With another year of cinema wrapping up, what does that mean? It is time to reflect on all the great cinema of the year! Let’s look at the best of 2021, the films of the year whether they graced the silver screen, streamed on one of the countless streaming services, or found an audience on the virtual cinema. So here are the Top 10 Films of 2021 to add to The Wasteland Watchlist!
10. Flee
What do you get when you take a documentary but render it through animation? You get one of the most unique cinematic experiences of all of 2021. Flee is a moving and inspiring story that finds a refugee, Amin, doing all that he can to find his way to safety. There are thrilling moments with high tension as well as tender moments between family along with moments for all emotions. Amin struggles to find a place where he can be himself (a gay man) while also living the life that he could never live at home. Tragedy and loss fill this story while also presenting one of the most inspiring stories you will see all year.
9. Red Rocket
I bet you haven’t seen a redemption quite like Sean Baker’s latest film, have you? You have seen athletes, soldiers, and others down on their luck…but have you seen a porn star? Red Rocket finds Simon Rex (of Scary Movie fame) is Mikey, an award-winning porn star who heads home to Texas City back to his estranged wife with his tail between his legs. Baker can capture a vibrant world full of striking color which clashes with the poverty and struggles of its characters. Mikey takes drastic measures of selling drugs and trying to ride the beauty of an (almost) 18-year-old girl to porno fame once again. Baker’s tale is an entertaining and poignant trainwreck full of comeuppance for a decidedly scummy former porn star. Oh…and get ready for some NSYNC! They will be stuck in your head for days.
8. West Side Story
Who thought it would be a good idea to remake one of the greatest musicals of all time? Steven Spielberg…and created an absolute masterpiece. Spielberg’s West Side Story can find striking visuals, energetic musical numbers, and an updated story. The cast of young actors delivers some of the best performances of all the year from newcomers like Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose to familiar faces like Ansel Elgort. Whether they are singing, dancing, or channeling the emotional drama of this classic story, this cast is shining bright. This might be some simple, classic “love-at-first-sight” storytelling, but the emotions in this film are off the charts. This film will leave a smile on your face and maybe a tear in your eye.
7. The Green Knight
What is the most magical feat in all of the filmmaking? Making a fantasy film that delivers of course. David Lowery takes a classic tale of King Arthur’s kingdom to create one of the most unique cinematic experiences of all year. The Green Knight is strikingly beautiful with some of the most evocative visuals of any film this year. The journey that Sir Gawain (Dev Patel in a raw and powerful performance) must go on is full of surprising creatures, shocking twists, and a fateful finale that will leave you shaken. The titular entity is one of the most impressive creations of 2021and will leave you wanting more. Lowery’s world that he created is one of the most fully realized in fantasy films…period. This will not be for everyone, but it is worth getting lost in this world.
6. Quo vadis, Aida?
Another Round left this year’s Oscars with the International Film prize but what other film could have easily swooped in and stolen it? Bosnia delivered a harrowing and brutal look at humanity in their war-drama Quo vadis, Aida? Anchored by a powerful performance by Jasna Duricic, this film looks at the failures of government and society when horrible people decide to do horrible things to different people. Director Jasmila Zbanic crafts tension and drama through every frame with enough subtlety to really make an impact. One of the most haunting shots of the film is not showing the horrors…but making the audience imagine it. This is an important film that paints a tough but important picture of humanity that we all must confront. These atrocities continue to happen, but this film brings the needed spotlight to them.
5. The Father
This powerhouse made it all the way through the year, didn’t it? Many were shocked to see Anthony Hopkins win that Oscar for his performance in The Father. BUT…if they saw it, there would be no questioning due the power and authenticity of Hopkins’ vulnerable and emotional performance. Through expert direction from Florian Zeller and incredibly fluid editing, this film can capture one of the most organic and genuine portrayals of dementia on screen. The audience is transported into the experiences of a man slowly losing his mind. Powerfully acted from start to finish, this drama is one that will crawl under your skin and will stick with you for days (or almost a year in my case). This is one of the most lasting cinematic experiences you will have all year.
4. Nine Days
What makes a film special? A unique and engrossing concept will go a long way. There are not many films in 2021 with more unique ideas than Nine Days. Edson Oda’s film focuses on an entity, played with such depth and range by the talented Winston Duke, who must interview human souls to decide who gets to have a human life. Duke gets the opportunity to act against a whole ensemble of amazing actors from Benedict Wong to Zazie Beetz to Bill Skarsgard to Tony Hale. There is plenty of emotion to spare as there are incredible stakes with every decision in the narrative. Oda’s direction and Wyatt Garfield’s cinematography make one of the most beautiful and striking visual experiences of the year. The home looks so real and lived in. There is humor, anger, pain, and sadness leading up to one of the most cathartic endings in film this year.
3. Spencer
Who is tired of the same old biopic formula that most fall safely into? Pablo Larrain takes his Princess Diana film, Spencer, in a completely different direction. This film is a haunting and beautiful drama that plays more like a thriller. The tension is ratcheted up at every turn as Diana is forced to experience one of the most uncomfortable family gatherings put to film. Her life is a prison of the media and of the crown and Larraine’s direction is impeccable in making the audience feel this imprisonment. But nothing is more memorable than the towering performance of Kristen Stewart. She becomes Diana from every word to every
2. The Power of the Dog
Who is ready for the return of acclaimed director Jane Campion? With films like The Piano on her resume, she has proven that she is a bold and powerful force behind the camera. The Power of the Dog shows no difference. This deeply unnerving and thematically rich film is one that will come up and bite you with a kill shot when you least expect it. It wasn’t until the credits began to roll that I realized I watched a masterful work and one of the best of 2021. Benedict Cumberbatch is complicated and downright despicable in his portrayal of Phil Burbank. His abuse is felt through every interaction with this talented cast of Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Jesse Plemons. Expertly written and scored to haunting perfection by Jonny Greenwood, this film will crawl underneath your skin from start to finish.
1. Belfast
Who could use just a beautifully endearing and moving film to wrap up your year? Not to say that it does not have its tension and harsh moments (as it does), but Belfast is one of the most endearing cinematic experiences that you can have all year. Kenneth Branagh’s deeply personal film is full of heart, charm, and the purest love of cinema. Every black and white frame shines and sparkles on screen and each time this family visits the cinema, we are whisked away with them. This pitch-perfect ensemble has plenty of highlights including a breakout performance for young Jude Hill. There is humor throughout that will bring a smile to your face as well as beautiful moments like a man singing directly to his wife that will melt your heart. There is plenty of depth too that looks at prejudice and violence. This one has it all!
Honorable Mention…The Tragedy of Macbeth which I have yet to see but I have a sinking feeling (thanks to my deep love of Coen Brothers filmmaking) this one would make it to the Top 10 in the best of 2021.
