My 10 Favorite Films of 2021

2021 was another strange and challenging year for the big screen. We saw a slow rollout of film's delayed from 2020 with mixed results.  

Comic book film still rule the box office roost for the most part and helped soften the hit from some big name projects that just couldn't gain any traction.  

Ultimately, I reviewed 76 films this year with some surprises and letdowns along the way.  This top ten reflects my favorite films which may or may not be reflective of my original grade.  

Some of these films stuck in my mind long after I'd seen them while others left an immediate impression.  

So without further adieu, here are my ten favorite films of 2021 in no particular order.  

Saint Maud 

Rose Glass' debut film is an efficient and affecting slow burn of a psychological horror film.  It all hinges on a haunting performance from Morfydd Clark which culminates with a final act that will leave you shaken.

The Night House 

Rebecca Hall is the type of performer that's capable of delivering stellar turns when she's given the right material (See 2016's Christine).  The Night House is a meditation on grief and loss in the guise of a horror film.  Hall elevates the film with her singular turn as the widowed wife.

Nightmare Alley 

Guillermo del Toro's remake of Nightmare Alley is lavish but dense film which is no rush to get anywhere quickly.  Anyone with a short attention span is likely to hate it but those that stick with it will find a beautifully macabre morality tale.  Del Toro's style radiates through each meticulously constructed scene.  Bradley Cooper plays against type with great effect but Cate Blanchett own the back half of the film.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

This film is a prime example of performances being better than the actual film.  Jessica Chastain has gotten a lot of buzz for her turn and it's justified but Andrew Garfield is just as good. They make this paint by the numbers biopic far more watchable than it deserves to be.

Belfast

Kenneth Branagh puts down Poirot's mustache to deliver a personal, moving and heartwarming film.  Regardless of where you grew up there are universal themes that come through the film's narrative making it an uplifting experience.

Last Night in Soho

Edgar Wright's latest film is a dazzling technical marvel especially in its stellar first half.   Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin Mckenzie both deliver engaging performances in this kaleidoscope of a film which takes you on a journey and features the late Diana Rigg's cinematic swan song.

The Tragedy of Macbeth 

Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth is a striking minimalist adaptation of Shakespeare's legendary play.  The visuals leave a lasting impression with their stark staging which linger in your memory long afterward.  Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand provide one of the best Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in recent memory.  

The Last Duel

Ridley Scott's The Last Duel is a period piece with some heavy subject matter.  Scott delivers a well constructed adult drama utilizing a Rashômon approach to the events in question.  Its a difficult watch in parts but the film is populated with excellent actors (excuse Affleck's boyband hair) delivering engaging performances about a timely subject matter.  

The Suicide Squad

Apologizes to Spider-Man: Far from Home but James Gunn's gonzo The Suicide Squad was far and away the most fun I had with a comic book movie this year.  It's vulgar, over the top but also has enough heart  (and daddy issues) to make you care about the characters.  The set pieces are great fun but nothing tops Harley's compound escape with poetic mayhem.

Cruella

I'd be lying if I said I went into Disney's latest live action redo with any sort of expectation.  Most have been so-so money grabs but at least Cruella had Emma Stone who typically make most things better.  The biggest surprise here wasn't that she was great but that the film itself was worlds better than it deserved to be.  Its an edgy mash up of Tim Burton's sensibility with Lady Gaga's fashion sense, kudos to Disney for letting them make this film.  

Honorable Mentions

Dune 

My main take away from David Lynch's 1984 Dune was a floating fat man.  Needless to say I didn't have any deep affinity or affection for Dune onscreen or as a book.  Denis Villeneuve's new take was visually arresting and engaging even though it hit on plenty of origin story beats.  There's a geeky joy watching a sci-fi story treated with such reverence and care.

Titane

Some films work to subtly unleash hints of insanity before unleashing it full bore onto the audience.  Julia Ducournau's Titane doesn't bother with any pretense and lets its freak flag fly in the first ten minutes of its runtime.  You're either all in or out of business with it midway through the first act.  The story goes is unexpected, bizarre directions occasionally recalling some of Cronenberg's early work.  Regardless of what you think of the film as a whole, you aren't going to forget it for a longtime.  

Lamb 

A24 continue it's string of delivering some of most interesting "horror" films in recent memory.  Lamb doesn't play like a straight up horror film instead it feels more like a long forgotten folktale anchored by a fantastic turn from a fully committed Noomi Rapace.

