I managed to watch 82 new releases in 2021, the most I have ever done in a year. There is still a few I haven't been able to get to just yet (ya know, day job). I saw 15 of 2021's releases in theaters and the rest on streaming services. 27 on Netflix, 15 on Amazon Prime, 11 on HBO Max, 7 on Disney+, 5 on Apple TV+, and 1 a piece on Hulu and Peacock. The releases I want to watch but haven't been able to see yet are Licorice Pizza, House of Gucci, The King's Man, West Side Story, Belfast, and Red Rocket. A couple of these might have had an outside chance to crack the top 10, but I'm pretty content with what I have on my list.
I didn't do a top 10 in 2020 because it was just a bad year for pretty much everything with the whole world shut down. 2021 wasn't a banner year for mainstream blockbuster movies either, with some covid stuff still pushing back release dates, but it was good enough for me to have a top 10. Now, keep in mind, this is MY PERSONAL top 10 FAVORITE movies. They are not necessarily the best movies made this past year, or all Oscar nominees. I try to judge based on a mix of movie quality and enjoyment. I am by no means a film critic and the most important factor in a movie to me is how much enjoyment it brings me to watch it. And just because a movie didn't make my top 10, doesn't mean it wasn't great, or that I didn't like it.
Without further ado, here are my top 10 favorite movies of 2021 (and some honorable mentions).
Honorable Mention:
The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Raya and the Last Dragon, Pig, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, No Sudden Move, Judas and the Black Messiah, The Last Duel, Last Night in Soho
10. Spencer (rent now on Prime for $4)
I'm not big into the British royal family like some, but Princess Diana has always been a fascinating person to me. Spencer details the final days of her broken marriage to Prince Charles and Princess Di's decision to break away from the monarchy. It's a haunting, tragic mix of fact and fiction. My favorite scenes were the ones with Diana and her sons, William and Harry. I thought the costumes and settings were really cool and the movie was shot well, but it totally hinges on Kristen Stewart's performance as Diana. She is so scary good that sometimes I forgot I was watching her. She's going to win the Oscar for this and I hope Stewart starts getting the recognition she deserves as a bloody good actress.
9. Old Henry (rent now on Prime for $4)
Old Henry slipped under my radar for a long time. It released in October, but I didn't watch it until the end of December, so it was a late addition to my list. Dang if it isn't good though. Here's a quick synopsis: When farmer Henry and his son take in an injured man with a satchel of cash, a posse of men come riding and soon find out there's more to Old Henry than meets the eye. Tim Blake Nelson is really good in the lead role as an old grizzled gunslinger. It feels like an old Western movie, a nice simple throwback when everything else that hits screens seems to have a multiverse or some brain bending story. Old Henry was a really nice surprise. I won't spoil the shocking twist at the end, but it is really cool.
8. King Richard (will stream on HBO Max or rent now on Prime for $20)
Kristen Stewart isn't the only Oscar hopeful on this list because Will Smith just might win his first for his portrayal of Ricard Williams. King Richard is the story of Williams serving as coach to his two daughters Venus and Serena, you know, those two legendary tennis stars. It's a great feel good sports drama that is leaps and bounds beyond the average biopic. King Richard really just hits all the right notes. Will Smith wasn't the only one on his game here either. Jon Bernthal, in the least Jon Bernthal role ever as tennis coach Rick Macci, aced every scene he was in.
7. The Suicide Squad (watch now on HBO Max)
James Gunn is a genius. He rectified DC's mistakes with their previous, abysmal Suicide Squad movie. The Suicide Squad shouldn't work. There's a guy that throws polka dots and walking, talking shark and they fight a giant starfish. It's absurd. But the stellar cast that includes Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, John Cena, Viola Davis, Sylvester Stallone, Joel Kinnaman, David Dastmalchian, and more pull it off phenomenally. I never thought one of my favorite characters of the year would be someone called "Ratcatcher 2." The Suicide Squad is vulgar and violent with a good blend of action and comedy. In short, it's killer good fun.
