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Top Ten Films from 2021

Although definitely weaker than the last year as I ended up only awarding one movie with the highest five-star rating, 2021 was still a strong year for me as I watched many iconic movies from both recent decades and those that are much older. Per usual, the new 2021 releases do not count here as they will be getting their own list, so here are the ten best movies I watched this year with some honorable mentions.

10. Paradise Now

Fall was a great time for me this year as it was my annual world cinema marathon, this time I went to Asia, which resulted in many terrific discoveries. One such great film is this Palestinian drama that deals with suicide bombers with a lot psychological insight and a wonderfully unbiased approach. It’s a complex, powerful movie that should have won an Oscar that year.

9. Rio 2096

With stunningly stylized animation and such an authentic lyrical approach to storytelling, Rio 2096 is an incredible Brazilian animated feature that explores half a millennium of conflict and injustice that has occurred in the country. The fantastical immortal protagonist element gave the film a timeless quality while its rebellious spirit gave it a much needed sense of agency.

8. The Wedding Banquet

This year I decided to embark on a quest to complete the entire filmography of Ang Lee and this Taiwanese romantic comedy is the only movie of his that I haven’t seen before that I ended up loving. The clash between East and West as well as traditionalism and modernism was so well explored while the movie’s big heart transcends its familiar trappings with flying colors.

7. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice is an important product of the free love time period of the late sixties. This is a film that deals with the moral ambiguities of cheating, having sex with your friends and orgies through excellent dialogue with many terrific discussions and a firm grasp of the psyche of young people. It’s a rare late sixties movie that I ended up hugely enjoying.

6. Tulpan

Following the life of herdsmen in the Kazakhstan steppe, Tulpan is a film that is difficult to watch in its realism, but also an essential look into this lesser-known culture and way of life that becomes truly touching in some of its more heartbreaking sequences. This is the most underseen movie on my list that deserves more attention and one of the best films from my Asian Cinema Marathon for sure.

5. Bad Santa

Sometimes I just want to laugh and have a great time. Bad Santa fulfilled that desire for me stupendously. This is a fantastic laugh-out-loud comedy that features the best type of raw, brutal humor that I just adore. The main performance from Billy Bob Thornton was absolutely iconic here while its ambiguous ending was unexpected and brilliant.

4. The Thief of Bagdad

Thanks to gorgeous costumes, incredible production design, epic score and a wonderful quest-like narrative, the 1940 Thief of Bagdad is a truly amazing remake of an already fantastic 1924 silent classic. This was one of the biggest blockbusters of its time and it is still wildly entertaining and enchanting to watch. It’s a rare example of an outstanding remake that stands on its own.

3. Sholay

Sholay is a 1975 Indian classic that was a megahit in the country and it still remains so. It is easy to see why so many people love it as it’s populated by terrific characters, many different genres that are well realized and fantastic music. The song Yeh Dosti I listened to so many times after seeing the movie and it’s the best moment in this film that encapsulates the theme of friendship and all of the movie’s charm perfectly.

2. Undertow

Undertow is a romantic movie unlike no other. By adding a fantastical twist very early on in the game, the film became this different and very unique take on a turbulent and complex gay relationship. This is a sophisticated, immensely poetic movie that stays with you long after you’ve seen it. It is just immensely emotional and also wonderfully wordless in some of its best, most touching sequences.

1. The Burmese Harp

What is there left to say that I already haven’t said about this masterpiece of a movie? The Burmese Harp is one of the best anti-war films of all time and one of Japan’s biggest cinematic treasures. It’s a film that deals with many important, wonderful Buddhist themes while also benefiting from stellar technical aspects that make the movie highly cinematic and gorgeously atmospheric. It is the deepest and the best movie I saw in 2021 and the only one that went straight to my highest-rated movies section.

Honorable Mentions:

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts – This Indonesian movie gives its own unique spin on the western genre. It is is elegant, tightly constructed and quite memorable.

Giant Little Ones – An underrated Canadian indie gem, Giant Little Ones explores sexuality and gender identity with a lot of nuance and care. It’s a lovely movie.

Ghost World – Weird is the name of the game in this 2001 indie flick, but I still liked it despite it being so strange. It develops its characters so superbly that it’s difficult not to like it.