Another year, another best movies list. 2021 was a lot of things for many people. Me personally it’s at least better than 2020. I accomplished a lot in my personal life (hence why reviews on here were pretty sparse) and I got to see some pretty dank films throughout the year. As with every year, this list came out a lot later than I wanted to because there was just a LOT of films I wanted to get through and give a good chance. I try my best to not miss any hidden gems that might slip through the cracks as all eyes focus on the newest Marvel film. So to make up for not having to properly review these films I’ll go a bit in depth here on why they earned a spot on my list. With that being said, here are my top ten best films I’ve seen in 2021:

10) The Power of the Dog

Director: Jane Campion

Starting off the list is writer/director Jane Campion’s return to film a decade after her last theatrical feature and Netflix’s best shot at finally winning the Best Picture Oscar. The Power of the Dog is a slow but methodically dark and somewhat twisted psychological western, boasting some fantastic performances. Benedict Cumberbatch gives arguably the best performance of his career so far as he virtually disappears in the lead role. All his emotions were raw, volatile, and incredibly fun to watch. Kodi Smit-McPhee also gives a very nuanced performance opposite Cumberbatch, giving a yin to the yang between the two actors. Jesse Plemons was great as usual and Kristen Dunst was also pretty fantastic in this film. Campion’s screenplay is excellent, her direction is stellar, the cinematography is gorgeous, the score from Johnny Greenwood is memorable, if this doesn’t get Netflix their freaking Oscar I don’t know what will. It may be a little too slow for some viewers, but for those that have the patience you’ll be rewarded with a deeply rich and character driven dark drama with in my opinion a terrific payoff at the last act. Check it out now on Netflix.

9) Red Rocket

Director: Sean Baker

Red Rocket tells a tale about a former male porn star falling in love with a girl just about to turn eighteen and grooming her to be a future porn model…How fun. This is the latest film from Sean Baker who also made Tangerine and The Florida Project, and out of all his films this one might be my favorite so far. Much like the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems or Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Red Rocket is a fascinating character study exploring the thought process and personality of a deplorable human being lead by a very memorable and charismatic performance. Simon Rex gives the performance of his career as he bares it all for us both emotionally and VERY literally; this film really wouldn’t have worked so well without him. Everyone else in the film give great performances, the writing is incredibly natural, and Baker continues to showcase a visible improvement of his craft with every film he releases. And as the cherry on top, this is by far the best incorporation of NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” I have ever seen on film. It’s clearly not for everyone, but if this sounds like a film you might like then get ready for one of the most entertaining films of 2021. Check it out wherever it’s playing near you.

8) Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson

One of the MANY documentaries I’ve seen in 2021, Summer of Soul from Questlove (interesting choice of a director) paints a colorful image of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that, despite featuring some big names like Nina Simone, B.B. King, and Stevie Wonder among others, completely flew under the radar and essentially disappeared from history. The footage uncovered from this event is lovingly restored and overall looks pretty dang great. The doc is presented in a way that makes it incredibly informative while at the same time entertaining as hell. The doc also gives a great insight on what the Black community in Harlem perceives as important during a time when racism was at an all time high, like how the festival attendees explained in the documentary why this festival was more important to them than the Apollo 11 Moon Landing that was happening at the same time (which I find extremely fascinating). The editing is smooth, the content is not only interesting but also entertaining to watch, the information provided is structured and relevant to the subject matter, all in all this is what a good documentary should be. Check it out now on Hulu.

