As another year draws to a close, it calls for the annual recap of some of the highlights from this year. Whist 2021 certainly didn’t get off to a great start, it managed to pick itself up and prove to be the year that everyone who said “cinemas were dying” wrong (thank you Spider-Man: No Way Home for your billion dollars).
Trying to narrow down to just a top 10 this year truly proved harder than I thought it would, given how many good films came out and yet the ones I still couldn’t fit in. So starting off with some honorable mentions to Freaky and Free Guy, both of which narrowly missed out on making my list.
10. A Quiet Place Part 2
Amongst the first of the summer release window, A Quiet Place Part 2 continues where the first film left off whilst giving backstory to the creatures that haunt the survivors. This thriller sure to give Michael Jackson a run for his money manages to tell a meaningful and heartfelt story whilst never letting its pacing slow down, with some excellent scares thrown in for good measure.
9. Tick Tick Boom
Andrew Garfield certainly has had quite the year. Denying Spider-Man rumors to taking on this Netflix musical. I might not have thought much about this adaptation of the Broadway show, but it tells a heart wrenching story with Garfield delivering an Oscar worthy performance. Maybe its time to stop underrating this man and appreciate the gift of Andrew Garfield
8. Licorice Pizza
I got the chance to see this on 35mm film at my local independent cinema and was probably one of my favorite cinema experiences of the year. Yet I really struggled with the latest offering from PTA. Yeah the relationship you’ve heard about online is as weird as you’d expect, and it can feel uncomfortable. There was still a lot to enjoy however, with an awesome soundtrack and being a visual treat, the magic of seeing this on film only made those elements even better.
7. Titane
This years Palme D’or winner was one ridiculously weird film. When my friend Ben told me about it I looked at him and said “are you for real?!”. So when my chance to see this came up back in November, I boarded a National Express to Coventry. When I left I was told I had lost Film choosing rights and I wanted to throw up. This was a rollercoaster and somehow manages to top Raw in f****d up.
6. Zack Synders Justice League
I didn’t bother watching Jostice League when it came out back in 2017. I’d heard bad things from everyone that had seen it and I couldn’t justify paying £10 to sit in a cinema and be disappointed. Yet the power of Twitter seemed to persuade Warner Bros to give Synder the money and time necessary to bring his original vision to life. It’s a four hour epic that brings out the best in these heroes and was one of the most entertaining lockdown watches I’ve had. Zack Synder was the hero that the Justice League actually needed and I was pleased that he finally got his time to shine. Check out the Moviescramble review here
5. No Time To Die
The more and more I thought about this, the more and more I fell in love with the new Bond film. Adding depth and dimension to character born out of an entirely different era of history, Daniel Craig manages to bring Bond into an exciting and new direction not seen in his almost 60 years on screen. Fresh and exciting with an unfortunately disappointing villain (sorry again Rami Malek, love you really), this was worth the wait and if you still haven’t seen it, its time to get out of your rock. Check out the Moviescramble review here
4. Dune
Making a journey to Manchester to see this in IMAX, Dune had a lot of expectations to live up to. Its massive set pieces and Villenuve’s ability to tell an epic all made this one of the must see films of the year. Unfortunately only being half of the Frank Herbet story, Dune Part 2 is sure to send this to being one of the best openings for an epic in the 21st century. Check out the Moviescramble review here
3. The Matrix Resurrections
I started my year by finally watching Reloaded and Revolutions half expecting this to get delayed. Thankfully it wasn’t I was ready to re-enter The Matrix. This didn’t disappoint, with some fantastic action and a story that brought together Neo and Trinity back together for another spin in the computer simulation. Perhaps a Marmite film, this might well be Lana’s best work yet.
2. Spencer
The Royal Family has been in the news a lot more than usual this year. Whether you love them or hate them, the story of Princess Diana is an emotionally moving and tragic tale. Kristen Stewart brings an incredible performance to the table in this festive horror, as I left the cinema clear in my mind that this one of the best films of the year. Engaging and empathetic from start to finish, be sure to include this in the best Christmas films of all time
1. Petite Maman
I didn’t actually know whether I’d be watching this film when I saw it. As part of a secret screening, Petite Maman came as one of the biggest surprises of the year. Celine Sciamma directs a beautiful, short and sweet film that I felt truly connected with. I feel sorry for everyone that chose to walk out on discovering we were watching a French film, you guys missed out!
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