2021 Ranked Films
The list of ranked films of 2021 that I have seen so far.
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- DirectorChloé ZhaoStarsFrances McDormandDavid StrathairnLinda MayA woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.10/10
Chloé Zhao continuing her penchant for juxtaposing quietly affecting character studies with gorgeous landscapes, Nomadland does a tremendous job at capturing the ethos of its subculture. - DirectorLee Isaac ChungStarsSteven YeunHan YeriAlan KimA Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.10/10
As rich in themes as it is in nuanced performances and striking cinematography, Minari is a thoroughly endearing and affecting family drama from Lee Isaac Chung. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsAnsel ElgortRachel ZeglerAriana DeBoseAn adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.10/10
Proving a timeless tale can still feel fresh in the right hands, the updated West Side Story measures up to the original with breathtaking cinematography and Steven Spielberg's most assured work of the century. - DirectorJane CampionStarsBenedict CumberbatchKirsten DunstJesse PlemonsCharismatic rancher Phil Burbank inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother brings home a new wife and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.10/10
Carefully crafting quietly compelling and multifaceted characters, The Power of the Dog is a triumphant return to awe-inspiring cinema for writer-director Jane Campion. - DirectorSian HederStarsEmilia JonesMarlee MatlinTroy KotsurAs a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her passion at Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.10/10
CODA's many emotional arcs can feel overpowering, but within that sentiment is a wholly profound and beautifully crafted portrait of the deaf community. - DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsJude HillLewis McAskieCaitríona BalfeA young boy and his working-class Belfast family experience the tumultuous late 1960s.10/10
An endearingly personal passion project from writer-director Kenneth Branagh, Belfast encapsulates childhood innocence with real-world darkness with aplomb. - DirectorShaka KingStarsLaKeith StanfieldDaniel KaluuyaJesse PlemonsOffered a plea deal by the FBI, William O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton.10/10
Visceral, harrowing and quietly compelling, Judas and the Black Messiah makes for a starkly realistic recreation of race relations past that are just as relevant today. - DirectorMichael RiandaJeff RoweStarsAbbi JacobsonDanny McBrideMaya RudolphA quirky, dysfunctional family's road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity's unlikeliest last hope.10/10
Frenetic and vibrant in the best way possible, The Mitchells vs. the Machines stuffs a creative family adventure with laugh-a-minute humor. - DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsAlana HaimCooper HoffmanSean PennThe story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.10/10
Paul Thomas Anderson evoking and thriving in his filmmaking roots, Licorice Pizza is a wholly endearing slice of life adolescent comedy with two fully realized characterizations at the forefront. - DirectorEnrico CasarosaStarsJacob TremblayJack Dylan GrazerEmma BermanOn the Italian Riviera, an unlikely but strong friendship grows between a human being and a sea monster disguised as a human.10/10
Pixar adopting a wholly unique visual aesthetic, Luca is a wonderfully refreshing and high-spirited adventure. - DirectorMichael SarnoskiStarsNicolas CageAlex WolffAdam ArkinA truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.10/10
Hauntingly soulful and methodically simplistic, Pig features Nicolas Cage's finest performance in decades and marks a stellar debut for writer-director Michael Sarnoski. - DirectorRyûsuke HamaguchiStarsHidetoshi NishijimaTôko MiuraReika KirishimaA renowned stage actor and director learns to cope with a big personal loss when he receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima.9/10
Modest on the outside but suffused with emotional and thematic depth throughout, Drive My Car is a quietly compelling ride from start to finish. - DirectorPablo LarraínStarsKristen StewartTimothy SpallSally HawkinsDiana Spencer, struggling with mental-health problems during her Christmas holidays with the Royal Family at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, decides to end her decade-long marriage to Prince Charles.9/10
Wholly claustrophobic and emotionally arresting, Spencer is a captivating, alternative biopic thanks in large part to an absolutely stellar Kristen Stewart. - DirectorJoachim TrierStarsRenate ReinsveAnders Danielsen LieHerbert NordrumThe chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.9/10
Making a lot of headway with grounded character motivations, The Worst Person in the World is also one of the best films of the year. - DirectorRamin BahraniStarsAdarsh GouravRajkummar RaoPriyanka Chopra JonasAn ambitious Indian driver uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and rise to the top. An epic journey based on the New York Times bestseller.9/10
A fascinating character study, The White Tiger is a fast-paced and often profound critique of socioeconomic classism. - DirectorReinaldo Marcus GreenStarsWill SmithAunjanue Ellis-TaylorJon BernthalA look at how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after the coaching from their father Richard.9/10
Serving up an inspiring and often riveting biographical drama, King Richard is solid from start to finish with a career-best performance from Will Smith in the title role. - DirectorMaggie GyllenhaalStarsOlivia ColmanJessie BuckleyDakota JohnsonA woman's beach vacation takes a dark turn when she begins to confront the troubles of her past.9/10
A fascinating character study with an incomparable Olivia Colman at the forefront, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Lost Daughter offers plenty of room for analysis. - DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsTimothée ChalametRebecca FergusonZendayaA noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.9/10
Giving the source material the cinematic treatment it deserves and then some, Denis Villeneuve's Dune finds a solid marriage between intellectual nuance and visual awesomeness. - DirectorFran KranzStarsJason IsaacsMartha PlimptonAnn DowdThe parents of both the shooter and one of the victims of a school shooting tragedy agree to meet and talk in an attempt to move forward.9/10
Its quartet of leads doing tremendous, emotive work with heavy material, Mass is a timely and powerful directorial debut for Fran Kranz. - DirectorDon HallCarlos López EstradaPaul BriggsStarsKelly Marie TranAwkwafinaGemma ChanIn a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon.9/10
Disney once again boasting some lush animated settings and characters, Raya and the Last Dragon finds a refreshing amount of nuance in otherwise familiar themes. - DirectorJon M. ChuStarsAnthony RamosCorey HawkinsLeslie GraceIn Washington Heights, a sympathetic New York bodega owner saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.9/10
Adopting the effervescent and fast-paced songwork from Lin-Manuel Miranda's original musical, In the Heights is vivacious and spirited to the end. - DirectorRidley ScottStarsMatt DamonAdam DriverJodie ComerThe Knight Jean de Carrouges must settle the dispute over his wife Marguerite by challenging his former friend to a duel to the death.9/10
Ridley Scott once again flexing his prowess for medieval storytelling, The Last Duel is as captivating as it is narratively arresting. - DirectorIlya NaishullerStarsBob OdenkirkAleksey SerebryakovConnie NielsenA docile family man slowly reveals his true character after his house gets burgled by two petty thieves, which, coincidentally, leads him into a bloody war with a Russian crime boss.9/10
As familiar as Nobody's premise is, it's executed to terrific effect with wall-to-wall, top-notch action and a convincingly stolid performance from Bob Odenkirk. - DirectorDestin Daniel CrettonStarsSimu LiuAwkwafinaTony Leung Chiu-waiShang-Chi, the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.9/10
More fantastical and effervescent than most MCU offerings, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings weaves a narratively rich tapestry that pays emotional dividends in the end. - DirectorJohn KrasinskiStarsEmily BluntMillicent SimmondsCillian MurphyFollowing the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.9/10
Offering audiences more of the same high tension, pulse-pounding thrills, A Quiet Place Part II is about as solid as horror sequels get.