Hello 2022! My Top 10 Best/Favorite Movies of 2021

Just imagine Otto saying 2022 instead of Peter though… and this totally isn’t an obvious spoiler for the list whatsoever… definitely!

Hey Everyone and well, I’m a bit late to the punch… ok VERY late, but uh, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope everyone out there has been having a great year so far, even if there’s a chance it may very well be 2020-2… you know what, let’s not think about that. Cool?! Cool! Anyways, 2021 was an insane year for so many different reasons for the world and me personally. I could write you an entire book on the last four months alone of 2021, but for the sake of making you (the oh so good reader who is clearly enjoying this 😉 ) not relive my trauma, let’s just focus on the thing I know how to talk about: movies!

As with every year, movies were a really great source of comfort, introspection, and so much more, with the film lineup of 2021 being no exception. Not only did we get the bizarreness of the Oscars in April, making films like Judas and the Black Messiah eligible in February, but with a lil’ help of Doctor Vaccine, movie theaters could finally make their return! Obviously, not quite to the extent that it has been in year’s past, yet there was still enough life and releases in theaters (and on streaming services too) to make a cinephile like me happy!

…now enough of this sappy shtuff, it’s time to get my Top 10 Movies of 2021! That is what you came here for right?! I mean, I would hope so… I kinda did put that in the title of this post. Alas, before I delve into the top of the top, I’ll give you all a brief glimpse into my honorable mentions since 2021 was pretty stacked!

**Ok, for the record, this is Alex Angelopoulos writing this post… none of this will be brief**

Honorable Mentions:

Last Night in Soho: Very close to stealing that last spot on the list, Last Night in Soho captivated me and did just about everything I would wanna see with an Edgar Wright horror film!

Licorice Pizza: A film I saw in 2021 catch-up that really surprised me, Licorice Pizza is an infectiously charming film with such strong chemistry from the two leads that practically bleeds off the screen.

Passing: I’ve had an eye on this for a year now and Passing was as powerful as I expected it to be with brilliant performances from Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga with cinematography that is as pretty as it is poetic.

Zola/C’Mon C’Mon: Time for an A24 round-up and with two VERY different films at that. Zola is a chilling thriller themed around the times we live in, with a Oscar-worthy performance from Colman Domingo; meanwhile, C’Mon C’Mon has the energy of a movie I could recommend to my mom with thought-provoking discussions on mental health and another winner from Joaquin Phoenix.

Dune (2021): Sand worms, Arrakis and Timothée, oh my! Dune really did provide one of the best cinematic experiences in my life with sights and sounds the prove movie theaters need to stay open. I may have missed the textbook readings before watching, yet perhaps more sleep could bring this film up on the list even higher! 😉

Drive My Car: The most recent addition to this group and a very tough omission off the list, the surprise Best Picture nominee Drive My Car is loaded to the brim is subtle depth and with a three-hour-runtime, I was never bored once!

And without further ado, time to start the list with my number 10 (*Insert dramatic soundtrack of your choosing here*):

#10: West Side Story (2021)

Who would’ve guessed that Steven Spielberg is a good filmmaker?! Well, even though he has always been one of my favorite directors out there, the delays and controversies around a certain individual made me weirdly hesitant… before reviews came out. Then reviews dropped, spirits were lifted. Then I saw West Side Story, spirits were lifted and crushed at the same time! Every single frame of this film is unbelievably dense. I feel like there are details that most people won’t notice on their fourth or fifth viewings of this movie, let alone their first. Personally, I think that speaks to the amount of love and effort everyone in their departments put into crafting a film that feels completely genuine to the world they’re trying to capture. There’s no doubt in my mind that this film deserves its nominations and eventually, some wins for technical categories at the Oscars like Costume Design, Hair & Makeup, and production.

Thankfully, it’s not just a movie where the subtleties excel this is a movie directed by Steven Spielberg after all and shocker, what he did here was absolutely stellar! You wouldn’t be able to tell for a second that he’s never directed a musical before from how smoothly he handles all of the musical numbers with such veracity. Those moments give the film it’s energy, while Spielberg also nails all of the beautiful little details that surround this film’s heart and message. A story that has been familiar for decades was made anew from all of these little elements that made this film feel fresh in its own right. Give or take the person in center-stage spotlight (and um, needless to say I give *him* away in a second), West Side Story still dazzles it’s way onto my best of the year!

