The Best Movies of 2021: 10 films that blew us away this year
It’s been another brutal year for the movies, but one in which the big screen has shown to be fighting back. As you read this, Spider-man is thwipping his way to a record box office run, while Bond, Ghostbusters, The Fast Saga, and Venom were all pleasing crowds after long delays. After our list of the year’s stinkers, we’ve run down our favourites from the calendar year. Agree? Think I’m mad? Let us know!
CODA
Award movies don’t always have to be harrowing to touch your heart, and that’s proven here in this delightful story of a unique family dynamic. Emilia Jones (daughter of Aled) breaks through as a teenage girl whose dreams of stardom conflict with her role as translator for her Deaf family. A heartfelt, funny movie that deserves a lot more love.
Drive My Car
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s (Hapoy Hour) Cannes hit is a road movie where an ageing actor is chauffeured by a 20 year old while he prepares for a production of Uncle Vanya. A fascinating exploration of grief and artistry, it’s a shame that the three-hour running time may put many off, because a story like this makes the time fly by. Likely to be that movie that you badger everyone you know to watch so they can agree how good it is.
Dune
Denis Villeneuve willed Dune’s success into existence. Despite a spiralling budget, adult sci-fi not traditionally being popular, and Warner Brothers giving away the film on HBO Max against his wishes; the edgy, Shakespearean Frank Herbert adaptation was one of the year’s biggest hits. A rare case of great cinema also being commercially viable, it confirmed Timothee Chalamet as a megastar, and made the world salivate for Part Two.
The Father
Despite a cheerful poster featuring stars Olivia Colman and Sir Anthony Hopkins in a smiling embrace, there’s nothing much that’s cheery about The Father. However, it is still brilliant. Dementia as body horror is the inventive concept for this unsettling story of an older man (Hopkins) battling as his perception of the world falls apart. Like Michael Haneke’s Amour, it’s one of those dramas that might require a few years between viewings, but Hopkins’ amazing performance may be the best of his career.
Green Knight
Proof that there’s no genre Dev Patel can’t turn his hand to. Teaming up with visionary director David Lowery (The Old Man and The Gun, Pete’s Dragon), The Green Knight is a trippy medieval showdown where Patel gives a convincing performance as a brash young noble whose bravado forces him into a date with destiny. Incredible appearances from Barry Keoghan and Joel Edgerton give depth to a surreal adventure that won’t be forgotten in a hurry
In The Heights
Lin-Manual Miranda’s adaptation of his first Broadway hit was overlooked by audiences in the summer, and that’s a shame because this is the burst of hope and positivity that many of us needed. Extraordinarily conceived, pressing social issues live happily alongside big musical numbers and heart-warming dreams.
The Mitchells Vs The Machines
Films about our love technology can often come off as cynical and insincere, but there’s a joy at the heart of The Mitchells Vs The Machines (from the makers of Into The Spider-verse) that bucks that trend. The earnest struggle of a father trying to connect with his eldest daughter doesn’t lose any impact when they happen to walk into a device uprising. Earnest and smart, it’s a family film where you will actually recognise the family being portrayed.
Nomadland
This year’s big winner at the Oscars has lost none of its shine months on from its May release. A story of the lives that fall through the cracks when capitalism fails, Frances McDormand is all kinds of wonderful as a ‘nomad’, whose life unfolds one RV stop at a time. While she fumbled her Marvel debut in November’s Eternals, director Chloe Zhao’s mastery means her future projects are still worth marking in the calendar.
Supernova
This year’s ‘other dementia movie’, Supernova was cruelly overlooked during award season, but should be sought out if you want you heart to be broken into a million pieces. Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci are equally brilliant as a couple on their last road trip together, allowing themselves to be vulnerable to show unconditional love in all its messiness.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Technically a 2022 movie, given the official release date is 1 January, but Joel Coen’s solo project will have had many public previews by that point, so we’re making an exception. Denzel Washington plays the title role, and Frances McDormand is Lady Macbeth… is there anything else you need to know? Well, there’s also exceptional cinematography that turns The Scottish Play into a Fritz Lang inspired fever dream, and a cast of players who all bring their A Game to keep up with the acting legends. A feast for cinema lovers.