7) Spencer

Director: Pablo Larraín

As you can probably tell by now, I’m a sucker for character studies, and Pablo Larraín provides one of the most in-depth and experimental character studies this year on Princess Diana. Just a heads up, Spencer is not your typical biopic; Larraín takes a LOT of creative liberties when it comes to the sequence of events on Diana’s life. A lot of this film is very fantastical in nature; you’re not watching a retelling of real life events, you’re watching Diana’s deeply troubled mind incarnate, and I don’t know about you but I loved every second of it. This is such an intimate look at Diana’s feelings in the Royal Family, from her love towards her two sons to her resentment against not only her cold, judging husband but also against the pressures of being the model royal princess for the press, and all of it is skillfully portrayed by Kristen Stewart who, in my opinion, finally gives the career defining performance that sets her apart from her Twilight years. Stewart’s performance is both nuanced and passionate, allowing the audience to truly see the princess in a new light. The cinematography was great, Johnny Greenwood’s score is haunting, and Larraín’s direction wraps everything together beautifully. This is not a conventional biopic, but it’s a fantastical study on a real life figure that needs to be seen. It’s currently available for digital rental so check it out for yourself.

6) Judas and the Black Messiah

Director: Shaka King

Oh hey, a movie I actually reviewed on this site! I won’t go too much into it but Judas and the Black Messiah is freaking awesome. The screenplay is fantastic, Shaka King’s direction is distinct, the soundtrack and score is great, cinematography and editing are on point, and the performances were all outstanding, particularly from Lakeith Stanfeld and Daniel Kaluuya, who ended up winning a well earned Supporting Actor Oscar for this role (and gave an A M A Z I N G acceptance speech to boot). For an in depth review of this film you can check out my review here, but long story short this film is a fantastic biopic you need to see right now on HBO Max.

5) Listening to Kenny G

Director: Penny Lane

So this film is a bit of a conundrum. This documentary premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival but never got a proper theatrical release, instead debuting directly to HBO as part of its Music Box series from producer Bill Simmons. But much like Steve McQueen’s Mangrove, which was part of his Small Axe miniseries and also my favorite film of 2020, this doc technically qualifies to be on my best films list due to the fact it was played in several film festivals, which is good to know because Listening to Kenny G is a fantastic documentary. What sets this apart from other documentaries I’ve seen this year is the use of actual professionals as part of the film’s interviewees in addition to people who know Kenny G as well as Kenny G himself. The doc not only give insight on who Kenny G is as a person and musician, it also breaks down why his music sounds so good to some people and why it’s terrible to others through the music experts the film consults. Kenny G himself is a very colorful individual and the film does an excellent job showcasing his personality and opinions on Jazz music as a whole. This documentary is informative, it’s wonderfully shot and edited, it’s choc full of great music if you’re into Kenny G’s jazz, this is my favorite documentary I’ve seen this year and one you can check out now on HBO Max.

4) Mass

Director: Fran Kranz

One of the joys about going into a movie without knowing anything about it before hand or watching any clips or trailers is discovering what the story is going to be about based on how they reveal it throughout the film. Mass is one of those films that is best experienced by going into it knowing as little as possible about it. The way this film reveals information is incredibly clever; you don’t get a sense of what’s going on until a little bit into the film, then once the film reveals its cards it hits you like a truck. In his directorial debut, Fran Kranz delivers arguably the best screenplay in any film from 2021; much like Tarantino Kranz amps up the tension of a scene solely through dialogue alone. This film also boasts some of the best performances all year that I know will be tragically overlooked. All four actors in this film deliver phenomenal performances that really hits you in the gut with their grief. The camera work is incredibly thoughtful, the editing is just right, Kranz’s direction is very impressive, this movie is a masterclass in storytelling that needs to be seen. Please don’t look up any information about this film if you haven’t already, I promise you your experience will be a LOT better that way. Give this film a rent and go check it out.

3) The Worst Person in the World

Director: Joachim Trier

I am so glad I saw this film as early as I did. Serving as the conclusion to Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s “Oslo Trilogy”, The Worst Person in the World is a phenomenal romantic comedy that stands out among other romantic comedies I’ve seen before. For starters, the performances are solid all around; Renate Reinsve gives a incredibly nuanced and emotional performance in the lead role while everyone else also hold their own very well opposite her. The screenplay from Trier and Eskil Vogt is both funny and deeply sincere, the cinematography is excellent, the tone balances rom-com and tragedy incredibly well, the soundtrack is great, the pacing’s a well paced two hours, and the characters are all incredibly developed and interesting. This is one of the most enjoyable films I’ve seen all year and one you should definitely check out when it releases in the U.S. on February 4th

