Best Movies of 2021
The 50 Best Movies of 2021
A List by Bodhisattya Pal
As the Pandemic chose to stay longer than expected, movies remain the safest destination! 2021 was a fascinating year of movies as we experienced a plethora of amazing work of art coming through out the year. Some chose to potray the soliteriness parallel to the current scenario of the world, whereas some chose to blow them with the magic of cinema. Let me share my favorite 50 movies from this year without any delay...
50. The Beta Test
This awkward film-industry satire, driven by a great performance by Jim Cummings, finds its place in the Top 50 movies of 2021.
49. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
Wierd, absurd, bizzare and hilarious. This romanian movie is nothing close to what you expect from the premise. An original, authentic and intelligent experimental movie.
48. I'm Your Man
The highlight of I'm Your Man is its simplicity. It never tried to become any sci-fi extravaganza or to serve any mind blowing concepts. It goes gently like an easy soothing melody. I'm Your Man is basically an emotional study of soliteriness in a package of sci-fi, which is well made from every angle.
47. Malignant
An ordinary and predictable looking horror movie suddenly turned into a gripping thriller with a unique plot twist! A treat for genre fans.
46. Saving One Who Was Dead
A minimalistic movie, matching the silence of a hospital, consists of some unforgettable moments; its about a son and mother's effort to wake the father from coma.
45. Islands
A mellow, quiet and touching movie about a shy, introvert man who didn't want to live alone. Islands is a bitter sweet cinematic piece, protraying the struggle of soliteriness.
44. Charlotte
If there exists an opposite movie of Sunset Boulevard, then that is Charlotte! This is a bright, funny and optimistic movie about self exploration which is authentic and thoroughly enjoyable.
43. Minnal Murali
From the superhero movie point of view, a potentially revolutionary Indian movie showing how it's done. It deserves attention.
42. Last Night In Soho
41. The Giants
The Giants is a very intense anxiety inducing movie with pseudo philosophical hue and slight satirical tone. The performances were top notch and Anguis' direction was elegant, precise and practical. A bold and powerful movie about how men become giants, giants become monsters.
40. C'mon C'mon
A poetic movie protraying the complex relationship between adult and child, brilliantly. A heartwarming and emotionally satisfying piece.
39. Brighton 4th
A slow, gentle, natural and subtle movie protraying the parental sacrifices. This Georgian movie is more than just a semi-autobiographical work.
38. Bergman Island
A pleasent, elegant and personal movie which used an island, covered by the myths of a legendary filmmaker, masterfully to tell it's story.
37. The Novice
It is the technical supremacy, the editing and sound design, which make it a movie to talk about. The Novice is an unique visceral experience. It is not at all a sport movie or something like a thriller; it's a psychological ride about the dynamics of achivement.
36. Kaanekkaane
Majorly a family drama with an underlying mysterious tone. Starting lightly & ordinarily, it suddenly accelerates & an otherwise mediocre looking drama becomes a thriller with an interesting concept & realistic characters.
35. Ninjababy
A ludicrous and lovable norwegian comedy stuffed with funny humours and hilarious moments. The movie breaks the prototype of feminist movie quite impressively. Kristine Kujath delivered a phenomenal performance.
34. Operation Hyacinth
Operation Hyacinth is a very potent protrayal of the timeline, covering significant themes powerfully. It not only depicted the police brutality, but also illuminated a nation's treatment towards the LGBT community capably. A brave movie with stunning production design.
33. The Guilty
A well made thriller which is thoroughly engaging with apt direction from Fuqua & brilliant performance from Jake Gyllenhaal.
32. Drishyam 2
Offcourse not even close to its first part; but anyway this Jeethu Joseph directorial is a well executed thriller driven by strong performances and sentiment of its supreme former part.
31. 1000 Dreams
1000 Dreams is nothing but an intense therapeutic hypnosis. The movie created a magnificent visual dream only with black and white hues; an anaesthetic dream where audience will be lost somewhere in between the lyricism of the narrative. This Kyrgyz movie is a mesmerizing, meditative work of art about lost love and disappearance. Unforgettable.
