Malignant
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: HBO Max, VOD, Home Video
James Wan’s throwback to low budget horror trash is one of the most audacious pictures to come out of a mainstream studio in quite some time, and it was easily one of the most entertaining experiences I’ve had in all of 2021. It’s a masterclass in committing to the bit, and having fun with its conceit without constantly winking at the camera. Wan goes fully unhinged with his style, his aesthetics, playing with the camera in inspiring ways. James Wan truly is one of a kind, and we are lucky to have him.
Minnal Murali
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Netflix
This might be a hot take, but I truly think Minnal Murali might be the best superhero film to be released in 2021. A surprise considering Indian cinema has not had a good track record in chasing the comic book trend. This Malayalam language film from director, Basil Joseph, and writers, Arun Anirudhan and Justin Mathew, tap into a style of superhero storytelling that we haven’t seen in a while, one that emphasizes the human element, builds character, and earns its bombastic climax. The film really lets you absorb both the hero and the villain in surprising ways, and it remains engaging and fun.
Moothon
Review: N/A Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Zee5
Geethu Mohandas’ second feature is a hard-hitting masterpiece. Part gangster film, part queer cinema, part mystery, and part character study, a look at how circumstances and society at large can change a person. This film’s inclusion might be a bit of a cheat, as it was released in India in 2019, and in certain festivals throughout 2020, but was only made widely available in 2021 after the Indian streaming service Zee5 was made available in the US. It was worth the wait, and far too good to not include on this list. Dark, powerful, and yet, full of so much beauty and humanity.
Nightmare Alley
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Hulu, HBO Max, Home Video on March 22nd
Speaking of dark, Guillermo del Toro’s latest film was one that really grew on me over time. After dwelling with monsters his whole career, we now get to see how ruthless he can get in exploring the monstrosity of man, of how greed can consume someone, and how their arrogance can put them on a path of self-destruction. It’s classic film noir in every way, and in some respects, probably his darkest film yet. While I think Bradley Cooper is too old for the role, he carries the film with the right kind of charisma and sleaze, and his performance makes the ending hit that much harder.
Old
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: VOD, Home Video
I’m so happy that M. Night Shyamalan is at a point in his career where he can pretty much do whatever he wants, and with Old, his style is so fine-tuned and efficient in its approach that the results are equal parts disturbing and utterly wacky. There is no one else like him working in the mainstream space. But as I said in my review, I think this film tackles the anxiety felt by many during the pandemic, lockdowns specifically, the best. A somewhat weak ending reveal is not enough to take away how impactful I found many of the moments here, and I’m grateful for every weird, unhinged, terrifying, and hilarious second of it.
Petite Maman
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: In Theaters April 22nd, 2022
Despite being a little over an hour long, Céline Sciamma packs so much emotion and character into her new film. She takes a very gentle approach to grief, allowing her characters to experience it with patience, imagination, and so much love. It’s a warm film, one that lulls you into this feeling of security and vulnerability, allowing you to feel what the characters feel. Sciamma makes it feel so effortless, but the sense of craft here is practically unmatched. Truly a wonderful, special little film.
Pig
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Hulu, VOD, Home Video
The common narrative with this film was that it’s not the film you think it is, and it’s absolutely true. For being his first directorial effort, Michael Sarnoski, and his co-writer, Vanessa Block, tackle the revenge genre in a smart and subversive way, not only in taking out the blood lust, but using the formula to explore a damaged character who has to reconnect with his passion. Nicolas Cage is one of the most gifted performers of our time, and this shows he’ll always have something unexpected up his sleeve.
Psycho Goreman
Review: N/A Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Shudder, AMC+, Home Video
Psycho Goreman is just an absolute delight from start to finish. Like E.T. by way of Power Rangers and Troma Entertainment, this film knows it’s not going to appeal to everyone, so it embraces all its quirks and idiosyncrasies, really letting its freak flag fly and committing to the bit. This was 100% my cup of tea, and I found it so funny that even thinking about certain gags a year later still makes me giggle, and that’s a rare thing for me.
Raging Fire
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Hi-YAH!, VOD, Home Video
We sadly lost Hong Kong filmmaker, Benny Chan, in August of 2020, while he was in post-production of his final film, and while it’s a great loss, I’m happy to say he has left us with one of his finest films. Raging Fire feels like an end of an era, the last hurrah of a style of Hong Kong action cinema that we likely won’t get anymore, at least for a long while. It features some of the best action I’ve seen in 2021 and with strong work from the always reliable Donnie Yen and Nicholas Tse.
