Best Movies of 2021

I’m a bit late on this one but here are the best movies of 2021 (that I actually saw).

Some important disclaimers: when making these lists, I always like to create separate categories for some specific flicks. These categories include “unqualifiable mention” and “special mention”.

The unqualifiable mention refers to a specific film from a franchise that could be destined to be an all-time classic or even a game changer for the genre or medium it’s a part of but it’s quality is strongly dependent on how the next installment favors and will largely determine whether or not that specific film will stand the test of time.

The special mention refers to a specific film that I couldn’t find room to put into my best-of lists, even in the honorable mention category, but I do think it’s at least worth a shoutout. Whether it’s from a personal bias or a film that has been overlooked/undiscovered, this category is reserved specifically for those kind of films.

This year, my unqualifiable mention goes to *brace myself*…..

Dune

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is a remarkable and impressive visual achievement that was hands down one of the biggest “must-see” experiences in IMAX theaters in 2021. With it’s enormous scale, diverse cast, and world building like we haven’t seen before in recent memory, this sci-fi epic is just ready to insert itself into every book of “movies you must watch before you die” imaginable!

That being said, Dune doesn’t so much feel like a whole movie but more like Dune: Part I. While it does end on an intriguing cliffhanger, we won’t know how worthwhile this experience will be until after we have seen the complete picture in a year or two from now.

I have no doubt the next one can deliver and make this movie go down in history as one of the finest accomplishments in it’s genre but for now, we can only wait and see how Part II delivers.

As for my special mention, this goes to a flick that not very many people saw. While it didn’t quite make my best-of list, I feel this one deserves a shoot-out.

Dead Pigs

This might be considering cheating as this movie *technically* came out during film festivals in 2018 but for whatever reason, this only got released until nearly three years later for everybody else through streaming services so why not count it!

Before making her blockbuster debut in 2020 with the absolute blast that was Birds of Prey, Cathy Yan’s first official film debut came with Dead Pigs. This film help showcases Yan’s mastery of making films that’s is undoubtedly absolutely weird and quirky but is just so “out there” that you can’t help but just love it! Featuring engaging characters, fantastic cinematography, and the perfect balance of comedy, drama, and emotion, this is one feature debut that is definitely worth checking out.

Dead Pigs is out now on Mubi, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Google Play anyone that is interested in checking it out.

Now, onto the real list!

Starting off with the honorable mentions (or #21-11)!

21.) The Fear Street Trilogy

Again, technically cheating since this is actually three films, but who cares, I liked them all the same! Paying homages to the various sub genres of the time period that the trilogy takes place in while also spoofing them in a way that feels respectful instead of just poking fun! This Netflix trilogy manages to walk a fine line between cheesy, nostalgic, and gory without going too far in any one of those categories.

I had an absolute blast with this trilogy!

20.) Raya and the Last Dragon

Could this have worked better as a Disney Plus series rather than a movie? Absolutely!

Is this one script rewrite or two from being an all-time classic? Absolutely!

Is this still one fun, engaging, gorgeous animated, action packed flick with arguably the most badass Disney heroine since Mulan? Absolutely!

19.) Candyman

Could have used an extra 15 or 20 minutes to tightening up the pacing and ending but this is still a mostly great follow-up to the original with superb directing from Nia Dacosta. I have no doubt that Captain Marvel 2 is in safe hands!

18.) Nobody

The one surprising action flick in 2021 that showed the world that Bob Odenkirk can still kicks some ass even as he’s approaching his 60’s!

There’s some John Wick influence here throughout but who cares, this still rules!

17.) The Power of the Dog

If there’s anything to go by for this movie, it’s that I would not survive a day working on a cattle ranch.

Another thing to go by is that both Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee are exceptionally underrated talents that deserve much more recognition!

16.) Encanto

I’m not quite in love with the songs as much as the rest of the world is but this is still another winner for Disney Animation Studios!

It’s also really nice to have a movie where people who have magical superpowers don’t use it to fight bad guys but use them to help one another and take care of the ones they love!

15.) Free Guy

The one movie that Film Twitter has a big grudge against for whatever non-Jeremy Jahns related reason.

This is still a very surprising and subversive take on video games that is able to suck you into it’s world and makes it hard to make you want to get out of it.

Sure, there’s a bit of nostalgia here and there but when it’s done as well as it is along with making you care for a literal A.I., then I say it’s earned it.

