Here are a few of my favourite movies and TV shows from 2021 (accounting for some recency effect.)
Movies
The Power of the Dog
I became entranced in the slow-burn that was Power of the Dog. I do have a bit of a personal connection; the movie was filmed in a place on the South Island of New Zealand that I had visited. In fact, the AirBnB hosts I stayed with were partying with Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons at a music festival in Wanaka just a few weeks after I left. That being said, I was entranced by the scenery, story, and powerful character acting. Don’t miss out.
Dune
Dune is the only movie I watched in a theatre in all of 2021, with the last being Portrait of a Lady on Fire back in March 2020. And, it did not disappoint. The vastness of Arrakis, the sound design, and intriguing plot line captivated me from start to finish. As was Josh Brolin’s character exclaiming “God in heaven.” Definitely worth the wait.
Nomadland
It’s been a minute, but Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland was a wonderful film to start 2021 with. A pace-of-life film that carries you through the circumstances and stories of people living nomadically across America. Frances McDormand delivers, as always, accompanied by gripping performances by real-life nomads who root the story in truthfulness and authenticity.
tick, tick…BOOM!
Making a musical work on a small screen is challenging, but Lin-Manuel Miranda does a masterful job pulling it off in tick, tick…BOOM! The music and narrative are woven together seamlessly, and Andrew Garfield shines in his role as Jonathan Larson – the creator of Rent. If you haven’t been to a live show for a while, this one delivers all from the comfort of your home.
Honourable Mentions: The Rescue, The Alpinist, The Father, Pig, The Courier
TV
Okay, caveat here: I’m going to list some perhaps more “obscure” TV shows that I enjoyed this year. I absolutely did love Squid Game, and Ted Lasso was PERFECTLY FINE, but I’m going to guide you to some things you may have missed.
The White Lotus
This quirky Upstairs, Downstairs comedy delivered a wonderful and unexpected story of the lives of the guests at a fancy Hawaiian resort and the staff who cater to them. I watch a lot of TV, so I really appreciated the twists-and-turns and innovativeness that The White Lotus offered. Plus, it was so-so nice to see/experience Hawaii again, even from a small screen. Plus, Jennifer Coolidge plays her role to perfection.
Yellowjackets
I’m still not sure what Yellowjackets is, but I know that I love it. It features two parallel story lines: one of a teenage girls high school team that crashes in the Canadian wilderness and has to survive, and the second, some of survivors in their adult years trying to hide whatever dark happenings occurred there. The adult storyline is full of acting heavy-hitters like Christina Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, and Juliette Lewis, but the younger cast also serves spectacular performances. And, there’s a killer soundtrack to boot. Get on the bus!
Station Eleven
“Saved the best for last” is proving true with the freshly-released Station Eleven airing over the winter break. Based on a book of the same name, the story follows before-and-after a deadly pandemic sweeps the world. Similar to Yellowjackets, the storyline oscillates between post-pandemic and “pre-pan” events. Each episodes reveals more and more of what exactly happened, who survived, and how. Plus, Mackenzie Davis.
Foundation
Initially, I was overwhelmed by the vastness of the story, but ultimately Foundation was likely my favourite sci-fi watch of the year. As I started to become more familiar in the world(s) and time(s), it was easier to follow. I still have a lot of questions, some of which I hope will be answered in Season 2!
Generation
A lot of people slept on this show and it got cancelled. Maybe I was one of only a few LOLing at my screen, but f*ck it, if it wasn’t fun. A bunch of queer teens in LA bopping around figuring out their lives and making mistakes, all the while introducing me to all the Gen Z language that Twitter has yet to teach me. Plus, the whole soundtrack was a BOP.
The Sex Lives of College Girls
I thought I’d hate this show based on the title, but it did make me LOL a lot. Sure, sometimes it was a bit crude, and it felt like it was intentionally trying to “bat up” to be on HBO Max, but I really enjoyed it. It was less about sex, and more about figuring out who you are, what’s important to you, and how to deal with challenges and adversity along the way. So – COLLEGE!
Honourable Mentions: Dickinson, The Flight Attendant, Squid Game, Reservation Dogs, Sweet Tooth, Shadow & Bone, Wheel of Time