#9: The Suicide Squad

Clearly with West Side Story coming in at #10, there is absolutely no other film that feels as close to it as James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Am I right, or am I right?! In all seriousness, despite having never seen the original which I’ve heard is not a bad thing in the slightest this movie is an absolute blast! From the moment it starts to the moment it ends, there was a smile on my face at almost every point and it wasn’t just from one singular thing. Although, it all did come from the mind of one horribly beautiful writer director in James Gunn. Dear lord was he having an absolute blast making this movie! In terms of the script, you could feel how much freedom he was given to load this movie with surprise that got me rolling on the floor, while also still managing to give this movie his signature heart and soul in the midst of high stakes. All of that bleeds so well into his direction that brings so much energy to every scene and balancing the tone like a wizard… magic is cool!

Wanna’ know what else is cool?! The characters of the Squad itself! First off we got my boy King Shark played by the real king, Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone. Am I right, or am I right?! Then you have Idris Elba who is legitimately fantastic here in bringing his best strengths as an actor to Bloodsport. Margot Robbie is unsurprisingly great as Harley Quinn once again… that’s all I need to say for that. Daniela Melchior also brings so much heart as Ratcatcher II it’s not even funny. Plus the story these characters are thrust into comes with a shocking amount of social commentary, compassion, and stakes. Basically, it’s just about everything I would want in the wide-ranging comic book genre and before a certain other movie came out, it was my favorite venture of that the entire year!

#8: Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Without a doubt in the mind, the biggest surprise of the entire year is not really that Ghostbusters: Afterlife turned out well more so that I loved it to the level of it being my #8 of the entire year! Growing up, I was raised on the original Ghostbusters, quoting it with my family religiously, so the intrigue of having acclaimed director Jason Reitman pick up the mantle from his father (the director of the original). When I see that, I realized just how much that idea of honoring what came before would factor into this film beautifully. The entire film acts an absolutely loving homage to Ghostbusters, specifically to the first film… or even more specific (and without saying too much), to the only Ghostbuster we lost along the way. Obviously this gives off big Force Awakens vibes and like that movie (yes I enjoy The Force Awakens shut up), it pays tribute so well while standing up on its own two feet all too well!

In general, this film also acts as a fascinating coming-of-age/family drama that just so happens to have some slime and proton packs. Even without having seen his other works, you can feel Jason Reitman’s stylistic influences here. All of this lends well for the cast as every player does their damness in such a stacked ensemble of wildly different performances. I kept billing this movie as the “Paul Rudd Ghostbusters movie” and yup, Paul Rudd is still absolutely charming and does what he needs to do. Although, for me personally, the real standout is McKenna Grace who was excellent as the anchor for the family in charge of this film. You factor in all of this with terrific effects, fun spectacle, and a boatload of emotion, I couldn’t be happier that Ghostbusters: Afterlife is something I will hold in line with the original and then some!

#7: The Green Knight

Busting may have made the Ghostbusters feel good, but let’s just say that Gawain isn’t quite that same type of knight in the A24 inclusion on my list, The Green Knight. Holy Keanu is this movie the most “pandering to cinephiles” movie ever and I loved it!!! I was familiar with the source material from reading it in high school, but all I remembered was thought it was cool and I’ve always been a fan of the many legends of King Arthur. So to have this film bring a radically different approach to Arthurian storytelling had me hooked from the first second of this film. That storytelling comes from the mind of David Lowry who pulls triple duties here creatively as the writer, director, and editor and personally, I think he nails all three!

Well, on the directing front, it certainly helps that Lowry had a brilliant DP in Andrew Droz Palermo to make one of the most visually stunning films of 2021 (it was hard to choose just one still to represent the film). Combine those visuals with really insane editing and directing choices and you have several scenes that are probably going to be studied in future film analysis classes PARTICULARLY the ending! Plus, it’s just always interesting to see a show-not-tell story in a world like this, filled to the brim with subtleties that I imagine will stick with me for years to come. Loaded with a brilliant performance by Dev Patel and a chilling score from Daniel Hart, I know The Green Knight isn’t for everyone (I’m looking at *You*… you know who you are), but it certainly pushed the right buttons for me!