30. Malik
Malik is one of the most powerful movie of this genre India had ever produced; a strong, thrilling, sentimental & emotional movie with a social commentary on the political-religious conflicts, which is most relevant than ever considering the current situation of the country!
29. Censor
A surprisingly original piece with an unique concept which is completely engaging & enjoyable. One of the better horror movie of the year.
28. Pagglait
A raw yet beautiful piece of art, covering a lot of essential topics. A minimal movie with so much to say.
27. Kaagaz
An important topic covered with less serious treatment which is both enjoyable and thought provoking at the same time.
26. Escape from Mogadishu
Inspite of the seriousness of the subject, the ongoing political affairs and violences, the movie is still funny, humorous and there lies it's authenticity. The movie is pretty much neutral and unbiased during portrayal of the both Koreas; and this is not an easy thing. Escape from Mogadishu is nothing about Somalia, less about Korean conflicts and more about the humanity and its dillema. Powerful.
25. Annette
Annette is like the unorganised pieces from a forgotten dream. Magnificent works with cinematography, sound & color are evident everywhere. With a basic story in the core, Annette turned into a surreal visual masterpiece.
24. Flee
Flee is a masterful blend of animation and documentary; which is moving, momentous, heartbreaking and tragic! Flee is an unforgettable saga whose haunting simplicity will not fade so easily.
23. Cinema Bandi
Probably the most simplest yet beautiful movie of the year which will put a little smile in your face and leave a sweet memory with you.
22. Churuli
Churuli showcased the self-destructive tendency of humanity and concept of 'Maya' in a mythologically soaked ambience. A layered, thought provoking, aesthetically supreme work of magic realism from LJP.
21. Titane
Titane is like an incoherently gorgeous nightmare; a neon-bathed dazzling visual masterpiece with extremely high production value, masterful scores and weirdly ambitious breathtaking imagination of a director!
now let's dive into the top 20....
20. Prayers for the Stolen
Tatiana Huezo's Prayers for the Stolen is a galvanic study of vulnerability in a 'man'-less world where being girl is nothing but a nightmare! A tranquil yet devastating movie.
19. Sherni
Sherni protrayed the eternal conflict between man and nature in a fascinating context and also touched other serious topics powerfully. One of the finest from Bollywood, this year.
18. Sardar Udham
Sircar's Sardar Udham is the only biographical work coming out from Bollywood in recent years, which is able to break the rusty and sinister prototype to create a benchmark which will surely bring a wave of making serious movies devoid off the business model approach! Remarkable in every way.
17. Semkhor
Raw, merciless and terrifying; Semkhor is a remarkable Indian movie for numerous reasons! Making a movie in an unconventional language like Dimasa is a monumental task itself. Semkhor followed an intense and effective story telling methodology; building the ambience, defusing the horror in the air slowly and making the audience restless, uncomfortable!
16. Encanto
A magically crafted musical about the love, support and rivalry within an immigrant family, protraying the Colombian culture masterfully. Disney's magic is immortal.
15. CODA
CODA is a heart-warming, feel good, emotional & exceptionally pleasent story of a girl who is the only hearing member of a lively family! It surely is one of the most beautifully crafted movies of the year; stuffed with genuinely soulful moments & close to the heart songs.
14. Petite Maman
Emotional, innocent, delicate, soulful. In a minimal scale, Petite Maman created absolute magic. This Céline Sciamma directorial is a unique study of soliteriness and an exciting dive into the the thought process of a child, emotionally distant from her parent. The most heartwarming ghost story you will ever see!
13. Drive My Car
A methodological, meditative, lyrical and delicate piece of art with an eternal story of life and death, regret and realisation. The ghostly silence was the medium of this poetry through which a stream of collective emotion flowed to bring the metamorphosis of an aged, wounded soul, trapped in the sit of his moving world and to keep the car running in a perpetual road called life!
12. Nayattu
A masterstroke writing coupled with strong on-screen performances, brilliant editing & cinematography, Nayattu is a strong social commentary which will unveil the naked soul of society beside providing you thrills & goosebumps. Among the best Indian movies of 2021.
