*NOTE: This list is compiled strictly of titles I saw over the course of January through December 2021. Whether due to availability or awareness, this list is subject to change though will not be reflected here. These are the titles that spoke to me directly at the time of publication and are definitely worth checking out.
20. The World’s a Little Blurry (Dir. R.J. Cutler)
There are few pop stars that feel as primed to be the voice of Gen-Z quite like Billie Eilish. From the minute that she dropped the deadpan “duh” on “Bad Guy,” she has quickly ascended as an icon of a different flavor. She’s more open about her mental health and struggles to appreciate fame. There is a transparency that feels perfect for a very digital age, where every small change is scrutinized and the effort to remain relevant is more tied to the minute than ever before. Given that she’s released the even greater follow-up “Happier Than Ever” earlier this year, 2021 has been a victory lap that suggests she’s here to stay, producing her own weirdo pop take for decades to come with her brother Finneas.
This documentary is prime real estate for mythologizing the early stages. From the footage, there’s a sense of watching inspiration forming from its rawest nerve, where Eilish and Finneas pass hours in their living room crafting the songs that will change the world. It’s an unlikely scenario, but they managed to pull it off. Along with memorable scenes where she meets Orlando Bloom and Justin Bieber, this is a persuasive attempt to humanize a pop star who is only going further into the stratosphere, showing where inspiration comes from even as she struggles to adapt to fame. Whatever happens next, there will always be this moment where she felt real, so connected to something familiar. It’s so great to have it captured for future generations to witness and appreciate the teen prodigy in her newest, most sincere form.
19. The Matrix Resurrections (Dir. Lana Wachowski)
In theory, nobody needed a sequel to The Matrix (1999) as much as its own director. As one of the most influential sci-fi films of the past 25 years, it has created a complicated legacy full of interesting debates and muddled talking points. Given that Wachowski also now openly identifies as transgender, there’s the added subtext that the story that made her career holds a lot more to explore. What is it like when the author finally has the words to tell her story outside of coded subtext? What happens when the message is so clear that it comes with a bludgeoning force, mixing spectacle with heavy emotion and some of the most amazingly impulsive scenes of any film this year.
Within the greater commentary of the franchise is a director coming to terms with her own legacy. It’s a strangely personal return that never fails to be entertaining. Even the return of Keanu Reeves as Neo produces a fairly interesting spin on the internet culture that war birthed in the decades following 1999. It can be argued that a lot of it lacks subtlety, going for clear, almost propagandistic instincts; but what an entertaining ride. It’s a diatribe and love letter from the person most intimately familiar with these details, whose input on the story is the only one it ever needed. In an age where franchise films make directors feel disposable, it’s a relief to find Wachowski making her film her way, never caring if it pleases everyone in the process.
18. West Side Story (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
As far as updates go, few musicals felt as prime for a 21st century reevaluation quite like this Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim classic. With assistance from screenwriter Tony Kushner, Spielberg managed to elevate the material into a grander narrative about socioeconomic struggles, finding the ways that a decaying New York informs the desperation in which two rival gangs live. When the world feels like it’s falling apart around them, they have no choice but to hold onto whatever turf they can, believing that American freedom brings with it certain liberties. The inherently political adaptation of 1961 is given greater purpose in 2021 and proves the versatility with which every character is struggling to survive on their own merits.
While the beats remain true, the love story feels more grounded in the moment, feeling like a ticking time bomb. Youthful endorphins run through every hair-brained scheme and the impulse shines in easy solutions. For the first time, it feels like West Side Story takes place in a society populated with diversity in life. While Spielberg cannot match the visual panache of Jerome Robbins’ original choreography, the story is where the heart beats loudest, serving as his most emotionally rich film in eons, finding new meaning in a story that many theater fans likely know too well. He restores purpose, finding ways to give disadvantaged groups their say in a story that’s only grown more timeless as time goes on. Even with dated 50s slang, there are few films that speak to the moment quite like this.
17. CODA (Dir. Sian Heder)
It makes sense why this Sundance hit became such a big deal. Following the Oscar-winning success of Sound of Metal (2020), there was a push to get more disability stories shared. On the surface, this is the story of one woman dealing with her deaf parents. To go deeper is to see a story that reflects the struggles that are at times more universal. There are those typical arguments, now brought with the most verbose sign language possible as she helps her parents work at a fishing company and deal with a public who haven’t yet learned ASL. It’s an empathetic drama about family and the sacrifices one makes to see them succeed. With a great supporting cast that includes Marlee Matlin, there’s plenty to love and the third act isn’t without a few emotionally rich scenes.
CODA is a crowd-pleasing experience that perfectly encapsulates the value of family in new and fulfilling ways. While the film’s most interesting when reflecting the interpersonal codependence of parent and child, the journey to finding her own identity is ultimately what makes the film so powerful. With a subplot about learning to sing, she finds ways to grow confident in her own voice, eventually finding her own independence. It’s a scary proposition, but everyone has to find their own path. With a tight script and plenty of endearing moments, the film pops with life that reinvents the coming of age story into something greater. There are many ways to have a healthy relationship with family but learning how to communicate on more empathetic levels are the best, most satisfying ways possible.
16. Adrienne (Dir. Andy Ostroy)
For artists like Adrienne Shelly, there is something both beautiful and haunting about their work. Prior to the Waitress (2007) premiere at Sundance, she was murdered in her apartment, ending a career exactly where it should’ve been starting. With rave reviews and a Tony-nominated musical, her legacy continues to endear to the modern age even if she isn’t there to witness it. There is an affection for her work that shines in every frame of the story, which on the surface serves as a typical biography of a career that involved taking risks, finding new ways to express oneself in vulnerable ways. Considering the passing of her own mother early in life, there’s additional insight into how her life informed her art, tenderly balancing a search for creative fulfillment with personal happiness that included, among other things, starting a family.
That is where Ostroy’s documentary becomes something more compelling, exploring the value not only of an artist’s ability to endure decades after their passing but what a life can mean to the family. It’s a story that delves into the grieving process as her husband and father of a daughter explore the absence. It’s at times a murder mystery, others a quest for closure. Most importantly, it’s a way to better understand the gifts left behind that build the living into something greater. While Shelly’s death remains tragic, this is more of a celebration of who she was both as an artist and as a person. Through a very personal lens, Ostroy makes a phenomenal tribute to an artist needing more recognition and appreciation. She may be gone, but her work waits to be discovered by new generations, able to understand her strength as an artist just trying to make sense of the strange world around them.
Coming Up Next: Carnies, Concerts, and Pigs
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