The year is almost gone and it left us a bunch of good movies.
We selected our favourite films, those which made our heart blow! We thrive to choose different genres for all our beloved cinephiles’ tastes.
This is a list, not a ranking, please don’t mind the order and if you haven’t already watched some of them, what are you waiting for?
Let's get started! Here is our Top 10 list:
1. The Dig
This film was released early this year, but it still holds a place in our hearts.
This is a melancholic gem on the true story of the sensational Sutton Hoo excavation in Suffolk on the eve of the Second World War. Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) is a working-class man who learned how to carry out archaeological excavations from his father. Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), a widowed woman hires him to dig up the mounds from her property and they both unearthed an astounding treasure.
The elegance of Fiennes' interpretation competes with the cinematography tinted by the colors of the earth.
The story will immerse you in a human adventure and subtle love story.
2. Quo Vadis, Aida?
If you’re a true story-based movie fan, this film is a must.
This is a brilliant and vital film based on the genocide chronicles that took place in Srebrenica, Bosnia in 1995. The Srebrenica massacre is the most significant event in the Bosnian genocide, which involved other wider crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing throughout areas controlled by the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS).
Aida (Jasna Đuričić) is a translator for the UN, a strong character who is able to foresee unimaginable atrocities and we accompany her in her journey as we learn about this dark chapter in history.
3. Summer of Soul
Ok, this one is not a film but it goes for those who love documentaries. Because we love them too!
The documentary is about the 1969 Harlem Festival which took place over 6 summer sundays. The same summer as Woodstock.
With a young Stevie Wonder as an opening scene and a Nina Simone in a closing one, this documentary will keep you moving from start to end. It’s composed of a compilation of recordings from the festival, new interviews and archival footage amazingly and rhythmically assembled.
More than 40 hours of performances from dozens of artists were recorded. They are all singing their hearts out for the audience. This film will delight you with powerful voices that aren't only singing but also expressing all their emotions and revolution.
A true gem about Music and American History.
4. Last Night in Soho
This stylish yet terrifying Wdgard Wright film is for those who are craving a good horror film.
Last Night in Soho is a story about Eloise Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) who is pursuing her career as a fashion designer. She is haunted by her mother’s ghost, who also dreamed about being a fashion designer and endep up dead by suicide.
Besides being a terror movie, it’s also a subtle critique to toxic men but it doesn’t go deep in the sex industry nor women explotation. Wright rather relies on vintage nostalgic, corny humor and gore shots.
5. Another Round
Four teachers start a social experiment. Their hypothesis is that by maintaining a certain level of alcohol at all times they release stress and tension.
They all have midlife crises, especially Martin (Mads Mikkelsen), who loses his passion for teaching and feels dissatisfied by the mundanity of this world.
Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg along with his colleague Lars Von Trier came up in the Dogme 95 movement. Yet even after 20 years, Vinterberg is still committed to Dogme mannerisms.
It’s a provocative yet energetic film that will keep you entertained at all times.
6. The Green Knight
This one goes for those who love Fantasy tales.
A mystical and epic coming-of-age of King Arthur’s nephew Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) who discovers the world is odder and far more complicated than he thought.
The surreal genius of David Lowery’s presents multiple interpretations of contradictory material that has been around for more than five hundred years.
Every frame looks like an ancient painting and the well-designed music creates an ultimately thrilling cinematic experience for the viewers.
A hypnotic film full of giants, ghosts and magical creatures that will keep you amazed from start to end.
7. Nomadland
With Zhao's established naturalistic style and Francis McDormand's remarkable performance (which earned her an Oscar this year) this film has become one of 2021’s most praised films.
We follow her around on her road trip across the US. We watch her jump from job to job, surviving while not settling down nor building relationships (or at least as society expects it).
Her van is her home and it takes her toward horizons that are gorgeously framed.
This film is an overpowering and deep point of view of a nomad woman who fulfills her need through joy and sorrow.
"I'm not homeless, I'm only houseless. There is a difference, right?"
8. Dune
Based on the 1965 novel. Dune is set in the very distant future, in which humanity has evolved in many scientific aspects and mutated in a lot of spiritual ones.
We’ll always love Lynch’s version but Villeneuve has done a good job portraying “Dune”. Now, what we love most about the film… we’re gonna say it… ok, it was the sound design!
It’s not that we didn’t love all the rest, for sure we did. However, the sound engineering will transport you to a whole new world of desolation as is Dune. And, as Villeneuve said, this was made “as a tribute to the big-screen experience” and he didn't lie about it.
It’s definitely by far the best Sci-Fi film of the year. If you love Jedis, you will love “The Voice”.
9. Bo Burnham: Inside
A piece of art not labeled as “film”. Nevertheless its efforts make it worthy of being considered one.
A long production with a cinematic experiment and full of comedy. Filmed inside Burnham’s home studio space. A Young filmmaker that feels forcibly thrown back to his initial steps as a Youtuber due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Burnham reflects about the digital culture that made him popular accompanied by catchy songs of synthesized bangers. This special will make you understand the artists’ never ending conflict between the need of feedback and the frustration from judgement.
It’s a piece of work that definitely will become a time capsule and matter of study for its particular moment in history.
10. The French Dispatch
We are thrilled to announce our most expected film of the year. However, we won’t let our love for Wes Anderson influence our honest review.
As we expected, this is the most Wes Anderson-y Wes Anderson movie of All Time and it’s certainly his most accomplished movie from the last decade.
A comedy that unifies a remarkable cast in a story that gets its title from The New Yorker's fictitious magazine. The film, however, is based in France.
As in The Grand Hotel Budapest, Anderson crafts a group of stories within stories (and aspect ratios within aspect ratios). A group of journalists go on an adventure of collecting articles for the magazine while they struggle with their own expectations about how the world works.
Oops, Wes did it again!
That was our list of the Best Films of 2021. But did you think that it ended here?
Well, no... We’ve got you covered and will share our 3 most expected films to come on this last part of the year.
The House of Gucci
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Don’t Look Up
Thank you for reading 'til the end!
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