My Top 10 Favourite Movies of 2021

__Happy New Year's Eve. We've come to the end of 2021, so you know what that means.🙂 It's time for me to look back on the year and pick out my ten favourite movies.

__So how was the year overall? Well, I got my vaccine and, among the year's movies, saw at least one that I rated five stars; that alone makes it a huge improvement on 2020!😀 Unfortunately, the virus shows no sign of slowing down, so not only will many people's stories be a lot sadder, but it'll probably be a long time before our everyday life returns to what it was two years ago, if at all. For better or worse, this year did at least take a few steps in that direction. Most relevant here is the reopening of cinemas on a more permanent basis – though still under heavy restrictions, obviously.

__If this is your first time reading one of my year-end lists (or if you just need a reminder), let me briefly go over the criteria I set for what qualifies as a 2021 movie. It simply has to have been released for public consumption within the year, be it in cinemas or on a streaming platform. Movies that haven't been seen outside of film festivals don't count, and neither do movies that were released in another country in an earlier year. This year was especially problematic in that regard, because the release schedule towards the end of 2020 was very messy indeed! Several awards contenders weren't released publicly until the early months of the following year, including Nomadland, which may have won Best Picture for 2020, but its earliest non-festival release date makes it a 2021 movie in my book.

__Now, before we get into the list itself, this would normally be the point where I pick out the year's most disappointing movie. But it was unusually hard to pick a winner this year because, while there were quite a few movies that fell short of my expectations, there were none that fell so miserably short that they stood out as an especially crushing letdown.

__If I had to choose one, I'd probably go with Black Widow. I, like many, was looking forward to seeing our favourite Marvel super spy in her own action adventure that would explore her traumatic past. Now, others have brought up how they wasted a great villain in Taskmaster or other issues with the climax, but personally, my main problem with the movie is the action scenes themselves. They're often given little to no context, which makes it hard to get invested in them, so they're more distracting than beneficial. But still, it's not bad. I like the idea of Taskmaster imitating the Avengers' abilities, so Natasha has to confront both groups of people she's called family.

__For the record, I was also considering Judas and the Black Messiah, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Eternals, The Conjuring 3, Cry Macho, Encanto, The King's Man, The Power of the Dog and Nomadland, each for their own reasons.

__That brings me nicely to my comments on 2021's movie output in general. Like I said, unlike 2020, I did at least give one movie a five-star rating, but that's not really indicative of the year's movies as a whole. For obvious reasons, these last couple of years have not been good for movies. There were so many that I found mediocre or at best mildly enjoyable that it severely dulled my overall happiness level and left me pretty despondent. Obviously, other things in life were also contributing to that ennui, but it's pretty depressing when not even the media you consume can bring you much joy. So, let's start talking about the movies released in 2021 that did.🙂

__Now, I say this every year, but it's worth mentioning that I haven't seen everything I wanted to. For example, I haven't a chance to see West Side Story. I watched the original in preparation (back when the new one was due to be released last year, admittedly) and wasn't overly impressed, so it's entirely possible that I'll greatly prefer the Spielberg version. Other movies that come highly recommended are Spencer, Titane, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Nightmare Alley, The French Dispatch and The Green Knight.

__Like in 2020, the movies on the lower end of the list would never have made it past the runners-up stage on my year-end lists from the previous decade, but this year they happened to be among the ten movies I enjoyed most (another sad indication of how few brilliant movies I've come across lately). So, without further ado, let's finally get to the full list of what those ten were.🙂

#10 = Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two

I haven't read the original comic book series that this two-part animated adaptation is based on, but I am curious to see how it compares. Of the two movies, I slightly prefer Part Two because the pacing is better; instead of an episodic plot structure, it flows a bit more like a three-act narrative. My favourite scene is a flashback that adds to the theme of characters indirectly creating their own enemies: Falcone is a part of Batman's foundation, much like how Gordon planted the seed for Two-Face. Plus, it continues to upend your suspicions every time you think you know the Holiday killer's identity.

#9 = Free Guy

This is a delightfully fun movie in which Ryan Reynolds plays a video game NPC, simply named Guy, who one day becomes self-aware. It does touch on ideas like artificial intelligence and society's obsession with video games, but its beating heart is action and humour, both of which are handled wonderfully. I especially like how jolly and content Guy initially is with his daily life despite being surrounded by mayhem and carnage; to him, that's perfectly normal.🙂 One thing I wasn't expecting was the cameos from actual gaming personalities, including Jacksepticeye, who provide in-universe comments as they watch the MMO game's events unfold.

#8 = Malcolm & Marie

This drama, driven entirely by the two title characters alone, is intriguingly simple but intense, because their relationship is being strained to the breaking point. The disconnect is apparent right from the first scene. They've just returned from the premiere of Malcolm's movie; he's proud of it, but Marie is clearly unhappy about having attended. Their conversations are captivating in and of themselves, though they do seem pretty scatterbrained; often, the subject comes up for no apparent reason. As well as providing analysis of the two characters, they cover topics like messages in film and how people's interpretations often differ from the writer's intention.

#7 = Luca

Pixar's latest offering seems very derivative of The Little Mermaid at first, but thankfully soon becomes its own thing. The heart of the story is Luca's eagerness to learn and explore new things, and how it affects his relationships with his friends. The animation style during his imagination is a really nice touch. Recalling what I just said about Malcolm & Marie, the filmmakers claim they never intended it as an allegory for homosexuality, but it's still easy to interpret it that way, especially the nature of the betrayal at a certain point. Either way, it's a fun, if not stunningly poignant, coming-of-age drama.

