The Top 11 Best Movies of 2021

Greetings, reader!

What? Top 11? Instead of the usual ten? Why???

I assure you, I have not gone mad nor have I lost the ability to count to ten and then stop. I merely felt that there were one too many films in this bunch that deserved to be praised and discussed, so why not break from the arbitrary convention of top ten lists for once? Okay, maybe what happened was that I had already written this post, after which I saw one more film that was better than some others on this list, but I didn't want to waste the kick-ass text I had written of my previous #10.

Anyways, the year 2021 ends tomorrow, and so it is once again time to rank the year's greatest movies. I didn't see as many new releases this year as I would've liked in a less pandemic-ridden world (as you might guess from the, ahem, varying quality of my honorable mentions). But I saw enough for there to be at least these eleven excellent new films that I can thoroughly recommend to fellow friends of the cinematic arts and entertainment!

Here are my honorable mentions: F9: The Fast Saga, Godzilla Vs. Kong, Halloween Kills, No Time to Die.

11. The Harder They Fall

"This is a wanted man. Turn his body in and you will get five thousand dollars for your church"

"Why aren't you taking him yourself?"

"I'm worth ten"

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and throw a wild guess that Jeymes Samuel, director of Netflix western The Harder They Fall, grew up watching Quentin Tarantino movies. From the stylized violence and funky graphics to the old-school yet modern revisionist western feel and the comedic dialogue in a non-comedy film, this movie is very, very Tarantino-influenced. That's not to say that it's a rip-off, though: Samuel definitely brings his own unique touch into the mix. The multi-talent didn't settle for mere writing and directing, either: Jeymes Samuel also composed the soundtrack!

The Harder They Fall is a modern western that may not blow your mind, but is a delight to watch nonetheless. Jonathan Majors proves to be one of Hollywood's more promising up-and-coming stars as he shines in the lead role, while fellow young stars (Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield) as well as iconic old-timers (Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo) make for a great supporting cast. The Harder They Fall is an entertaining, well-produced and joyfully Tarantino-esque viewing experience.

Speaking of Tarantino influences...

10. The Suicide Squad

"They call you Peacemaker"

"I cherish peace with all my heart. I don't care how many men, women and children I kill to get it"

Needless to say, my expectations were not high for DC's The Suicide Squad. Even when it came out and got positive reviews, I was skeptical, having been down that road before - 2016's Suicide Squad was so reviled, that when similar film Birds of Prey came out in 2020 and wasn't terrible, it was praised as great merely because people thought it didn't suck as much as Suicide Squad did. So, when James Gunn's reboot with the concept of "Fuck it, let's try it again" got good reviews, I figured it just meant that it's not as bad as the previous Suicide Squad, nothing more than that. Walking into the theater, I certainly wasn't expecting to see one of the best modern DC films.

Well, that's exactly what I saw. The Suicide Squad is surprisingly awesome, and not just because of the aforementioned Tarantino influences that James Gunn happily paints his unapologetically violent and entertaining vision with - it's about more than that. It's about a film studio that learned its lesson and finally gave their director free hands.

Pretty much all of the problems that DC Comics' movies have had in the last few decades can be traced back to the same dilemma - they've hired creative filmmakers with artistic visions, and then they've completely boxed them in with demands that the films don't try anything risky but rather fit into the cliché superhero formula we all know and are sick of. That's why Suicide Squad didn't work. That's why 2017's Justice League didn't work. With The Suicide Squad, DC finally got the memo and let James Gunn make the film James Gunn wanted do make, thus making for a different-feeling and unique comic book film. Hoping for more of these instances in the years to come!

Speaking of comic book movies...

9. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

"I know you don't like to talk about your life, but a guy with a freaking MACHETE FOR AN ARM just chopped our bus in half!"

My expectations for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were at a low-point sometime in 2021, as the new Black Widow had sadly earned its spot as my least-favorite out of the 26-film-franchise, the trailer for The Eternals didn't look promising, and the new TV shows felt like too much to keep up with (I have since watched the shows and must admit that they were worth the time and the one-month Disney Plus subscription).