This is another example of how the best “video game” movies are the ones that are not exclusively BASED on video games but ones that are ABOUT video games!

14.) tick, tick….Boom!

A nice, moving musical about how being creative can suck and having to go through that mentally draining process of it while thinking deep down that there will be light at the end of that tunnel.

This might top The Social Network of being the very best performance ever giving by Andrew Garfield!

Not always the biggest fan of musicals but when they work for me, they REALLY work for me!

Btw, yes I liked this one more than Into the Heights! Don’t @ me!

13.) The Suicide Squad

Second time was definitely the charm here with James Gunn delivering the entertaining, intense, action-packed, edgy, and just plain bonkers Suicide Squad movie that we all wanted the first time around!

Not a single performance falls flat and not a single character (despite their amount of screen time) feels underutilized!

Everything just clicks here this time around!

Bring on, Peacemaker!

12.) Judas and the Black Messiah

Most of you have probably have already since this was one of the first genuinely great films to come out in 2021 along with it’s best picture nomination!

But in case you haven’t, fix that!

An exceptionally well made film about those coming together to fight for a voice in a way that’s serious and incredibly grounded. Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield are especially great here!

11.) Pig

On paper, this shouldn’t work at all as a serious, mend to be taken seriously movie!

A gritty and bleak film about depressed and downbeat Nicolas Cage looking for his poor, kidnapped pig!

That had to be a pitch than even Cage himself must have laughed at in the beginning!

But yet, this is able to work brilliantly! Whether is in spit of itself or because of it, it just works!

It just goes to show you that a bad idea does not always equal bad execution!

Just make sure to grab some tissues before pressing play!

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for, my top 10 best movies of 2021!

10.) Nightmare Alley

It’s absolutely insane the way that Guillermo del Toro continues to either top or at least matches himself! Easily one of the most creative, inventive, and visually pleasing directors today, Nightmare Alley see del Toro putting his own spin on the 1946 classic of the same name along with the book it’s based on.

Whether it manages to top or match the 1947 version or the book is up for debate but there’s no denying he created a version of Nightmare Alley that stands perfectly well as it’s own unique thing. Using all the trademarks and skillset that del Toro is well known for, this tells a great tale in the neo-noir sub genre about a man facing the consequences of his action that was driving by his own pride.

Bradley Cooper suits the role well as a manipulative and despicable a-hole, Cate Blanchett continues to find ways to out-hot herself as the femme fatale, and when is Willem Dafoe ever not been awesome (Between this and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Christmas 2021 will be remember as the one where he able to show the world once again what a national treasure he is!) !

Don’t know if I would call this del Toro’s best but this is still up there as one of the “not miss” movie experiences of 2021!

9.) A Quiet Place: Part II

I’m quite shocked not more people are talking about this one. Whether it’s because this was one of the very first films to come out once all movie theaters started to re-open or it got lost in the sea of other horror flicks that came out in the same year, A Quiet Place: Part II is still a really superb sequel!

It manages to be just as good as it’s predecessor (if not better in some areas) and is one of the better horror sequels in recent memory. It shows that there is still more to explore within this world with just as much suspense, insanity, and brutal kills as the original!

This one sees the family split up as they get out of their comfort zone to discover who else is left on the other side of the word and whether or not they can bring an end to this universe ruled by blind alien monsters!

It manages to continue the story in a very organic way and sets the tables well for an absolute banger of a third part finale! Even then, it works just when watching it back-to-back with the original making it feel like an absolutely complete experience on it’s own!

With what went on throughout 2021 along with the swarm of other horror flicks to come out last year, this one was easy to forget about but I did not! And if you did, check this out or watch it again! It’s that good!

8.) Spencer

Masterfully directed by Pablo Larrain and superbly acted by Kristen Stewart, this historical piece of fiction and psychological drama is unquestionably the most claustrophobic work of art that was released in cinema in 2021.

This one will get under your skin and make you feel uncomfortable with the horrors that awaits Princess Diana all throughout the film. Here we witness Princess Diana trying to escape the family prison that she’s been held captive for so long with her ex-husband Prince Charles only to find out that she’s actually a part of labyrinth that she may never be able to get out of.

