It’s time for the top films of 2021! According to Nicole Kidman the movies are back! Yet there’s no denying it was another strange year. We got a flood of films that were delayed from 2020. There was an abundance of Marvel films and a bevy of streaming indies. Yet for all the fanfare about record breaking box office numbers there was an apprehension surrounding cinema.
So once again it feels like this year’s list comes with an asterisk. World crises aside some films are of the moment and some will stand the test of time. As always we evaluated these on how we felt about them in the context of viewing them this time and place.
Presented in the order we happened to view them in.
The Top Films
Try Harder – A fascinating documentary out of Sundance focusing on the pressures of the modern college admissions process. It’s told through the lens of several high school seniors in the Bay Area. The film gave us hardcore stress flashaacks to the process. It also gave us a sense of gratitude that we don’t have to go through the process now. The students and the story shine.
Check out the interview with director Debbie Lum and listen to the full review.
The Sparks Brothers – Another Sundance fave from director Edgar Wright. We have to admit to not being a cool kid and knowing who the band Sparks were prior to this. It felt like we were being let into a secret club of music knowledge watching the films. Ron and Russel Mael are bonkers figures on their own. We personally didn’t love the Sparks musical Annette that came out later this year but were very much into this doc.
Listen to the full review.
Together Together – Is this the greatest film ever? No. But was it a fun, refreshing, and earnest look at relationship expectations and gender dynamics? Absolutely. Ed Helms gives a great performance as a single man wanting to enter into fatherhood. Patti Harrision is a standout as the woman who agrees to be his surrogate.
Listen to the full review.
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar – Absurdity is the name of the game here. Take the hilarity of Bridesmaids and take it to a more fantastical level. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo who are the duo behind the aforementioned Bridesmaids have such a wonderful dynamic. The movie is borderline unhinged. It’s vibrant and surreal and hell it has a dance sequence with Jamie Dornan. It made us laugh very very hard.
Listen to the full review.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines – Another semi-surrealist film. This time about the robot uprising that is likely inevitable. It’s also about family. Art kids in particular will likely appreciate this as will kids themselves.
Check out the interview with director Mike Rianda and listen to the full review.
Riders of Justice – Imagine Mads Mikkelsen as a sort of John Wick? This Danish film has a great cast, the supporting characters in particular could be too much of caricatures (hell maybe they are but we couldn’t tell through the filter of it being in Danish). Mikkelsen is definitely the star of the show though.
Listen to the full review.
Luca – Don’t let the fact that this went straight to Disney+ take away from how adorable it was. It certainly captured the joy of being a kid and childhood friendships. This love letter to adolescence and Italy is fun for viewers of any age.
Listen to the full review.
F9 – It’s all about family! F9 continues to push the franchise to more and more absurd heights. It also felt like the moment where theaters really came back as well. Also (spoilers but not if you saw any of the trailers) we finally get justice for Han!!!
Listen to the full review.
Zola – This one might not have pinged on a lot of folks’ radars but for us it was a wild cinematic ride. It’s based on a true story and epic Twitter thread following Zola who just wants to make some quick cash stripping. Her road trip to Florida for a money making weekend turns into a nightmare. With strong performances from Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Colman Domingo, and Nicholas Braun – you hopefully won’t regret watching the ride.
Listen to the full review.
Pig – You know we love Nic Cage here, but we weren’t the only ones who loved his turn in Pig. Set in Portland it follows Cage as a former chef who is out of the Truffle Trade. He’s sucked back in when someone steals his beloved truffle hunting pig. It’s the perfect blend of unhinged Cage and serious actor Cage.
Listen to the full review.
Free Guy – There is absolutely nothing wrong with dumb fun. Free Guy stars Ryan Reynolds as a cheery NPC whose world is about to be blown open. If you aren’t a fan of Reyonlds himself this probably isn’t for you as it relies heavily on his sense of humor. We’re not actually sure at this point where Reynolds ends and the characters he’s played recently begin. Good thing we here ARE fans! Plus there are lots of fun things they get absolutely correct about how video games function (though there are also about just as many things they get wrong).