West Side Story

This remake from Steven Spielberg has no reason being as good as it is.  Spielberg pulls off an impressive bit of cinematic alchemy by making a classic musical fresh with minor tweaks, amazing dance numbers and memorable performances.  Hopefully more audiences will take the time to see this film and truly appreciate what Spielberg pulled off.

Werewolves Within

Who would have thought a good videogame adaptation would have popped up without any fuzz or fanfare.  Loosely based on the game of the same name, Werewolves Within takes 1985's Clue premise and adds in a tad bit more gore and fangs.  Excellent performances from the ensemble is sure to make this a cult classic in the years to come.   

Special Mention 

Zack's Snyder's Justice League 

It's the film that should have come out in 2017 and it only saw the light of day because of dedicated fans.  Snyder's DC opus does everything right that the theatrical cut got wrong.  Snyder's cut is beefy and surprisingly character centric which gives the film heart that was sorely from the theatrical cut which was cobbled together like a cinematic Frankenstein.

Cindy Prascik's Review of Dune

My dear reader(s), this weekend gave me a rare bit of time for watching and writing, so I decided to check out Denis Villeneuve's latest, Dune.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

Chronicling the grim interplanetary shenanigans of some absurdly beautiful people.

I will surprise no one by admitting I did not: a) revisit the source material, or b) revisit the original, before diving into Dune 2021. In fact, I remembered so little about the 1984 movie that I had to resort to IMDB to remember who was in it. No, this weekend's choices came down to going to the cinema for over two and a half hours of James Bond, or staying home for over two and a half hours of Dune. I was equally excited (or not) for both, so - as is my norm these days - I opted to stay home. Having said that, I really wanted to like Dune, and was disappointed to find that impossible.

First, though, the good.

Dune boasts a magnificent score by Hans Zimmer. It grabbed me from the very first minute and never let go. The film is visually stunning, the special effects are nifty, and the fight choreography is quite sharp. The cast features a bunch of folks you probably know and love from other things, which leads us to...

...the bad.

Bad acting that is. With the exception of Jason Momoa, who always manages to entertain, everyone is either wooden as a marionette or overacting wildly. No real in-between. (And, no, I'm not saying Momoa is the best actor here by any means, just that he fares best with what he's got to work with.) It's nice to see David Dastmalchian turning up in everything these days, though. The movie is pretentious and far too long. I imagine you're meant to be entranced by the relationships and conflicts among characters and groups, but...nah. I was bored by the 30-minute mark, and completely checked out with about 45 minutes left. With a mighty display of will, I finished it, but it definitely didn't have anything close to my full attention for that last third(ish). Maybe James Bond could have done better.

Dune clocks in at a bloated 155 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images, and suggestive material."

Dune is a feast for the eyes, but fails to engage otherwise. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Dune gets three.

Dune is now playing in cinemas worldwide, and streaming on HBO Max until mid-November.

MOVIE REVIEW: DUNE

 

Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast:  Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem

Release Date: October 22, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images and suggestive material

Runtime: 2h 35min

Review:

Denis Villeneuve's Dune is a massive movie in everyway shape and form.  This second attempt at adapting Frank Herbert's notoriously dense tome is an opulent feast for the eyes with each scene and sequence leaving a lasting impression due to sheer amount of craftsmanship on display.  It's the kind of cinematic worldbuilding that is bound to leave plenty of people in awe due to the visual bounty on screen.  The cast is peppered with A list talent across the board with each delivering strong if self serious performances.  Oscar Isaac's stoic but loving father/general plays perfectly into his wheelhouse.  Likewise, Josh Brolin's stern solider fits him perfectly just like Jason Momoa's Duncan the caring but fierce warrior.  Dave Bautista's animalistic Harkonnen savage and Stellan Skarsgård's nefarious Baron Vladimir Harkonnen serve as the primary villain's in what amounts to an origin story for Timothée Chalamet's Paul.  Chalamet's performance is strong but subdued landing somewhere in the Hamlet territory.  Rebecca Ferguson though is the real life blood of film as her character and performance is always the most interesting thing on screen even in the mist of the visual cornucopia.  There's an air of Shakespearian tragedy to the story and overall approach.  It's all very self serious and methodical in it's approach which might be off putting to people who aren't pulled immediately into the story which is admittedly dense.  There is also a Kubrick like clinical distance from the characters on screen making it difficult to connect to them on an emotional level.  Additionally, Dune is merely setting the table for the real action to kick off in it's sequel.  That doesn't make it any less of a cinematic achievement that's sure enrapture and dazzle audiences.

B+