Throughout each and every minute of it’s 117-minute long runtime, Larrain perfectly captures the sense of dread and agony that occurs with Princess Diana. Kirsten Stewart is unrecognizable and absolutely EXTRAORDINARY here! Perfectly displaying herself as one of the finest actresses in Hollywood (Don’t @ me!) and will most certainly be up for an Oscar nomination!

This certainly ain’t the easiest watch but this is one that will absolutely suck you in the moment that it starts!

7.) The Last Duel

And speaking of excellent movies that aren’t an easy watch, Ridley Scott’s first of two 2021 features brings us, The Last Duel, a epic historic tale about rape, vengeance, and what happens when powerful men use their powers for their own, disturbing pleasure. But again, like Spencer, if you are able to handle this material, you are in for quite a ride with The Last Duel.

This manages to tell the story of a woman and her husband fighting their lives to expose the truth of sexual assault even if it might cost them their lives in a way that’s most intriguing. Dividing the picture into three different chapters is a genius movie and helps see a different view point of the events that transpires to this Me Too but in medieval times tale!

All of the men of this movie give fine (if not a bit hammy and over-the-top) performances but the real standout is Jodie Comer as Marguerite de Carrogues, the victim behind this tragic harassment! Perfectly conveying all the grief, agony, and suffering see goes throughout the course of the film portraying a woman that must expose the ugly truth that rears behind these powerful but disgraceful men!

And the final, last duel itself is an absolute all-timer!

6.) King Richard

When it comes to young children becoming famous and getting exposed to the paparazzi-like media, one side that is not looked much upon by people is the side of the parents. Sure, children comes first and foremost but the parents are as equally responsible for being able to guide and teach their kids on how to get through life with the lights shining directly on them.

In comes King Richard, this biopic sports drama showing the success and growth of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams as young girls through the perspective of their overprotective but still very meaningful father, Richard Williams. This dives deep into the process and difficulty of being a mom or dad having to guide their children through fame and glory. Manage to display all the accomplishments and achievements that the Williams sisters were able to gain as superb tennis players while showing how they got to where they are thanks to their daddy!

Whether or not you’re a fan of tennis, this will engage you thanks to it’s sharp directing and terrific performances. Will Smith hasn’t been this good in a long time and it’s 145-minute long runtime feels genuine in every way.

Even in the same year which saw the release of American Underdog, the story about that football quarterback who would eventually lead my favorite football team to it’s first (and likely only) Super Bowl title ever, this was still my favorite sports related film of the year.

5.) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

There’s not much to say differently than I already said in my 2021 Marvel ranked list but man, was Shang-Chi not a fun and refreshing great time at the theaters! It’s proof that Marvel still knows how to take the familiar origin beats that they’ve become accustom to but still deliver something innovative and new in the process! Taking a stamp from traditional martial art movies, Shang-Chi delivers some of the best and most creative action sequences in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe to date!

Simi Lulu is so damn cool as Shang-Chi, Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Xu Wenwu makes for an engaging baddie, and the women steal nearly every single scene that they are in (especially Meng’er Zhang’s Xialing).

Shang-Chi and the Legend of Two Rings is definitely among the very best features to ever come out of the MCU. If Marvel continues to release projects as good as this, then this franchise is not going to slow down anytime soon!

For more of my in-depth thoughts on this movie, go read my post of All the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies and TV Series Ranked that I already published.

4.) Last Night in Soho

This is arguably Edgar Wright’s most polarizing film to date. Some felt that Wright was too in love with his own style and that let it get in the way of the substance of the story. However, that was definitely not the case for me.

Last Night in Soho made for a rather unique and mesmerizing experience that kept my attention from beginning to end. This psychological thriller sees a young woman out on her own for the first time ever and having to experience the toxic and stressful nature of being out of your own bird’s nest along with the pressure of being a person that you are not.

Edgar Wright always brings his A-game behind the camera but he goes all out here with his beautiful cinematography, stellar costume designs, chilling score, top-notch directing, and haunting imagery and performances that will stick with you even after the credits roll.

Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy are terrific here showing the two sides of the same coin of a woman’s poignant experience of being out on her own in a world full of troubled men and women.

Last Night in Soho is not an experience I guarantee you’ll love but it’s definitely an experience that is worth experiencing and will certainly have you thinking long after it ends.

3.) Spider-Man: No Way Home

If there’s one superhero (or just one character in general) I love in the world, it’s Spidey!