Then came Shang-Chi, and suddenly things in the world of Marvel feel promising once more. It's an all-around excellent origin story in the tradition of Iron Man (2008) and Black Panther (2018), as it introduces a likable and interesting new superhero with a fresh twist and an exciting setting. The aesthetic throughout the film is absolutely beautiful, the action sequences are extremely well-choreographed and thrilling to follow, and the balance between "surprisingly decent storytelling and themes" and "fun and entertaining comic book shenanigans" that the MCU is known for is once again on point.

Speaking of Asian superheroes...

8. 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible

"Don't be afraid to dream big. It doesn't matter where you come from. You can show the world that nothing is impossible"

Those words, if spoken by a rock star or other typical celebrity, might feel a bit generic and insincere. But when spoken by a group of Nepalese climbers who have just summited all 14 of the world's over-8000-meter peaks in the span of seven months - you know, actual real-life superheroes - those words suddenly seem to ring true on a whole new level.

14 Peaks is a documentary that works on many levels. On a cinematic level, it is a very well-made film, with the camerawork from the high-altitude summits being absolutely stunning as the crew did an excellent job capturing the journey of Nirmal Purja and company. But more importantly, the film works wonders on an inspirational level - it is documented just how much Nirmal's ambitious project meant to the people of Nepal, from shedding light on how unfairly burdened the Sherpas are in aiding Western mountaineers, to showing that Nepal's historically overlooked own people can break records and scale the highest summits just as well as the traditionally record-breaking and headline-inspiring westerners. Powerful stuff.

7. Don't Look Up (2021)

"We really did have everything, didn't we?"

Sure, at times it's hokey. And it's about as subtle as a climate scientist dressed as a dying polar bear barging into your room, screaming "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE UNLESS OUR GOVERNMENTS AND CORPORATIONS GET THEIR HEADS OUT OF THEIR ASSES AND FUCKING DO SOMETHING". But that's okay. You know why? Because we're all gonna die unless our governments and corporations get their heads out of their asses and fucking do something.

Okay, maybe not 'we', so much as 'our children and especially their children and all future generations and the whole future of this planet and the human race'. But sure, the choice to save the planet doesn't do anything to profit governments and corporations now, so obviously, it's "screw the future generations, happy climate wars and famine you suckers!"

The point is, there's a time and place for subtlety. That time and place is often evident in socially charged movies, especially when it comes to intricate and complicated issues that shouldn't be discussed in a black-and-white manner. But when it comes to issues like "people who believe in science and want to save the planet while there's still a chance versus people whose political ideology is anti-science and who are actively making sure the planet and humanity have no future", that's not the time and place for subtlety. That's the time and place for a simplistic, cut-throat satire like Don't Look Up, which is more lesson than actual cinema, and perhaps that is why this review is more societal rant than conventional movie review.

6. Hytti Nro. 6

"Täällä on varmaan jossakin joku tehdas missä tommosia jätkiä tehään"

Go Finland! Having won the Grand Prix, the second-most highly coveted award in the Cannes film festival, not to mention its Golden Globe nomination for best Non-English Language Motion Picture and its shortlisting for the upcoming Academy Award nominations, the signs are pointing towards Juho Kuosmanen's Hytti Nro. 6 to very possibly being nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. If this happened, it would be the second-ever time that a Finnish film has been nominated in this category, the first being Aki Kaurismäki's brilliant Mies Vailla Menneisyyttä (2002). My fingers are crossed for this to happen, not only because I'm naturally rooting for my 'home team', but also because this is one fantastic film that thoroughly deserves the acclaim.

The film is based on Rosa Liksom's novel of the same name, and it takes place largely on a lengthy train trip from Moscow to Murmansk. Through the lens of artistic cinematography and a soothing slow pace, we follow the two main characters Laura (Seidi Haarla) and Ljoha (Yuri Borisov) as their relationship grows from adversarial compartment mates to unlikely friends. The film is relaxing, captivating and ultimately very sweet, albeit with a gritty Finnish-Siberian twist.

