My Top Picks for the year! Twas a very good year for films I have to say. Some on the list may have been released in previous years but they didn’t wash up on our shores until 2021. Here’s my top ten but you can check out my Letterboxd page for the remaining contenders.
10. Pig – Excellent little drama is not what you think it is.
But what it is, is one of the best films of the year. Nic Cage!
9. Kajillionaire – Another quirky, strange gem from Miranda July. Might just have my favourite character name in sometime. I’ll not give it away here.
8. The Go-Gos – Loved this doc of a band I know nothing about. Lots of great old footage and photos helped to capture those crazy days.
7. Nomadland – Subtle. Smart. Engrossing. An American classic.
6. Saint Maud – Excellent slow burn horror/drama about the perils of commitment. And that Ending!
5. Another Round – Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems! Wonderful film finds 4 teachers staying drunk all the time for a life-changing experiment. I can see the grin on your face watching the last 10 minutes.
4. Collective –Excellent, sad account of a tragic fire in Bucharest and it’s even more horrible health care system that’s uncovered buy some dogged journalists. Who knew a doc about the Romanian health care system could be so intense and gripping?
3. Malignant – Wow! What an awesome, nutso film. Loved it to bits! Didn’t know anything about it going in and, like most things, it’s best that way. Surprised how much I enjoyed this. Probably the most fun watch I had last year.
2. Promising Young Woman – Holy hotdogs! What a great film! Intense. Sad. Funny. Topical. Easily one of the year’s best. Should be mandatory viewing for all dudes heading out into the world.
1. Titane – Wow! What a knockout punch of a film. Crazy violence, unpredictable story, broken French people. A little Cronenberg, a dash of Tetsuo and blammo, my favourite number for 2021.