If pressed, I’d say Shang-chi was probably my favorite 2021 release, though I am not positive.
My honorable mention list: The Stylist, Nobody, Pig, Dune, The Matrix Resurrections
I’m sure there were many wonderful movies out there. I did not see the new Ghostbusters, I was unable to catch Encanto even though it is now on Disney+, and there are a quite a few other releases I’ll catch in coming months.
I keep a running list of the movies I see in Excel and mark the ones I like a lot during the year. I’ve seen 120 movies this year so my list of favorites is a bit longer. I’ve separated out the documentaries. Otherwise, it’s chronological.
Peccavi’s 20 Favorites for 2021 Riders of Justice Werewolves Within Settlers Lorelei Coda Ema Mogul Mowgli Yakuza Princess Language Lessons Old Henry Dune Last Night In Soho C’mon C’mon Drive My Car Spiderman: No Way Home West Side Story The Novice Nightmare Alley Licorice Pizza Parallel Mothers
Favorite Documentaries Summer of Soul Bring Your Own Brigade Without Getting Killed or Caught
It is hard to pick one favorite, but if pressed, I’d probably pick Yakuza Princess, just because it needs more love than the others.
I’m still planning to see 3 movies before the end of the year that could end up on the list: The Tragedy of MacBeth, Benedetta, and Jockey. So my list could change between now and the end of the year.
Wow I’ve actually seen every movie you listed except “Psycho Goreman.” (Never heard of that one but the title is intriguing!)
I’d say the top films I’ve seen so far have been “West Side Story” and “Licorice Pizza.” Others in my top list would include “Mass,” “Nine Days,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and “In the Heights.”
I’ve only kept a record of titles I’ve seen in theaters, so I don’t have a list of all I’ve seen through streaming. I loved “The Humans,” which was just released on Showtime, and “Tick Tick Boom” from Netflix.
(I’m planning on catching both “Nightmare Alley” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth” this week.)
I can’t get to the theaters anywhere near as much as some of you folks on here. Streaming has been a real blessing for seeing movies in the year they are released. I actually only went to the theaters twice in 2021: Black Widow(terrible!) and Spider-man(really good!).
I keep track of every movie I see from the current year, a sheet of every movie I watch with my wife, and a third one of every movie I watch on my own.
Do you all have a Letterboxd? I also have one of these. Here is a link to mine if you care.
I’m lucky enough to live is a city dense with big screens (I have AMC Stubs and I estimate there are 50-60 screens within 30 minutes of me). Not only that, but it is an industry town. The Landmark is a favorite for Oscar runs (the required one week in LA county). This means there is more than just a big screen as a reason to go out.
For example, Parallel Mothers started it’s 2021 run at the Landmark on Friday. If I had been paying attention, I could have snagged a seat at the mid-afternoon Tuesday/Wednesday screening, featuring a Q&A with Penelope Cruz after the the movie. This type of extra is not uncommon (and sometimes not official, like Joaquin Phoenix thanking an early morning audience a few years ago at the Arclight Hollywood for coming to see his movie).