5. Inside

"So I'm not talking to anybody right now, I'm just talking to myself. So yeah, who fucking cares? Fuck you, and goodbye, and let's keep going"

I had some trouble going back and forth on whether or not I'd count Bo Burnham's Inside as a 'movie' for the purposes of this list - I consulted more than one fellow film buff about this, which made for some fascinating talks on what makes a movie a movie. While Inside is classified as a TV special / comedy special on most platforms, I ended up going "screw it, it's going on my list" - partially because I don't see why a filmed, edited and produced one-and-a-half hour piece of media released on Netflix shouldn't be counted as a movie (one in the genre of experimental documentaries, I suspect), and partially because it was one of the better things to come out this year and I wanted to discuss it on my blog.

Now, with "What makes Inside a movie (arguably)?" out of the way, let's move on to the more important question: what makes Inside a good whatever-the-hell-it-is?

Well, it's unique, it's entertaining, it's relatable as hell and above all, it's honest. Inside was filmed during the course of a year, in one room, as Burnham struggles with everything from his comedy to his art to his worldview to his mental health, and shares it all with the world. As much as I respect the insane amount of work that went into writing the songs, putting the whole thing together and transforming his room to look like a million different aesthetics via brilliant creativity in lighting and 'set design', there's one thing I respect even more: the sheer brutal honesty and openness.

Of course, I don't know Burnham personally so I have no way of knowing for sure, but my strong hunch is that Inside doesn't have one bit of over-dramatization, pretense or such things. When we follow Burnham going through a million different emotions and breaking down at the worst of times, it doesn't feel like he's doing this for the fame or the drama or the acclaim or any of that. He was simply going through a tough time (and who wasn't in 2020?), and decided to film his experiences and bravely share it with the world, to show that we weren't going through it alone. It takes a great deal of courage to show yourself at your most vulnerable, and I believe that this is exactly what Burnham did with Inside.

4. The Many Saints of Newark

"That's the guy, my Uncle Tony. The guy I went to hell for"

I see The Sopranos as the Godfather of television shows. And, keeping with that comparison, prequel film The Many Saints of Newark is the Godfather: Part II that the series needed to feel more whole. I guess we'll see whether or not the franchise follows suit by eventually making an unnecessary Godfather III.

The Many Saints of Newark gives viewers everything one expects from a prequel: the delight of seeing younger versions of beloved characters (and this is done with impeccable casting as well, from the late James Gandolfini's son Michael playing a young Tony Soprano to Vera Farmiga and Corey Stoll killing it as Livia Soprano and Uncle Junior), explanations to the characters' backstories that had previously been left open, and a nostalgic return to the atmosphere we know and love. Add in some intriguing cultural viewpoints to the context of the era where Tony Soprano was brought up, narration by Michael Imperioli himself and a kick-ass soundtrack, and you got yourself a Sopranos movie that not only meets fan expectations, but exceeds them.

3. Zack Snyder's Justice League

"The bell's already been rung. And they've heard it...out in the dark, among the stars. Ding dong, the God is dead"

2017's Justice League was a disappointing mess. Hearing that original director Zack Snyder had had a great and artistic vision for it, only for replacement director Joss Whedon and the studio executives to absolutely ruin it with editing and post-production choices after Snyder had to drop out due to the tragic death of his son, was nothing short of heartbreaking. Justice League could've been the legitimately different comic book movie we were looking for, the deserved conclusion to Snyder's opinion-dividing but greatly-appreciated-by-this-guy work with Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice (2016). But the end result cut out all of Snyder's fantastic style choices, all of the rich backstories and motivations to make the characters interesting, and essentially all of the elements that were supposed to make the film into actually good cinema, instead going for a generic two-hour cash grab.

