By Brett Blake Though still not a “normal” movie year, 2021 certainly saw the return of a fairly broad selection of releases, from big (BIG!) blockbusters to small indies. Streaming offerings increased in prevalence, but so too did the theatrical experience (certainly compared to 2020, anyway!). Overall, I think the year was a solid -- if not great -- one. I’m not sure there will be many films we look back on as total masterpieces, but there were plenty of very good movies out there to entertain us. Here is my take on the best of what the year served up! Honorable Mentions: NOBODY, A QUIET PLACE PART II, NO SUDDEN MOVE, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, THE VOYEURS, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, CENSOR, GODZILLA VS. KONG 10. THE NIGHT HOUSE Rebecca Hall contributes an impressive portrait of the way grief can spiral out of control. Couple that with some effectively spooky moments and some strong direction, and you’ve got a terrific haunted house story. 09. BEING THE RICARDOS A pretty compelling combo of showing the inner workings of 1950s sitcom television and digging into the powerful and sharp personalities of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, both of whom are played with ample nuance by Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. 08. PIG Potentially Nicolas Cage’s greatest performance. Not only is this a quirky look at the culinary world’s more odd corners, but it’s also a surprisingly, deceptively emotional story about a man finally coming to grips with the death of his wife after avoiding it for a long time. 07. THE LAST DUEL Ridley Scott does “period epic” as well as any director ever has, and while this does not join the ranks of his very best films, it is a handsomely-mounted and well-acted look at the ways in which three people can view a horrible incident through three different prisms. 06. WEST SIDE STORY Some questionable adaptation choices aside, this movie shows Steven Spielberg operating at full strength from a visual standpoint. Very few (if any) other filmmakers have such a confidence in terms of staging a sequence, and there are moments in this film that are as vibrant and energetic as we’ve seen from Spielberg in quite a while. 05. BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION A noir/horror fusion that lingers long after it ends. In drawing from some real life unsolved incidents, the film takes “investigation story” tropes and focuses them around an idiosyncratic mystery that only becomes more sinister and ambiguous as it moves towards its resolution. It also features one of the best musical scores of the year. 04. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Edgar Wright’s love letter to/deconstruction of 1960s British thrillers showcases his gift for using the camera and editing in engaging ways, and while some of the story turns might not fully satisfy, it’s a striking movie to look at and listen to. 03. THE GREEN KNIGHT The most singular, unique take on classic Arthurian legend since EXCALIBUR. Relentlessly moody and packed with (enjoyably) odd moments, the movie rests on the capable shoulders of its lead, Dev Patel, who really nails his character’s arc in a quite satisfying way. 02. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Fan service done the right way. It’s not hyperbole to call NO WAY HOME a bit of a remarkable juggling act, not just because it manages to pay-off (in an unexpectedly meaningful way) the nostalgic investment of viewers stretching all the way back to 2002, but also because it tells a proper, wonderful Spider-Man story about Tom Holland’s Peter Parker learning that doing the right thing often requires personal sacrifice. 01. DUNE The most staggering and overwhelming cinematic experience of the year. Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction novel has been re-adapted for the big screen by Denis Villeneuve in a way that emphasizes the scale of Herbert’s worlds. Cinematography, production design, costume design, editing, score, and -- especially -- sound design combine to deliver a visual and auditory feast.
Here's to a great 2022!
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