With this in mind, this list looks atthe strongest films from 2021.
Cage’s work in this one is restrained and heartbreaking, nailing the film’s surprisingly complex emotional beats.
The film is also an unusual celebration of food, linking meals with memory.
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The cast rises to the occasion with committed performances.
In the end, it’s not the most entertaining Western, but it’sone of the smartest.
Someone has died in every room in every building and on every street corner in the city.
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“The Green Knightisa hypnotic, visually stunning reimagining of the Arthurian legend.
This introspective approach grounds the story and makes the fantastical elements hit all the harder.
In the process, Lowery and his cast dust off a well-worn story and make it sparkle again.
There is only the power of men.”
The story is told through three perspectivesJeans, Jacquess, and Margueriteseach revealing how bias and self-interest distort reality.
Not for nothing,No Way Homewas a massive hit, quickly becoming the highest-grossing movie of that year.
4’Belfast' (2021)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
“You have to be good.
And if you cant be good… be careful.”
While not groundbreaking or grand in scale,Belfastsucceeds as an intimate snapshot of a particular time and place.
Branagh brings 1960s Belfast to life, making it feel alive and real rather than a history lesson.
It’s like an autobiographical tone poem, placing ordinary people and their emotions front and center.
“Licorice Pizzais another coming-of-age story, this time set in 1970s California.
At first,Licorice Pizzamight seem like a considerable step down from directorPaul Thomas Anderson’s masterworks.
However, it’s thoughtful and brilliant in its own way.
They spend hours together in his car, their conversations revealing buried emotions, regrets, and unspoken pain.
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The film clocks in at three hours, but very little of it feels like filler.
Hes called to it.”
Claiming the top spot on this list isDenis Villeneuve’s firstDunefilm.
The world-building is simply extraordinary here.
He does so while abandoning the campiness ofDavid Lynch’s version, making the movies appear dark and plausible.
The finished product is blockbuster entertainment for adults, a movie that’s simultaneously intelligent and incredibly entertaining.
Finally, there’s the score byHans Zimmer.
Its orchestral grandeur and ethereal vocal chants create a soundscape unlike any other.
NEXT:The 15 Worst Comedy Movies of the 1990s, Ranked
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A 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.
