Here are my favorite — note, not what I feel are the best — films of 2021, in alphabetical, non-prioritized, order:
BARB & STAR GO TO VISTA DEL RAY
“I miss this sort of comedy, the kind of comedy that doesn’t call attention to its jokes, the kind that’s sharply written and doesn’t meander or rely on extended improvised riffs. It’s tightly wound silliness with a ton of great talent”
—
“It was a real tit-flapper!”
BENEDETTA
“[U]ltimately this is a human drama, one which showcases how very little has changed over hundreds of years.”
CENSOR
“[A]n extremely mannered film until, well, until it isn’t. Stick with it and it will fuck you up.”
THE FRENCH DISPATCH
A surprisingly sincere triptych from Wes Anderson.
JOY RIDE
“We’re all healing as we (hopefully) come to the end of this awful era, and seeing JOY RIDE under these circumstances was such an immensely enjoyable time, and I’m so happy I could see it with such giving artists.”
THE SOUVENIR PART II
“I can’t recommend these two films enough, but I would suggest watching them relatively close together. I hadn’t seen PART I since it screened in theaters in 2019, and felt like I was missing out on a lot in PART II because, uh, my memory, and the past two years have been particularly harrowing.”
SPENCER
I’ve had the goddamn hardest time getting people to watch this film, solely because of Kristen Stewart, but hell, the way she casts her eyes … I wish folks would just watch the trailer and see her transformation.
“You are your own weapon.”
[…]
“Will they kill me, do you think?”
TITANE
“I can’t remember the last time I so extensively averted my eyes from watching a film. However, those moments are not exploitative — they are meant to be uncomfortable, they are there for a reason. I simply felt that I was able to glean that reason by listening, instead of watching.”
Missed:
- ANNETTE
- CANDYMAN
- CYRANO
- DRIVE MY CAR
- MEMORIA
- NIGHTMARE ALLEY
- NINE DAYS
- PASSING
- PLAN B
- RED ROCKET
- SHIVA BABY
- TEST PATTERN
- THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
- ZOLA