#6: Bo Burnham: Inside

The most recent movie I’ve seen on this list and the most unique in the form of Bo Burnham’s Inside! Now, I certainly wasn’t sure what to expect with this for a number of reasons. I haven’t seen any of Bob Burnham’s other comedy specials nor have I seen his directorial debut Eighth Grade but even with hearing that this was more than your standard comedy special, I didn’t know what to expect. Cut to me after seeing this film and I’m sobbing on the floor… yeah Inside was incredible! One of the most impactful experiences I’ve had watching something from the comfort of my own couch from all of last year, maybe even ever. For starters, Inside really does feel like more of an experimental showcase than it does a comedy special at points from the ways that it plays with structure so heavily by incorporating in new bits around every corner. Almost all of them are gut-busters and if they didn’t make me cry laughing, I was just crying!

Of course, one of the things that I’ve always known about Bo Burnham is that he knows how to make killer comedy songs and the soundtrack here is no exception. This movie is loaded to the brim with songs that have been on repeat for weeks now: “Welcome to the Internet”, “Comedy”, “30” you name it. Any and every songs got a really memorable reaction out of me, which also isn’t just from the music itself. You can tell that he was working on this project for over year since the cinematography and editing that Burnham accomplish all on his lonesome was outstanding! Again, this is one of the many reasons this more than just a comedy special. But above all else, I know that Bo Burnham has ingrained some valuable lessons into me on mental health and many other subject matters that will make Inside stay with me for a long time!

Alright, it’s almost Top 5 time, how are we all doing tonight?! Yeaaaa…. I am not, doing too bad! (Ha, I subverted your song Mr. Burnham!) Now, no commercial breaks as it is time to move onto the other piano man of this list…

#5: tick, tick… BOOM!

Dear Academy, please give Andrew Garfield the Oscar right now?! Please?! Thank you! Yeah, needless to say it’s a really tough year when tick, tick… BOOM! is only my #5 on this list. Garfield has always been one of my favorite actors ever since he donned some red and blue tights, so naturally I was interested in this film even before you add the words musical, based on a true story, from the creator of Rent, directed by Lin-Manuel (we don’t talk about his other movie from November, no no!), etc. But just… WOW!!! Ok, I’ve beaten around the bush too much so I need to just address it now: Andrew Garfield is EXTROADINARY here!!! His soul is on his sleeve and his heart is on his chest from the levels that Garfield reaches with this performance. He manages to encompass so many parts of a man who I never would have been able to know personally so well that you feel like he made Jonathan Larson alive again! That is an uncanny accomplishment that is more than most artists could dream of reaching… and oh yeah, HE CAN SING TOO!!!

Now, I guess I have to talk about other parts of the movie but I don’t wanna! …ok I actually do tho. This is kinda’ cheating since this was already the case with the stage musical itself, so needless to say that the soundtrack is incredible here! Nearly every single song has been an ear worm that has been living in my head rent free since November and I don’t suspect that will change for another couple of months, if not longer. From a technical standpoint, tick, tick… BOOM! is also outstanding with visuals that are absolutely gorgeous to see on display (Lin-Manuel was lucky to have Alice Brooks) and editing that really makes the structure and specific sequences pop (*Insert “Therapy” scene here*). Though, all of this works because of an excellent story on Jonathan Larson’s life, adapted by Steven Levenson, that pulls no punches. Loaded with emotion and heart, without ever feeling cheap, you connect to Larson’s story with such vigor that you need to see this film to believe in its power. After all, actions speak louder than words…

#4: The Mitchells vs. the Machines

I always have a soft spot for that first movie of any year where I go “wow, I think this might be my favorite movie of the year so far” and The Mitchells vs. the Machines was that for 2021! My interest had been high for this movie ever since it was under the title “Connected”, so I jumped at the chance to watch this once it dropped on Netflix and surprise surpsie,, it actually kinda’ sucked. Low-key I’ve been pranking all of you my real #4 is Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the best rom-com of the year! …kidding! 😉 Although both are Sony movies so that’s a fun coincidence.