#6 = Injustice

I have played Injustice: Gods Among Us, but I haven't read the tie-in comics. Instead of recreating the game's all-out extravaganza, this movie keeps the story much more streamlined, staying within one universe and fleshing out how Superman loses hope, and how his turn to despotism affects the heroes around him. It leads to some riveting ethical discussions. The one thing I don't like is how readily Wonder Woman agrees with Superman's ruthlessness; isn't Diana supposed to be more compassionate than that? But overall, I seem to be in a minority who really liked this movie. Probably more than the game, in fact.

#5 = No Time to Die

Yes, the long-delayed finale for Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond. And personally, I think it's a commendable swan song. Its runtime of over two-and-a-half hours may seem excessive, but it's paced so well that I for one barely noticed it. The highlight is an action scene with two contrasting phases: a car chase that turns into a suspenseful hunt in a quiet, misty wood. Its only downfall, for me, is the villain. Granted, he accomplishes a lot, but there's just nothing memorable about his personality or motives. Other than that, it's a worthy series conclusion and definitely one of my favourite Bond movies.

#4 = Minari

This is a movie that was nominated for the previous year's awards but that I categorise as a 2021 release. I usually find dramas like this hard to comment on, but this one has a very interesting demeanour: it's quiet and sedate, yet it always holds your attention. It's about a Korean family moving to rural America, and each member of the family has their own story to tell. At the centre is the father Jacob's determination to start a farm and the friction it causes with the others. The significance of the title is implied at the very end, but I won't spoil it.

#3 = Spider-Man: No Way Home

It's kind of a live-action version of Into the Spider-Verse – and, in my opinion, far superior.🙂 It's the first MCU Spider-Man movie to acknowledge the character's core philosophy, and also gives the other two live-action iterations one last hurrah. Whereas Homecoming was about Peter trying to prove himself and Far from Home had him just trying to be normal, this story sees him trying to do something decent for his friends, but facing harsh consequences for his decision. It's not perfect, but still a highly enjoyable movie that showcases Tom Holland's Spidey at his best, while also providing closure for two unfinished film series.

#2 = CODA

If you don't know, that stands for child of deaf adults. The child (or teenager) in question is Ruby, who feels that her family is keeping her from pursuing her newfound passion for music, but she can't abandon them, partly because they depend on her. It's a compelling dilemma that puts increasing strain on both situations. The best moment is an outstanding editing choice in the third act; I won't say exactly what happens, but let's just say it lets us experience the most important scene in a whole new way. It's an irresistible drama that thoroughly deserves the number two spot on my list.

And my #1 favourite movie of 2021 is… Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

If you've seen many of my other year-end lists, you'll know that either a Disney/Pixar animated movie or a Marvel one has almost always won the gold medal for several years now. Say what you will about Disney's monopoly on everything, but if they keep giving us movies this good, I'm not complaining!🙂 As you can probably guess, this is the movie that earned the five-star rating I mentioned before. Not only is the action brilliantly framed and choreographed, but the humour isn't just cheap jokes; it's used to enhance the believability of the characters and, by extension, the situation. The characters themselves are fascinating, particularly Shaun's father, who's an antagonist with very understandable and even tragic motives. I also love how the intermittent flashbacks gradually develop Shaun's character and add extra weight to his decisions. Even the CGI on the fantastical creatures in the third act looks phenomenally realistic – far better than the composite shots from earlier in the film, strangely enough. In short, it's so exceedingly funny and exciting that it's one of my top five favourite MCU films, not to mention my undisputed favourite movie of 2021.

Runners-up:

• Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One, I mentioned in the list itself.

• Boss Level is a fun action movie that puts its own spin on the time loop trope, although there are some dodgy visual effects.

• The Harder They Fall is so stylishly directed that it's almost Tarantino-esque, but that's not to say it's completely style over substance.

• Last Night in Soho is not on par with the rest of Edgar Wright's oeuvre, but still has its moments of brilliance.

• Nobody is another fun action movie that sometimes mocks the genre conventions, like the fight scene on the bus that the hero does not make look easy.

• A Quiet Place Part II is not as good as the first movie, but still a worthy continuation with a new theme of hope for exploiting the monsters' weakness.

• And Raya and the Last Dragon, though nothing special, is an enjoyable enough adventure backed by top-notch animation.

__And those are the ten movies I enjoyed the most in this generally miserable year.

__So what do we have to look forward to in 2022? Well, maybe you can't wait to see Mission: Impossible 7, Top Gun: Maverick, Minions 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or the new Scream, but in my case, there are only a few movies off the top of my head that I'm eagerly anticipating. There's The Batman, a couple more Pixar movies in Turning Red and Lightyear, and of course three more MCU movies. One that I'm particularly curious about is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I wonder what kind of movie it'll end up being without the character of T'Challa? After all, given the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, I highly doubt they'll recast him. Maybe they'll make that part of the story: that T'Challa died without any heirs, so what's to become of Wakanda's leadership now? I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud.

__And then, sort of on the other hand, there's Jurassic World: Dominion. I'm not so much looking forward to that one as just keeping my fingers crossed. So far, this new trilogy has had two strikes; I'm giving it one last chance to impress me.

__But what I'm most excited for is any movies that might come along and give me a pleasant surprise.

__Well, that's it for 2021. Whatever you watch next year, I hope you enjoy it. In the meantime, take care, stay safe and well, and I'll see you on the other side.