2) The Tragedy of Macbeth

Director: Joel Coen

The latest Shakespeare adaptation brought to us by A Coen brother, The Tragedy of Macbeth is everything I want it to be. This film is basically like watching a dream; the imagery is striking and abstract, very reminiscent of older expressionistic black and white films from filmmakers like Fritz Lang and Federico Fellini. The cinematography is the best I’ve seen all year, the set design and lighting makes this film such a memorable experience, both Denzel Washington and Francis McDormand give phenomenal performances as usual, the score from Carter Burwell provides the film with a constant state of dread, and the fact that this is based of one of Shakespeare’s shorter plays makes this film a breeze to watch, clocking in at only a hundred minutes. There’s honestly not much for me to say about this Shakespeare adaptation other than that it’s by far one of the best I’ve seen in a long time and one of the best films from 2021. Watch it in a theater if you can, otherwise it’s available right now on Apple TV+.

1) Bo Burnham: Inside

Director: Bo Burnham

When I think about what movie is the best of the year, I think about the film that made me reflect on myself the most; the film that really does more than entertain, the film that I can discuss for hours. No film in 2021 has had that effect on me more than Bo Burnham: Inside. Just like with Listening to Kenny G, despite being classified as a comedy special by Netflix I still consider Bo Burnham’s latest special to be a film due to the fact that it’s shot like a film, edited like a film, and even had a brief theatrical run mid-July in 2021. Burnham is no stranger to narrative films, writing and directing the excellent 2018 film Eighth Grade during his break from performing stand-up, and for his latest project Inside, which he made in isolation during the COVID pandemic lockdown, Burnham incorporates what he’s learned from feature films into his comedy special, and as a result he gave us the most personal film I’ve seen in 2021. The cinematography is incredibly intelligent, the editing is creative and fantastic, the music and songs are not only catchy as hell but also ingenious lyrically, and what’s most impressive about all of this is the fact that he basically made this entire special all by himself. No professional crew setting up each light and shot, no editors outside of a select few for touch ups, no other musicians involved, everything was essentially done by Burnham alone. Burnham explores a myriad of themes and issues ranging from capitalism and social media to depression and anxiety, and juggles all of it with extreme deft and skill the likes of which I don’t see a lot in actual films nowadays. It may not be an actual film, but Inside is definitely treated as one, and that’s enough to make it the best film I’ve seen in 2021. Go check it out on Netflix if you haven’t done so already.

Honorable Mentions:

7 Prisoners - A dark and complex “escape movie” showcasing the seedy underbelly of the human trafficking industry. Available to watch on Netflix.

Dune - THE HYPE MUST FLOW!!!! Denis Villeneuve’s promising start to a potentially epic sci-fi story that will be remembered for generations to come. Available to watch on HBO Max.

Licorice Pizza - Paul Thomas Anderson’s ode to 1970’s California, while not quite up to his usual standard, is still a fascinating coming of age “love” story boasting terrific debut performances from its young leads. Currently in theaters now.

The French Dispatch - Not the greatest of Wes Anderson films, but it’s still an enjoyable Wes Anderson film nonetheless. Available for digital rental.

The Humans - A well-acted, well-shot, well-written, and unusually creepy play adaptation from playwriter Stephen Karam. Available to watch on Showtime.

The Rescue - An inspiring and heartfelt documentary from Oscar winning duo Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi detailing the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue that captured the attention of the entire world. Available to watch on Disney+.

The Sparks Brothers - Edgar Wright’s well-crafted love letter to the best band that no one has ever heard of. Available to watch on Netflix.

Titane - 2021’s Palme d’Or winner from Julia Ducournau is weird as F**K, but it’s also a fascinating watch. Available for digital rental.

Val - A touching documentary showing Val Kilmer’s more sensitive side and his adjustment to life after losing his voice. Available to watch on Amazon Prime.