You wanna’ know what else is fun?! Lord and Miller producing this as their animated follow-up to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and you can feel that influence in every frame across the board. In a literal sense, they once again played with a mix of CG and 2D animation to absolutely gorgeous effect! Every scene feels homebrewed in the style of Katie’s journaling/films and that gives this film 10x more personality than most other animated movies out there. Of course, the gorgeous animation combined with Lord & Miller’s storytelling style is just as key of a component in making this film an absolute blast! The comedy got me rolling on the laughter so many times from their self-aware humor and they didn’t even write or direct this movie that honor goes to equally talented Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe. Now, the humor of The Mitchells vs. the Machines is one thing, the heart is another. The warmth fuming from the family dynamic is as tender as a campfire with countless moments that any family can relate to, in all sorts of way.

But in particular, Katie is a character who has REALLY resonated with me! As a film student, the only artsy-fartsy member of a family, and someone who was more than thrilled to go to film school to see more of my kind (a shoutout to all of those friends I’ve made who have made every day amazing), I just… I loved here as a character! I loved Katie and the whole damn family, so I am sure that every single family across the country will love The Mitchells vs. the Machines as much as I have!!!

#3: CODA

CODA is all I need to get by in 2021! One of those movies from Sundance that I heard reactions about and kept a watchful eye on when it released way back in August on *gasp*, APPLE!? They make good films too, their plans for global domination are creeping in on us man! …well ok, they required the distribution rights for CODA and by Keanu was that the smartest decision that they could have ever made. This film has grown on me so so much ever since I saw it and for a bevy of reasons! Not the least of which would be the characters and performances that embody them. Emilia Jones, in particular, as the lead is extraordinary at balancing a whole boatload of emotions, skills, and literally managing a boat! (Like, I’m not able to make any “literally” jokes with boatload so that’s an added bonus) If I hadn’t looked up that she did 9 months of prep work in order to be able to speak fluent sign language and sing, I would have believed you in a heartbeat! Jones easily gives one of the best performances of the entire year, yet the ensemble surrounding her also makes this world such a believable one. Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matin embody the role of the parents with such ease you want to know their story too, while Eugenio Derbez captures the energy of any teacher wonderful enough to be a mentor (another shoutout to you Mr. Berchick! ;)).

So yeah, that’s a lot of good things. But wait, THERE’S MORE! All of these characters embody a really incredible story that is as deceptively simple as it is deceptively complex. Let’s put it this way: CODA is the most cliched movie and is the *best* cliched movie out there! Any trope that you would expect to see in this movie from the plot summary is here and accounted for, yet absolutely none of them feel worthy of a groan. Is it because they subvert those clichés? Somehow no Sian Heder manages to prove that it doesn’t matter how you tell your story as long as you do it well and damn did she excel as a storyteller here! Her script breathes life into every aspect of Ruby’s life as a young high school student, hopeful singer, (basically) the leader of her family, and the only one who can navigate the world of her deaf family and the hearing world. It’s not a joke when I say that the way sign language was portrayed here is so beautiful that it has inspired me to eventually try and learn how to speak it on my own some day. That is something powerful most movies can’t dream of doing, yet with CODA, it’s only one of the things that makes it worthy of 2021’s top three!

#2: Belfast

You know that feeling when despite hearing very good things about a movie going in, you’re still floored by the quality itself when you finally watch it?! For 2021, no other film comes close to achieving that effect other than Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast! Yeah, I had known this movie was a front-runner to get a lot of Oscar nominations which was just recently proven this past Tuesday but I had absolutely no clue that this film was going to rock me to the core and then some. Let’s put it this way: outside of wanting to give Garfield the Oscar myself personally (call me Academy Awards), Kenneth Branagh for his writing and/or directing is second on that list. I always connect to stories that are very personal for the filmmakers at hand (it’s why I love Pixar so much) and dear lord you can feel how much Branagh cared about telling this story. Obviously, the entire movie is based off of his childhood, but it doesn’t just feel like Branagh is just walking down memory lane and only chooses the most basic parts to glorify for the sake of nostalgia. Belfast shows the dark underbellies that can surround a seemingly innocent childhood that were very effective in making you feel like you have lived through it as he much as he probably had.

