I consider myself to be an aspiring film buff. I say aspiring because there’s plenty of movies I haven’t seen, like anything by the Marx Brothers, Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1961), or Children of Men (2006). I’m still chipping away at my Letterboxd Watchlist though, I’m sure I’ll get it under 200 this year.
2021 has been a bit of a catch-up year, but some things get delayed again, but others were delayed to 2022. We got not one, but four Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, two Disney movies, and a Pixar movie. It’s a bit overwhelming if you’re into those movies like me. People who read the Fear Street books as kids get a good trilogy of movies on Netflix. The Conjuring franchise gets a third movie in the main line, but it’s just not as good as the first. Sailor Moon Crystal does Sailor Moon Super S in the form of a two-part movie. I saw my first concert movie with Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever. #ReleaseTheSnyderCut finally worked out, and along the way, we got a “take two” on the Suicide Squad, which worked out better. In the end, I saw 44 feature length movies. So with the list of Academy Award nominations out, I thought I’d share my Top 10 movies of the year. Also worth noting that I haven’t seen West Side Story. While I did see and enjoy the original, I was never in the mood to see this, and I have to wait until it shows up on Disney+ on March 2nd to see it.
I do want to get some honorable mentions out of the way.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Decades after the world stops believing in ghosts, it’s time to believe again, as Egon Spengler’s family moves to Summerville, Oklahoma, and a group of kids become the next generation of paranormal exterminators. Did we really need to bring Gozer back though?
Fear Street: 1994
The first part of this slasher trilogy gets a good start, setting up lore between Shadyside and Sunnyvale that will be expanded upon later, as well as the Shadyside Killers. The whole trilogy is worth watching if you’re into this kind of horror.
Pig
A Nicolas Cage film in which he isn’t going off the walls with his overacting. He just wants his pig back.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
I was debating whether to put this or Ghostbusters: Afterlife at #10, but then I looked through the movies I’ve seen and realized I forgot to slot another movie in, so in the end, that debate was moot. It’s a fun kung fu movie with likeable characters, a good variety of environments and mystical stuff. I look forward to more adventures with him.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the Top 10.
10
The French Dispatch
I’ve previously seen two of Wes Anderson’s works: Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel. They both have their own special charm and unique cinematography, and that continues here with an anthology of stories in France that’s reported by a Kansas newspaper (I still don’t understand the concept here). Regardless, these stories are well written and executed, including a critique on modern art, a student revolution involving chess, and a car chase, because every movie needs a car chase.
9
Fear Street Part Three: 1666
I can’t really talk too much about this because it’s the conclusion to a three part series, but it’s about how well it concludes, not just explaining what happened with Sarah Fier, but taking it back to 1994 to wrap up everything. If you made it to Part 3, it’s worth it in the end.
8
The Green Knight
The only King Arthur movie I’ve seen prior to this is Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and I wanted something that wasn’t a comedy. This isn’t about Arthur, it’s about his nephew Sir Gawain, who is honor bound to face his death at the hands of the Green Knight (it makes sense in context). Early on, it shows that these knights aren’t superheroes, but are regular people as he gets tricked by a thief in the woods. Sir Gawain goes on to meet a cast of characters along the way with great cinematography and the landscapes of England. It’s not a swords and sorcery action movie, it’s an adventure, and it’s a good one at that. And then when you’re done watching it, go look up how the story actually ends.
7
Dune: Part One
: I haven’t read the book or seen the previous adaptations, but Denis Villeneuve does it again after the atmospheric Blade Runner 2049. For what it’s worth coming from me, this was an enjoyable adaptation with its vision of humanity 8,000 years into the future, the introduction of the sandworms, and the eventual attack on the Atriedes compound. Looking forward to Part Two.
6
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
This was my #1 for a long time until the late year movies came in. This movie is a bit of a surprise as Katie’s father, who is clearly a Millennial, is somehow computer illiterate. It’s a fun road trip movie about the generation gap while there’s killer robots all about, kind of like A Goofy Movie.
5
Last Night in Soho
This was a late recommendation to me. It’s like 12 Angry Men in that it’s people talking in a single room in real time, but instead of 12 jurors, it’s the parents of a dead child confronting the parents of the child who killed the other in a school shooting. You have the victims who want the other parents to be punished (since the shooter is dead). The shooter’s parents explain the mental well-being of their child growing up. It’s a story about the struggles of parenting and desire for revenge, and it’s worth checking out.
4
Mass
This was a late recommendation to me. It’s like 12 Angry Men in that it’s people talking in a single room in real time, but instead of 12 jurors, it’s the parents of a dead child confronting the parents of the child who killed the other in a school shooting. You have the victims who want the other parents to be punished (since the shooter is dead). The shooter’s parents explain the mental well-being of their child growing up. It’s a story about the struggles of parenting and desire for revenge, and it’s worth checking out.
3
Summer of Soul (…or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
I’m a sucker for documentaries, and this one is no exception. Around the time of Woodstock, there was the Harlem Cultural Festival taking place every Sunday for about 2 months. It’s just a fun experience watching black people being able to get together and be themselves. Plenty of interviews of people who were there, speeches, and musical numbers. Check out this piece of black history that fell by the wayside.
2
Encanto
A movie I liked more the second time around, it has a diverse cast of characters (the family tree does take getting used to), great music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a unique living house. It’s also about mental health, so there’s that too. I put it in my Top 10 Disney movies.
1
Spider-Man: No Way Home
I was never a big fan of Spider-Man growing up, but Tom Holland made me love the character when he first appeared in Captain America: Civil War, and followed it up with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Then came Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, an amazing movie that’s the best of 2018 and #10 on my all-time favorites. Far From Home wasn’t as good as Homecoming, but it was still enjoyable, and how about that mid-credits scene? How’s Spider-Man going to get out of this one?Well this picks up immediately afterwards, and what we get afterwards is a love letter to the other 5 Spider-Man movies…even if nobody liked The Amazing Spider-Man 2. So it’s kind of like the already great Spider-verse. I know people don’t like movies that are just appeals to fanservice, but this one is more than that in that it resolves a cliffhanger, moves Tom Holland away from Iron Man Jr. sets up the next Doctor Strange, and even brings in Venom from outside the MCU. It’s not perfect, as I wish they still never talk about Uncle Ben, but it’s already one of the best MCU movies.
FIN
Thank you to Yahoo Silverman for inviting me to write for his website.
I hope this list isn’t too mainstream for actual film buffs, as I’ve only seen 2 of the 10 movies nominated for Best Picture
