We’ve already talked about some of the best and most talked-about shows of 2021. Now comes the time to delve into movies with our list of some of the best titles of the year. Bear in mind that this list will be updated as more and more new films are released.
The pandemic has changed the release calendar of a few of these movies, many of which were initially planned for 2020. Also, the latest edition of the Oscars and other awards competitions made certain 2021 films eligible if they were released in the first two months of the year, which is why a few of the titles here will sound familiar. Some of them have been past award frontrunners or even winners.
Here are some of my favorite films of 2021 so far
merald Fennell writes and directs this revenge tale that stars Carey Mulligan as Cassie, a former Promising Young Woman whose career as a doctor and personal life get derailed after a tragic event. Fennell went on to win the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for this movie and she also received a nomination for her directorial work.
The movie carries a powerful message about consent and raises awareness about mental health. It also features a killer soundtrack and a very deliberate aesthetic accented in candy pink.
We included this documentary in a recent article about current films and TV shows that can teach us a lot about Black history in America. MLK/FBI establishes the quasi-obsession FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had with civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s. Hoover collected salacious and sexual material on King obtained through surveillance. The intent was to damage King’s reputation. But the documentary points out how, despite tracking King so closely, the FBI was unable to warn the Baptist minister about the threats on his life
Also included in our list of films that can teach us about Black history in America is this story based on true events. Judas and the Black Messiah stars Daniel Kaluuya as chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton, and LaKeith Stanfield as the FBI informant Bill O’Neal. Both Kaluuya and Stanfield received Oscar nominations for their roles here and Kaluuya ended up winning.
The movie was produced by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and directed by Shaka King; it won a second Oscar for its original song "Fight for You." The film depicts O’Neal’s infiltration of the Black Panther Party and the assassination of Hampton, in the wake of close FBI surveillance.
Judas and the Black Messiah premiered simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max on February 21. It was available to stream on HBO Max for 31 days after that and can now be rented on Amazon, iTunes and other platforms for $5.99.
Another past Oscar contender on the list, Minari tells the story of a Korean American family relocating from California to a farm in Arkansas in the ‘80s. Actress Yuh-Jung Youn, who plays a not-so-typical grandmother, made history by becoming the first Korean performer to win an Oscar in an acting category.
The movie also showed once more that Steven Yeun has many more facets as an actor than just being a zombie fighter. And it made young actor Alan S. Kim a star. The eight-year-old won the Critics Choice Award for Best Young Actor/Actress for his role in this movie.
Minari opened in theaters on February 12 and was available on video on demand on February 26, 2021. You can rent it for $5.99
Anthony Hopkins plays Anthony, an 80-year-old with dementia who is set in his ways. Olivia Colman is Anne, Anthony’s daughter. She tries to figure out how to provide care for her dad, who no longer seems to be able to live alone. Filmmaker Florian Zeller, who directed and co-wrote this movie based on his own play, tells this story from Anthony’s perspective even though he’s no longer the most reliable of narrators.
The Father won an Oscar for Adapted Screenplay and a second surprise win occurred in the Best Actor race due to Hopkins’ performance. The late actor Chadwick Boseman was the favorite in the category for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, but Hopkins sure gives a masterful performance here as the independent Anthony.
The Father is available on video on demand for $5.99.
This documentary about singer-songwriter Billie Eilish offers an intimate perspective of the artist at 17. Filmmaker R.J. Cutler shows Eilish’s childhood home; the places where she composed and recorded with her older brother, FINNEAS; how she got her driver’s license… The documentarian also follows her on tour while she’s promoting her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
The film makes a point to reveal the duality of such an international pop sensation who, at the end of the day, is just a teenager coming of age and coping with the same things we’ve all been confronted with at that age
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