6. CODA (watch now Apple TV+)
Another one that slipped under my radar. CODA released in August and just like Old Henry, I just watched it last week. I knew immediately that it belonged in the top 10. CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) is the story of Ruby, who is the only hearing person in her family. Her love of music drives her to pursue college, but she's torn by her responsibilities at home with her family's fishing business. CODA is a truly heartwarming coming of age story that is done really well. I love how they portray deafness as something to be embraced and not pitied. Emilia Jones crushes it as Ruby and one simple song throughout the whole movie tells you everything you need to know.
5. No Time To Die (rent now on Prime for $6)
Daniel Craig's final entry in his James Bond saga was a good one! I wrote a review on No Time To Die, so if you want my full thoughts be sure to check that out on my site. It's action packed fun mixed with some tender emotional moments. For me Craig's Bond is the best because of how they humanized him. Ana de Armas was in this movie for about 10 minutes and might have been the best character in the whole movie. While No Time To Die doesn't hold a candle to Skyfall or Casino Royal as Craig's best Bond movies, I thought it wrapped up his character nicely. I even got a little misty at the end!
4. tick, tick...BOOM! (watch now on Netflix)
It's Andrew Garfield's world and we're all just living in it. I don't even really like musicals all that much and I didn't really expect to like this. In fact, I only watched it because of Andrew Garfield. Boy was I wrong. In tick, tick...BOOM!, Lin-Manuel Miranda brings to screen the story of Jonathan Larson (Garfield), the real-life composer of the Broadway hit Rent. His story with Rent is incredibly tragic. Miranda does his best work behind the camera and Garfield (who had never sung in public before this) crushes not only the acting, but the singing and piano playing as well. It's a lot more endearing and heartfelt than any theater performance has a right to be. You'll have the songs playing on repeat.
3. The Harder They Fall (watch now Netflix)
Everything about this movie flat out rocks. Even the trailer I've linked rocks. This movie put a huge smile on my face. I was in on The Harder They Fall as soon as I heard about it, and I'm glad it didn't let me down. The cast is made up of some of the coolest people in the acting business: Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, and Lakeith Stanfield. Westerns will never go out of style and this one was remixed with a lot of vibrant colors, a bumping soundtrack, snappy dialogue, and some really cool shots. Jonathan Majors has solidified himself as a superstar, but it's Lakeith Stanfield for me. He makes everything he's in good. While the story in The Harder They Fall may be fictitious, the black cowboys the characters are based on were very real. Nat Love, Bass Reeves, Rufus Buck, Stagecoach Mary, Cherokee Bill, Jim Beckwourth, and Bill Pickett were all real gunslingers, some of which roamed Tennessee. I think that's super cool, and their real stories are fascinating.
2. Dune (will stream on HBO Max or rent now on Prime for $20)
As far as cinematography, acting, stylization, visual artistry, scope, worldbuilding, and all those film terms, Dune was at or near the top in 2021. I really struggled with whether to put it at 1 or 2, it is that good. I love the story, I love the cast, I love everything about this movie. It's a beautiful looking, slow burn that many will find a bit boring, but once the back half hits, it proceeds at a breakneck pace. Denis Villeneuve is probably the best director in the game right now and I can't wait to see what he does with the rest of the planned Dune trilogy. Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Zendaya, and Jason Mamoa were all great, but it was Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson that were SO good together as Paul and Jessica. Dune is truly a staggering spectacle of a film that was meant for the theater. You can check out my full thoughts in my long review on my site!
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home (still in theaters)
Duh. It'd be too far off brand for me to not have No Way Home as my number 1 favorite movie of 2021. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Lots of movies are better made, but as far as pure entertainment goes, nothing was topping this. The theater experience you have watching No Way Home is up there with Avengers: Endgame. Again, my full thoughts are on my page, but it really was incredible how Marvel managed to blend fan service and nostalgia with a gut wrenching story that is going to give us the best version of Peter Parker/Spider-Man we've ever seen. Willem Dafoe was the standout in his return as Green Goblin and Tom Holland was the best he's ever been as Spidey. It is truly a great time to be a Spider-Man fan.
So that's it. My ten favorite films from 2021. I'm looking forward to 2022 and I'll do a post on my most anticipated movies that will be coming out this year soon! Thanks for reading all year!
- BH
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