Listen to the full review.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – What a blast this film was. It had action, comedy, and AAPI representation. Shang-Chi gave us hope for the next phase of the MCU. Also Tony Leung is one of the greatest Marvel antagonists we’ve seen since Loki in the early Avengers films. We couldn’t have been more relieved to have this film be as epic as it was.
Listen to the full review.
I’m Your Man ((Ich Ben Ein Mensch) – A surprisingly sweet film featuring Dan Stevens as a robot designed to be the perfect partner. The film poses some interesting questions about what would happen to humanity if synthetic partners became available. The film doesn’t necessarily answer said questions but the way in which it poses them is exciting enough to give it a watch.
Listen to the full review.
Dune – It takes some real faith in one’s self to adapt part one of a definitive sci-fi classic and not know if the second part is going to be greenlit. Thankfully for director Denis Villeneuve his vision for Dune was rewarded with critical acclaim and popular endorsement. While we’re still torn on this vs the Lynch version (yes, we will defend this position) there’s no arguing Villeneuve brought a style and production value to Arakkis. We’re including this because we’re excited to be able to see the sequel put together with the first part some day.
Listen to the full review.
Encanto – This originally wasn’t necessarily going to make our top list but it ended up being a film we’ve rewatched several times since it came out. The rewatch value catapults it into the top films of 2021. The music is impressive and the visuals are stunning. It’s also grown on us that the film is really focused on self reflection. It also passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. The only thing we wish is that it had embraced the queerness of the story instead.
Listen to the full review.
Drive My Car – While this was starting to get overhyped for us, we have to respect the portrait of grief and connection it presents. We know it’s not going to be for everyone. It’s based on a short story by Haruki Murakami. It clocks in at a whopping three hours (which was a lot, even for us). It draws a LOT from Checkov (in fact basically you’ll end up watching a good few acts of Uncle Vanya being performed as a byproduct of watching this film). Those who are less inclined to like live theater may struggle a bit. Still it traveled down a road that kept us interested enough to keep going.
Listen to the full review.
The Worst Person in the World – Like several of the other films on the list this year, The Worst Person in the World did an excellent job of capturing what felt like extremely genuine interactions and longings. The film follows the course of a young woman’s life over the span of a few years. It’s more capturing moments of a fully three dimensional character than following a specific plot. Still it captured relationship dynamics that many films strive for and don’t ever achieve. Like Drive My Car it also feels like it will have extra resonance with folks immersed (or at least familiar with) artists and the art world.
Spider-Man: No Way Home – This was probably the most fun we had at the movies this year. It’s fan service to the max but we still had an absolute blast. We are hoping this is the end of the Peter Parker chapter of Spider-Man though. It would be a fitting send off for sure (give us Miles or Spider-Gwen pleaseeeee)!
Listen to the full review.
Honorable Mention
Sure we could have probably just outright included these films in our Top Films of 2021. However they didn’t QUITE leave the impression on us that feels like they’ll stand the test of time. We could of course feel quite differently in 1 year or 50 years, but for now these are the honorable mention.
CODA – A Sundance darling that we certainly enjoyed but got a little overhyped early. It felt like two different films, one about the struggles of being the child of deaf adults (or a CODA) and the other felt like a bobo version of Glee. We definitely enjoyed the former but were a little underwhelmed by the latter. Still we think overall it’s a pleasant and charming watch.
Listen to the full review.
In the Heights – Lots of Lin-Manuel Miranda fare this year. We also love director Jon M. Chu. This may have just been a problem for us, but we spent a lot of time comparing it to the stage show.
Listen to the full review.
Black Widow – This year was an embarrassment of riches for Marvel. Quite frankly this film deserved to come out years ago. The stakes of the story were somewhat diminished because we knew what happened to Natasha. Had we gotten “Black Widow” in the middle of an earlier Phase I think it would have been much more impactful. We certainly still enjoyed the film (thank you for giving us Florence Pugh) but there were just other projects that we found more impactful this year.
Listen to the full review.
The Power of the Dog – We know this film was (and is) divisive. It’s not for everyone but we had to respect that it felt like a real FILM. It’s definitely a slow burn but if you don’t let it get overhyped it could be worth a watch.
Listen to the full review.
What were your top films of 2021?