Four years later, and I do apologize for the pun, justice was served. Snyder finally finished and released his cut of the film, and let me tell you, it is truly eye-opening to see how the same material can make for both a crappy film and a semi-masterpiece, based on the choices made in the editing room. With the proper intense soundtrack and Snyder-esque use of slow motion and dark color schemes, not to mention a four-hour runtime that lets us explore our main characters and villains, the Snyder cut of Justice League was definitely one of 2021's cinematic highlights for myself. It may not be for everyone, but it is 100 per cent the movie that nerdy Snyder fans like myself were expecting (and got deprived of) in 2017.

2. tick, tick...Boom!

"Jon? Stephen Sondheim here. Rosa gave me this number, I hope it's okay to call you. I didn't get a chance to speak with you after the reading, but I just wanted to say it was really good. Congratulations"

tick, tick...Boom! is pretty much the furthest you can get from what many of us would call a 'typical' musical, as it breaks conventions and barriers on multiple levels, yet still manages to represent what makes the genre great. The musical was an autobiographical one, written by the genius Jonathan Larson before his untimely passing, with its narrative going back-and-forth between dramatic moments from Larson's life and thoughts and ramblings in the form of desperate stand-up comedy as he struggles to make sense of it all. Twenty-five years after Larson's passing, tick, tick...Boom! was adapted onto the big screen, with Lin-Manuel Miranda himself behind the director's chair.

The end result left me speechless. Larson's story wasn't familiar to me beforehand, but just like many other viewers, I was in tears by the end. The film has a whole lot to say about life, and as hard as this might be to imagine for people who know me, I somehow found a tad of relatability in the main character who spends all his time on creative ambitious endeavours while stressing over the unfairness and inequality of the world and the fact that everyone can't be saved and over-analyzing everything to a point of philosophical conundrums so vast that the only sensible thing to do was to write an unconventional musical about it.

Furthermore, Andrew Garfield smashed all expectations in the lead role, making for one of the greatest acting performances that the genre of musical cinema has ever seen.

1. Dune

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer"

The road to Dune was not a simple one. The 1965 book by Frank Herbert is one of my all-time favorites, and one of the most sacred works in the world of science fiction. In a way similar to Lord of the Rings before Peter Jackson's films, there was a steady belief among fans for decades and decades that Dune could never be properly adapted into a movie, as its world is so intricate and unique that no film could capture it. This seemed to be the case especially after 1984's Dune, which proved that even a world class director like David Lynch wasn't up for the task.

Enter Denis Villeneuve.

A fan of the book from childhood, and a visionary science fiction director who did some of the best sci-fi work of the 2010's, Villeneuve was the man for the job. Apparently, Dune always was the project he wanted to direct, believing that given the right budget and cast, he'd have the vision to prove fans wrong and make an adaptation worthy of Herbert's novel. I remember watching Villeneuve's most acclaimed previous works, Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and viewing them as if they were his audition for the job of directing Dune - and they passed the test. If anyone would be able to complete this impossible task, it was Villeneuve, as his style felt just right. Although I was hyped up for Dune (possibly more so than for any other new movie in my lifetime so far), I was also nervous about whether or not the film could be good enough. When the film's Finnish premiere finally rolled around after multiple Covid-related delays, I dropped everything and took a train to Helsinki to catch the first showing (weirdly at 10:00 A.M.) with my best friend. And we were floored.

The film is everything it was supposed to be. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a movie that is adapted from its source material as well as this one - all of the locations look just like I had imagined them when reading the book, all of the characters look and act just right, and Hans Zimmer's exotic score hits the exactly right atmosphere. The visual effects, production design, casting and other departments were absolutely on point, making for a cinematic adaptation that truly feels like the pages from the book come to life. Nothing short of a masterpiece and a stone-cold future classic.

Thank you for reading! I'm also going to follow my tradition of listing 2021's greatest TV shows, but that'll have to wait a few weeks - next week's Thursday is January 6th, and for the one-year anniversary of the Capitol insurrection, I'm doing a somber and reflective post on the 10 pieces of media that defined that dreadful day. See you then!