11. Cliff Walkers
A rich, gorgeous and thoroughly engaging historical spy thriller with high production value and absolutely gripping storyline. Zhang is master in visual storytelling; expectedly Cliff Walkers is visually extravagant with amazing cinematography and stunning editing.
10. Pebbles
A bare, raw and purest form of cinema, coming from a debutant director which is powerful, shocking and sensational! Koozhangal is an exceptionally well shot movie showing toxic masculinity, domestic violence, child exploitation, water scarcity, marginalization of femininity, modern slavery and other issues of rural India in the most crude form possible. Amidst the whole lifelessness, there is a tinge of hope, hue of love, like a stream in the stone. Koozhangal announced the arrival of a spectacular artistic talent named P.S. Vinothraj!
9. Luzzu
A dying tradition, waiting for being swallowed by the evil of globalisation; Luzzu is sentimental, serene and subtle; almost a calm, minimalist movie which raises serious questions yet remains inert. It is a moving, philosophical and heartbreaking movie which represents Malta's life and tradition brilliantly with a universal appeal within.
8. The Red Tree
Scattered scenes of a nation, from its people, culture to music and civil war, unfolds, with the journey of a little girl accompanied by an uncanny friend to find a home. Moving, soulful and close to the heart; this Columbian road movie is a jewel.
7. Joji
Joji, a dark crime thriller is a modern retelling of a story alredy told thousands of time. JOJI is a solid character driven work which is thrilling, dark yet beautiful at the same time. A natural, raw and brutally real offering from the mine of India's finest of cinemas. A modern classic.
6. Stillwater
Stillwater doesn't consist of any chase sequence, any thrilling fight, any masterful court room scenes; its different; it actually consists of a process to survive in a foreign land, to love someone from all the heart, to make ownself a better human from a 'fucked-up' being! And for this, I loved this work more than I should! Stillwater never tried to become one of those light speed thrillers or a slow burner; it tried to become unique in its own way and there lies it's beauty.
5. Rehana Maryam Noor
A remarkable study of a woman's moral dilemma in a vulnerable world and a roaring dispute against the ghost of the society. Most powerful movie of the year, undoubtedly.
4. Don't Look Up
Hilarious, weirdly witty, absurdly brilliant; political satire can't be funnier. Don't Look Up is probably the most entertaining movie of the year.
3. Nitantoi Sahaj Saral
Shot in a therapeutic black and white hue, the movie tells the story of an insignificant icecream seller who set for a journey to a village fair for generating some extra income. As the title suggests, it is a real simple movie, as it goes gently, passively through the eyes and mind. The movie masterfully shifted itself from a slice of life drama to a road movie, from a road movie to a black comedy and from a black comedy to a philosophical surrealism. Nitantoi Sahaj Saral manges to hypnotise the audience with its apparent simplicity and take them in its deep complex whirlpool of emotions and philosophy. A salient Bengali movie which deserves every attention of the world.
2. Eight Down Toofaan Mail
Probably the most original Indian movie I have seen in years! Eight Down Toofaan Mail, directed by Akriti Singh, tells a curious story of a woman landed at the New Delhi Railway station in 1974 claiming herself as the Queen of Awadh! The movie delivered some powerful command on the heritability of colonialism and variability of homeland. It brought back the regret of the partition and asked serious questions on the equity of the nation. Eight Down Toofaan Mail is ultimately a story of intimacy and exploration, which tells to seek the royalty, pride and sense of belonging within us.
and the movie of the year is.....
1. The Power of the Dog
The Power of the Dog is a devastating movie which pretends to be something different at the start but becomes something else eventually. This Jane Campion directorial is easily the best movie of 2021. It is a strange movie. It protrayed the complexity of relationship, trust and loyalty like no other. Superficially, it is offcourse a gentle, slow burning movie; but the severity and sharpness of its core keeps cutting the edge of thoughts and the catastrophic final act was enough to annihilate it! The authenticity of the movie is that it never announces the arrival of its malicious shock; we understand only when it's gone. A subtle yet sinister tale of masculinity and metamorphosis against a mystic deserted landscape. Cinema in its finest form.
Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed the list. How many of these you have watched this year? Let me know. And also share your top movie list of the year....
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