hodge (as NFL star Jim Brown), and Leslie Odon Jr. (as singer Sam Cooke), the film immerses us into a piece of American history very few are familiar with.

Soul 

Pixar Animation Studios' fantasy adventure, in the immortal words of Woody, reaches for the sky and then some. Director Pete Docter (whose previous work includes Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc.) helps headline this engrossing, creative, witty, and thoroughly moving story of an African-American jazz musician who, after scoring the biggest gig of his career, falls into a coma and ends up in a place called "The Great Before". Where the story goes from there, I won't say, except that there's a journey (or more) of discovery and rediscovery of life and meaning. Hats off to the vocal talents of Jamie Foxx (as the eponymous Joe Gardner) and Tina Fey (as the rebellious "soul" known as "22"), and to composers Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross for their groundbreaking score. An amazing and innovative combination of fantasy, surrealism, music, culture, and story. Simply put, it's got soul. 

Sound of Metal

Out of the "Best Films of 2020," I would put the raw, harrowing, and superb drama Sound of Metal at the top. Riz Ahmed gives a breakout, fully-committed performance as a drummer suddenly succumbing to hearing loss. Be advised, the film is difficult, profane, and existential at times. But it's also very genuine and authentic, what with its portrayal and contributions from the deaf community. (Kudos to the crew for the unique sound designs throughout.) I felt more connected and involved with this story than any other new release I've seen in the last 12 months. My hats off to director Darius Marder and co-producer/co-story-writer Derek Cianfrance. 

*Tenet  

Christopher Nolan continued his large-scale filmography with this ambitious and complex thriller about international espionage and time inversion--that is, the reversal of time. While many anticipated this would be the blockbuster that would draw audiences back into theaters following the COVID-19 pandemic (considering its IMAX cinematography), it didn't quite live up to those expectations. The film's plot is a convoluted one, to say the least, despite its charismatic A-list cast (including John David Washington's "Protagonist" and Robert Pattinson's right-hand man). But perhaps with the passage of time (this is one of Nolan's trademarks, after all), Tenet should be regarded as one of the director's most challenging and jaw-dropping experiences. 

**The Vast of Night 

It seems fitting that, given current circumstances, this low-budget sci-fi mystery (an impressive debut from director Andrew Patterson, filmed in 2016 and debuting at Slamdance in 2019) centers around a duo of teenage radio employees who intercept--and eventually broadcast--a mysterious airwave frequency. Imagine an unseen episode of The Twilight Zone, with a little bit of Rod Serling's iconic narration thrown in. Stranger Things, meet your distant relative. 

REVIEW: "Stranger Things 4"

Last time we caught up with the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, in the mid-1980s, there was a shopping mall, a Soviet cover-up, a "Scoops Troop," and a malevolent beast hellbent on destruction. The latest installment of Netflix's genre-bending series, Stranger Things, takes place in 1986, a year of Family Videos and roller rinks. 

From the get-go, it feels like everything that series creators Matt & Ross Duffer had been setting up in previous seasons is paying off, with unexpected character arcs and a few shocking revelations involving the Upside Down. In fact, that nightmarish dimension already makes this particular season horrifying by the end of the first episode. 

Featuring flashbacks to Hawkins Lab in the late-1970s (Matthew Modine's ambiguous Dr. Brenner returns this season), a frightened cheerleader, grandfather clocks, and the theme of the past coming back to haunt you (or, as one character describes, "There are some things worse than ghosts"), this is the most ambitious season to date. Regarding the latter theme, there's a strong sense of "How much loss can one town take?" throughout. So we not only have characters here that are dealing with pain and trauma, but also struggling to move forward, looking past mere appearances and preconceived notions, and some who ultimately realize their need for each other. 

I have to be honest, I was very impressed with Season 1 back in 2016. The second season, released the following year, was okay (although, it took a bold risk with one radical episode), but 2019's third season went overboard, replaying--or at least amping up--elements from the previous two seasons. Up until now, the show had arguably been losing momentum, despite star-making turns from its young, up-and-coming cast, not to mention a stellar soundtrack of nostalgic 1980s hits (Journey's "Separate Ways [Worlds Apart]" and Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill [A Deal With God]" are two standouts in this fourth installment). It's also been getting more violent and problematic, and its language more offensive, stepping this time into certified R-rated territory sans F-bombs. 

Split into two parts (released on the streaming platform on May 27th and July 1, respectfully), this fourth season is easily the show's darkest by far, immediately out of bounds for younger and more discerning viewers. First and foremost, there's demonic imagery in the form of the central antagonist, the malevolent Vecna (named after a character from "Dungeons & Dragons," which features prominently in this series), recalling other supernatural horror figures like Freddy Kruger, Pennywise, and Candyman. (Original Nightmare on Elm Street actor Robert Englund even makes an appearance in one episode.) The violence and bloodshed this time around has more in common with Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy--and the works of H.P. Lovecraft--than ever before. Then there's the issue with the name of the school D&D club known as "Hellfire," which numerous town residents soon mistake for an evil cult. (To be fair, said members, including club head--and scene-stealing delinquent--Eddie Munson, never actually do anything occult-related.) 

There are also marijuana references, scenes of torture, and even one particularly violent home invasion. Plus, one character from the last season, who came out as gay, further explores her sexuality, while another character's sexuality is only hinted at. On a separate note, the rescue mission subplot involving Winona Ryder's single mom, Joyce Byers, and Brent Garmen's humorous Murray Bauman finding and bringing back David Harbour's police chief Jim Hopper feels over-the-top and out-of-place (at least on first viewing). On the other hand, it's great to see Harbour at his most vulnerable and restrained--something his character had been losing over the course of two seasons. 

Earlier this year, the Duffers confirmed that a fifth season will be the show's last. By the end of the season 4 finale, I was convinced there had to be more. And at this rate, it likely won't get any tamer.