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2021 has been a weird year for movies and movie-goers. The world emerged outdoors with theatres reopening and some of the most anticipated (and delayed) titles arriving on the big screen, at least for a while. In the meantime, films premiered on streaming services as well giving audiences a hybrid experience. And then there are films that opened in other parts of the world but not in India. So weird pretty much defines the year in watching movies. That being said, there was a fair share of good releases from myriad genres including Spielberg’s West Side Story, Spider-Man: No Way Home – the film that took us back to the big screen, Bollywood period film Sardar Udham, the Oscar-buzz worthy The Power of the Dog and Liquorice Pizza which is dubbed as the best film of the year by critics and fans who have watched it.
As the year draws to a close, here is my purely subjective list of the best films of 2021. These include Indian and international titles along with some honourable mentions of titles to look forward to.
The Power of the Dog
There is more to westerns than cowboy hats. Jane Campion’s only directorial feature in the past twelve years knows that. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a rancher, the film is not just a western romance but a searing portrait of toxic masculinity. The film dropped closer to the end of the year and instantly became the subject of awards chatter as critics predict a Best Picture nod at the Oscars.
West Side Story
Steven Spielberg has never directed a musical in his long, award-winning career and yet his latest film West Side Story proves that he’s perfect for the genre. A remake of an American classic stage play and an iconic movie, the film takes on the age-old Romeo and Juliet tale and examines it through a hauntingly relevant lens. Of course, the singing, dancing and the perfectly cast supporting ensemble alongside debut actress Rachel Zegler help.
Sardar Udham
In a time where movies about India’s history – the freedom struggle or the wars fought are doused in jingoism (either intentionally or unwittingly), Sardar Udham directed by Shoojit Sircar manages not to succumb to it. Set around the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the film is a pretty intricate biopic about a freedom fighter played by Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal. Instead of giving audiences a heady dose of national pride, the film focuses on grief and the overwhelming pain that came with the pre-independence tragedy. And it’s a long-overdue addition to the catalogue of period dramas set against the backdrop of the freedom struggle.
Spencer
Ever since the casting of Spencer, a fable-like biopic about the late Princess Diana was announced it was predicted that this would perhaps be Kristen Stewart’s most important role. And sure enough, the actress delivered as she inhabited the role of the Princess of Wales. There are a lot of documentaries and fictional retellings of her experience with the royal family but none captured the tragedy of her crumbling under the weight of the title as this film did and Stewart deserves much of the credit if not all of it.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The latest Spidey flick starring Tom Holland and Zendaya is the Spider-Man fandom’s most ambitious dreams realised. No Way Home is easily on of the most ambitious and emotional Marvel projects by far. It takes everything we know about the web-slinger and digs deeper than ever to explore a superhero storyline that is both entertaining and deeply emotional. As a sprawling MCU adventure the film did exactly what it promised – prompt screaming and happy crying in theatres across the world, earning the biggest pandemic-era opening.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings led by Simu Liu is Marvel’s first Asian superhero to get a solo movie. The film starring Asian actors including Awkwafina and the legendary Tony Leung and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton is a major moment in representation and a joyride of a film to watch in 3D. It tells the origin story of a martial artist as he confronts his roots and his true powers. It is also the most un-Marvel movie we’ve watched in a while. And yet it’s the film that brought audiences back to the big screen.
The Disciple
Award-winning director Chaitanya Tamhane’s sophomore film The Disciple is a musical meditation on art and the artist. Set in Mumbai, the film is an exploration of perfectionism, idealism and its perils. With delightfully understated performances and a hypnotic score, the film is an oddly soothing watch and easily one of the underdogs of the year.
The Green Knight
David Lowery’s The Green Knight, a re-telling and re-examination of an Arthurian poem from the 14th-century poem titled ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ is simply breathtaking. The fantasy film starring Dev Patel sees young knight Gawain go off on a quest after challenging the titular Green Knight in a bid to keep his honour. It’s an adventure across the beautiful British landscape where medieval poetry meets cinematic poetry to satisfying ends.
Anette
In Anette, a stand-up comedian (played by Adam Driver) and a famous opera singer (played by Marion Cotillard) navigate their highly publicised relationship. Narrated almost entirely in songs, the film explores the complex relationship between a power couple as they navigate their career and parenthood. With all the strange yet mesmerising visuals, the film makes for a trippy watch packed with brilliant performance moments from Driver.
tick, tick…Boom!
tick, tick…BOOM!, directed by Lin Manuel Miranda and starring a sensational Andrew Garfield takes the autobiographical music by Jonathan Larson (best known for his play Rent) and infuses so much theatre nerd energy into it that it’s contagious. Garfield plays the composer who aspired to make it on Broadway in his 20s. The result is a film that explores a fascinating week in the life of an artist and his struggles. While the film has been called out for being meta, the performance of it all is worth witnessing.
83
83 starring Ranveer Kapoor as Kapil Dev in a film about India’s rousing cricket World Cup victory in the year 1983 is not the brightest film on the list but it earns a spot for the sheer power of making audiences experience an iconic moment in Indian history in theatres. The film pretty much nails the formula of any successful crowd-pleaser. That being said, its star cast and director Kabir Khan deserve much applause for turning it into the resounding success it is.
The White Tiger
The White Tiger is based on a bestselling novel by Aravind Adiga and it features some of the best actors Bollywood has to offer – Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajkummar Rao and yet, the Ramin Bahrani directorial’s core is Adarsh Gourav. In his breakout role, the actor plays an ambitious driver wrongfully blamed for a car accident while he uses his street smarts to claw his way out of poverty. The darkly humorous film is a searing commentary on class inequalities in India.
Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi
Set around a large family that is grieving the loss of is the titular Ramprasad, the film is a thoughtful reflection on family and death. It is both funny and poignant but never dull. With its ensemble cast of accomplished actors – Naseeruddin Shah, Supriya Pathak, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vikrant Masset, Vinay Pathak and more, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi is one of those underappreciated films that flew under the radar amidst the flashier titles of the year.
Here are a few bonus recommendations of best films (according to critic reviews) that haven’t released in India yet:
Licorice Pizza
The Tragedy of Macbeth
C’mon, C’mon
Belfast
Nightmare Alley
Petite Maman
Cover image: Bhavya Poonia/Mashable India
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