Of course, all of that is very evident on the page of the screenplay (I should read that at some point), but comes across even more vividly onscreen. Branagh’s direction is obviously exceptional as he captures the ins and outs of this story from all age groups, while balancing the tone perfectly at every beat. On top of that, Branagh was lucky to have an exceptional DP in Haris Zambarloukos (hey look, it’s another Greek guy… whoa!), who made the black & white cinematography of this film absolutely stunning! Not every film in black & white needs that for the sake of its story, yet I couldn’t argue for it not to that way here even if you told me that I couldn’t watch a movie for a month (I’m surprised that was never a punishment for me as a kid). Above all else, the characters emodying this film are what makes the city of Belfast itself feel even more alive! Now, to be completely honest, my memory is a little fuzzy on how I would talk about most of the performances here, apart from two of them: Ciarán Hinds as Pop and Judi Dench as Granny. You ever have that feeling when characters from a movie remind you of people in real life ESPECIALLY when it comes to relatives who have since passed away?! Um… yeah, that happened here, and apart from one other film in 2021, the tears I shed could have filled a bucket’s worth. For that and so much more, Belfast will last with me for as I love film!

Now… it’s time for the big reveal of the shocking, daring, clearly unexpected choice for my ‘Besvorite’ (a combo of Best & Favorite) film of 2021. Can I get a drum roll please?!

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…my number one film of 2021 is…

#1: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Shocker, am I right?! I mean, seriously, did anyone, and I mean ANYONE expect anything less of someone who goes by the mantra of “Your Friendly Neighborhood Film Nerd” *trademark pending*?! Spider-Man: No Way Home is more than my favorite movie from last year hell, it’s even more than one of my favorite movies of all time: this film has, continues to, and will keep changing my life as long as it exists. At this point, it’s hard to know what else I can possibly say about this film that I haven’t already said. I mean, I wrote an entire non-spoilers review for this movie and did an spoiler-filled discussion as the first piece of content on the Spinning the Cineweb YouTube channel #SelfPromotionForTheWin. Well, I guess I haven’t stated it in writing before and for the two of you who haven’t seen this movie, well you already know at this point ;)… the moment when Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire walked back onscreen as their respective versions of Peter Parker/Spider-Man will continue to be one of the greatest moments I have experienced in my entire life.

Of course, that’s just what happens onscreen as everything surrounding the movie itself makes it even more special. The fact that 13 amazing people and friends saw this movie with me opening night. Seeing it even more times since with other friends, family, and a couple by myself. Talking about the nitty-gritty of this movie for hours on end. Seeing other people’s reactions to the big moments. I could go on and on… well ok, I already have been doing that. So to tie everything into a little bow, Spider-Man: No Way Home will never cease to be one of the most memorable cinematic experiences I have had in my entire life, which is why there really is no other film that comes even close to being my favorite (and legitimately the best) film of 2021!

…WHOA!!! I mean, I know I can write a lot, but just… DAMN!!! To anyone who has kept reading this through to the end (all three of you), I could not be more grateful!!! Obviously, I would have loved to have gotten this post out much sooner than I did, but because life do be like “Aww that’s cute, thinking you have time to do things for yourself… yeah NOPE!”, here we are a month and 13 days into the new year. Love it…

As a brief side-tangent before I wrap it up, I never got the chance to formally promote the Spinning the Cineweb YouTube channel on this blog yet… so uh, yeah, that’s a thing now! In all seriousness, that channel is something that I have been wanting to get off the ground for so long now and as cliché as it is to say, it was a dream come true to officially launch it a month ago! What I will also say is that it isn’t just gonna be “The written blog but it’s in video now”, so be sure to look out for more content from that channel over the coming months including reviews (duh), discussions, podcast-styled chats, and hopefully, some films made under the “Spinning the Cineweb Presents” banner! (And unlike the blog, I’m not alone with this channel! ;))

Anywhooser, with all of that out of the way, what were some of your favorite movies from 2021?! And since I’m posting this after the nominations now, what were your thoughts on the Oscar nominations?! Please feel free to let me know in the comments below or on social media @FriendlyFilmNerd. And of course, I think you should all know who I am at this point…

I’m Alex, Your Friendly Neighborhood Film Nerd!!!

P.S. Here the links for my Spidey reviews since I didn’t go in-depth as much here

Non-Spoilers Written Review: https://spinningthecineweb.com/2021/12/26/19-years-in-the-making-a-review-of-spider-man-no-way-home/

Spoiler-Filled Discussing the Cineweb Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd8rA1wb_Y0