Red Rocket
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: VOD, Home Video
Red Rocket is one of those films that almost shouldn’t work. Not only is there a loathsome protagonist at the core of the story doing selfish things, but there isn’t really any sense of growth for any of the characters involved, at least, no growth for the better. It’s a challenging approach, but Sean Baker’s distinctive eye for capturing a slice of America that is rarely seen in film combined with Simon Rex’s brilliant performance resulted in one of the most engaging and funniest and rich films of 2021.
Riders Of Justice
Review: N/A Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Hulu, VOD, Home Video
Similar to how Pig subverted your expectations for a revenge film, Riders Of Justice does a somewhat comparable twist while still indulging in some genre thrills. However, the surprising aspect of the film was the beating heart at the center, telling a story about family, newfound friendships, coping with trauma, which manages to be both moving and also really funny. The tonal tightrope walk is extremely impressive, and the cast delivers stellar performances all around.
Sardar Udham
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime
Shoojit Sircar makes a bold choice with Sardar Udham’s structure, switching the events covered in the first and final acts from how you would normally expect in a biopic. That choice pays off in spades, as the final half hour is some of the most haunting pieces of filmmaking I’ve seen in a while. Sircar thankfully keeps many of the usual Bollywood tropes at bay, presenting the film as a dark and complex character study of a freedom fighter boiled to his most primal state, a man who dedicates his life to revenge. Vicky Kaushal inhabits the lead role spectacularly, his finest performance to date, and it’s a film I’ve thought about often ever since I saw it.
Sherni
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime
Despite recently starting her managerial position at a small Forest Service office, Vidya already feels like she’s getting too old for this shit. Things take a turn for the worse when a tiger is loose, killing local villagers, but her efforts to capture the tiger safely are hampered by the interference of scared villagers, two politicians competing for votes for the upcoming election, and a hunter with some serious blood lust. I thought about Jaws often, which this has a few similarities to, and Amit Masurkar takes all the right lessons from a film like that. It’s a strong thriller, but also a funny satire about man’s relationship with nature.
Space Sweepers
Review: Click here! Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Netflix
Had this list been ranked, this might have made my number one spot. It might seem silly, but this ticks off a lot of boxes for me. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable space adventure with memorable characters, thrilling action, thoughtful theming, and plenty of spectacle. It’s the total package, and I’m surprised it’s not one that I see getting brought up. Either way, this was a film I had a blast with, it’s the kind of film that would easily have become one of my all-time favorites had I seen it as a child. I could watch dozens of these if Jo Sung-hee were to make them, but in the meantime, I’ll cherish this one.
Spencer
Review: N/A Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: Hulu, VOD, Home Video
Pablo Larraín’s Spencer is an absolute nightmare of a film, a character study by way of gothic horror, a psychological dive in one woman’s isolation and identity within royalty. The rich has never looked so ghoulish and so overwhelming and so parasitic as they do here. The vulnerability in Kristen Stewart’s performance is layered, relentless, and thankfully not as drenched in tragedy as one could easily do given who she’s playing. I was fully under the spell of this picture, and there’s moments that haven’t left me.
Test Pattern
Review: N/A Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: VOD, Home Video
One of the (many) great injustices that we face is the roadblocks we often face in the medical industry, from the lack of comprehensive healthcare to medicinal price gouging to medical racism, and these issues are often made worse ten fold with women. Filmmaker, Shatara Michelle Ford, and lead actress, Brittany S. Hall, do a terrific job in exploring these subjects in their sobering and harrowing drama where a young woman tries to locate a rape kit. This is a film that everyone should see, not just because it’s “important,” but because it’s fresh, empathetic, well-crafted, and made with so much care.
The Father
Review: N/A Trailer: Click here!
Where To Watch: VOD, Home Video
What a film like The Father does so brilliantly is that it so perfectly puts you in its character’s headspace. This film is equal parts terrifying and utterly heartbreaking, and Anthony Hopkins delivers one of his finest performances on top of all that. It’s also a terrific adaptation, taking a stage show, and utilizing cinematic techniques to carry its themes from one medium to another. This was a far cry from the typical prestige fare that I think some, myself included, expected from it. The ending destroys me just thinking about it.
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