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Best and Worst Films from October 2021

Best Films from October 2021:

3. Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts

I could have easily put ‘Sholay’ onto this third spot for the month of October as ultimately the two westerns fought it out, but Marlina had to be included for the sheer brilliance of its execution. It’s a simple, but highly effective mixture of western and crime elements put into one highly memorable rural Indonesian setting. The movie is nuanced in its feminist theme and stunningly cinematic.

2. Paradise Now

Paradise Now is a Palestinian drama that easily should have won an Oscar back in 2006 had there been any justice in the world. It humanizes suicide bombers while also making a strong critique of the problematic role of religion in suicide attempts. The movie is intense and so dark, but the dialogue fueled by many thought-provoking conversations made it an instant classic.

1. Tulpan

Yes, a strange movie got the first spot this month, but it had to be Tulpan. Throughout my Asian journey, I have experienced many different cultures, but not one felt as strange and alien as the one in Tulpan. Seeing the Kazakh way of life in the steppes was both emotionally rewarding and very difficult to watch as some scenes with the animals are heartbreaking. The movie’s gorgeous cinematography and incredible direction made this movie a true foreign gem.

Worst Films from October 2021:

3. Star Trek: Nemesis

Nemesis was the last TNG movie and not a great one to close the whole franchise. It isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination as Hardy makes for a solid villain, but there was too much emphasis put into him and not much on anything else really. The dialogue was good, but the plot left a lot to be desired.

2. A Land Imagined

A Land Imagined is all style and no substance. This is an eastern version of a noir-noir feature and it looks and sounds splendid, but the plot is repetitive, the characterization slim and not much could be found here in terms of memorable moments or satisfying storytelling.

1. The Addams Family 2

I really disliked this sequel. The first Addams Family at least had some good sections, but this one is pretty bad throughout with only the humor being sporadically solid. The road trip elements were horrendous and the whole central conflict was terrible. This franchise needs a reset as soon as possible.