However, for how amusing and enjoyable the previous two MCU Spidey flicks were in their own rights, I felt there was something that was missing from them.

Whatever that something was, it’s certainly not on display in Spider-Man: No Way Home. No Way Home seems to be the MCU Spider-Man made directly for me. Even if it brings backs villains from other Spider-Man movies including the actual Spider-Men themselves, No Way Home is essentially about the MCU’s version of Spider-Man coming into his own version as Spider-Man and dealing with the guilt and consequences of being a person behind the mask. The two specific motivations that has already driven the character of Spider-Man.

Taking a page from Into the Spider–Verse, No Way Home brings different versions of Spider-Man and his villains together while showcasing just why being Spider-Man is so hard yet is someone that Peter Parker still has to be. Just like with Spider-Verse, it never loses focus on the main Spider-Man that the movie is centered upon. And unlike certain other movies that go overboard with it’s fan service and nostalgia (*cough* Ghostbusters: Afterlife *cough*), this does a good job of making it sincere and not too pandering as well as examine some interesting themes of not just about being Spider-Man but also about how being Spider-Man in this universe is quite different from being Spider-Man in another universe.

Again, like Shang-Chi, if you want more in-depth thoughts about No Way Home, go check out my Marvel list I already posted!

2.) The Harder They Fall

Netflix has had one hell of a year with the movies destined to be represented during awards seasons minus Don’t Look Up (*runs and hide*) but I would argue The Harder They Fall is the one that stood out greatly for me.

Sure, it may not be as message heavy or thought provoking as some of the awards contenders out there but it does have some of the best, cool, and just plain badass actors and actresses out there doing some of the most best, cool, and just plain badass stuff out of any movie you’ll see in 2021.

Even in the same year we had flicks such as Nobody and Shang-Chi, The Harder They Fall manages to steal the title of being the most badass movie of the year!

This gritty western/revenge flick is one that will just find some sort of way to engage if not entertain you. It’s contain some of the best camerawork and editing all year, it has one sick and stellar soundtrack, and color palettes are some of the best I have seen in a western in quite some time!

I know westerns have become a “been there/done that” thing now but this is one that is worth checking out!

A.K.A. This is Zazie Beetz’s world and we are all living in it!

1.) The Mitchell and The Machines

And honestly, I’m not sure I can think of any movie that was gonna top this one!

Just like with 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, it’s able to showcase some of the most creative, wacky and inventive animation ever put to film while telling a completely creative, wacky, and inventive story that is unlike you’ve ever seen before.

Every character is a complete standout and memorable in their own rights, the story has real stakes and complex themes throughout, the animation is imaginative and breathtaking, the jokes all land and never detract from the emotional moments, and it all just make for some of the very best entertainment and filmmaking you will see all year long!

It manages to deliver an experience so fresh, so funny, and so meaningful! It manages to make a film that takes animation in a new direction! It manages to offer a movie for both kids and adults about the importance of staying close to your family, the pros and cons on how we use technology today, the insides of trying to become a filmmaker, and most importantly, to not be afraid to express who you really are to others and that no matter what, someone out there will accept you!

This is the kind of animated film that just helps redefine animation. Not only to help take it in a new direction but one that just feels so out there, so alive, and so personal! Showing that you don’t have to be afraid to do or try to achieve certain things! That it’s okay to make every frame of animation as meaningful as the script! It’s okay to have a film aimed for kids to make them think about their present, past, and future that lies ahead! And most importantly, the kind of animated film that shows that it’s okay to make an animated film for both kids and adults! Just like The Mitchells vs the Machines itself, animation is not just for kids, animation is for everybody!

This is strictly why The Mitchells vs the Machines is my #1 favorite film of the year! This is the one movie that I knew I was watching something special from frame one and something that will undoubtedly be looked at as an impressive and remarkable achievement many years from now. Unlike with Dune, it doesn’t need a sequel to justify itself as a classic, it already is!

Regardless of what you look for in a film nowadays, The Mitchells vs the Machines is one that will entertain you, delight you, and surprise you in ways that you would never even imagine.

And that is why it’s my #1 film of 2021!

So, what is your favorite movies of 2021? Feel free to let me know and share in the comments of the list of some of your favorites! Also, be sure to follow me on social media through Twitter, YouTube, and Letterboxd to be informed of any sort of content I might have coming!

Hope you all had a good 2021 and now bring on 2022!