Best to Worst of 2021
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99 titles
- StarsJoseph PfeiferMickey KrossJay JonasIn official collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, this documentary series take viewers through harrowing moments of the historic morning of September 11, 2001.(10)
- DirectorJon WattsStarsTom HollandZendayaBenedict CumberbatchWith Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.A singular experience. To watch three childhoods — three golden sources of inspiration, dreams, and play — collide with such giddy exuberance and deep emotion… It’s something truly, truly special. Thank you, Marvel. (10)
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsTimothée ChalametRebecca FergusonZendayaA noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.Witness a master filmmaker's lifelong dream be realised. Stupefying scale, a staggering soundtrack, and unparalleled production design. This monumental achievement of blockbuster art sent me to sensory nirvana many times over. (10)
- StarsJeremy ClarksonKaleb CooperCharlie IrelandFollow Jeremy Clarkson as he attempts to run a farm in the countryside.A splendid vista of quality entertainment, bursting with heart, laughs, memorable personas, an adoration for nature, and above all, enormous respect and empathy for farmers. (10 - Season 1)
- StarsPaul McCartneyRick Rubin2021 Six Episode Series on Hulu: Producer Rick Rubin interviews Paul McCartney on his work with the Beatles, Wings, and as a solo artist, including stories about his personal relationships that inspired his songwriting.Essential for passionate McCartney enthusiasts, Beatles fans, creators and musicians (of any field and background), and those seeking to become more in tune with life's magical, undersung gifts. (9.5)
- DirectorMatthew HeinemanStarsNathalie DougeA documentary following nurses, doctors, and administrators in a New York City hospital as they respond to the victims from the COVID-19 pandemic.Another year, another emotionally wrecking documentary about healthcare workers nearly topping my list. What sets this apart is the true terror of the events, and how everyday people - only God knows how - band together to overcome unimaginable horror and tragedy. (9.5)
- DirectorFlorian ZellerStarsAnthony HopkinsOlivia ColmanMark GatissA man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.Conceived from the ground up to convey the experience of dementia, this film was so devastating and so frightening... it left me shattered. Anthony Hopkins gives the most toweringly impressive and effective performance of his career; one that will stand amongst cinema's greatest. (9.5)
- CreatorHagai LeviStarsJessica ChastainOscar IsaacSophia KoperaTelevision drama miniseries which re-examines the original's iconic depiction of love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage and divorce through the lens of a contemporary American couple, played by Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain.A showcase of peak-form acting and scriptwriting. Each episode, each layer, challenges our notions of how to find “forever” in our imperfections. (9.5)
- DirectorLee Isaac ChungStarsSteven YeunHan Ye-riAlan KimA Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.This superb gem broke my heart and pieced it back together. (9.5)
- DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsDaniel CraigAna de ArmasRami MalekJames Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.A passionate farewell to Daniel Craig's Bond. Breathtakingly cinematic, with ruthlessness, charm, and the courage to evolve the franchise beyond common expectations. (9.5)
- DirectorBo BurnhamStarsBo BurnhamA musical comedy special shot and performed by Bo Burnham, alone, over the course of a very unusual year.Bo's hard work and bared soul is an auteuristic dreamland. The photographic range he's achieved, alone, in a single room, is astonishing. And his commentary on living/surviving these times leaves a marked impact. (9.0)
- StarsHailee SteinfeldKevin AlejandroJason SpisakSet in Utopian Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, the story follows the origins of two iconic League of Legends champions and the power that will tear them apart.Spins a tremendous saga through first-class visuals and sensationally designed character arcs. It's easy to forget this is born from a video game and not a New York Times bestselling Fantasy novel. (9.5 - Season 1)
- StarsJessie James GrelleBryce PapenbrookTrina NishimuraAfter his hometown is destroyed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction.Four unfathomably magnificent, godly episodes of crowning king anime action, flanked by four hours of well-developed but admittedly tedious socio-political drama. (9.0 - Season 4, Part 1)
- CreatorJennifer CorbettDave FiloniStarsMing-Na WenDee Bradley BakerMichelle AngThe "Bad Batch" of elite and experimental clones make their way through an ever-changing galaxy.In all of Filoni's shows, the first season is the weakest. By that measure, if this is where this visually stunning, 'badass-with-a-heart-of-gold' entry into Star Wars history begins, I am uncontrollably keen to see where it goes next. (9.0 - Season 1)
- DirectorChloé ZhaoStarsFrances McDormandDavid StrathairnLinda MayA woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.Zhao tells the story of these true-to-life phoenixes with eye-watering grace. A film of small, unassuming moments that each hold an incredible, golden power to inspire hope and build very human connections. (9.0)
- StarsOrna GuralnikVirginia GoldnerLauren GuilbeauxCOUPLES THERAPY unlocks a hidden world: other people's relationships. Far from reality-show caricatures, this is true documentary filmmaking that brings viewers into authentic and visceral experience of weekly therapy with four couples.The clients are compelling, complex, and willing to go the distance with the world’s best psychoanalyst. Brilliant breakthroughs and heartbreaking breakdowns, this season has it all. (9.0 - Season 2)
- DirectorJessica KingdonThe absorbingly cinematic Ascension explores the pursuit of the "Chinese Dream." This observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.Arresting and nonchalantly devastating. Another review identified this documentary as a dystopian nightmare of the capitalist world, and I can’t do much better. (9.0)
- StarsJacob HopkinsTakehito KoyasuDorothy Elias-FahnA lonely boy wandering the Arctic regions of North America meets a wolf, and the two become fast friends, depending on each other to survive the harsh environment. But the boy has a history, and the wolf is more than meets the eye as well.A miraculously beautiful metaphor exploring the loves, losses and triumphs of living. (9.0)
- In January 1969, The Beatles set out to write and record new songs for their first live show in more than two years, culminating in an impromptu concert atop their Savile Row studio.Peter Jackson unsurprisingly revels a little too much in the jam sessions, but it's nevertheless beyond surreal to be a fly-on-the-wall during the world's greatest band's watershed moments. (9.0)
- CreatorWarren EllisStarsRichard ArmitageJames CallisAlejandra ReynosoA vampire hunter fights to save a besieged city from an army of otherworldly creatures controlled by Dracula.Boasting intricate characters, a vision for the sexy and bloody, and some of animation’s most fluid and impressive action scenes. Castlevania rightly dons its crown as the godfather of video game adaptations. (9.0 - Season 4)
- StarsJohn WilsonKyle MacLachlanNiko NelsonAn anxious New Yorker attempts to give everyday advice while dealing with his own personal issues.John Wilson returns with a spectacular array of human strangeness and unbelievable happenstance. His storytelling has improved tenfold. Fact and fiction hilariously melt into each other. In Wilson’s world, anything is possible. (9.0 - Season 2)
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsBancha DuriyapuntApakorn YoukongkaewAnan SurawanA chronicle of the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.Demonstrates how the unbreakable human spirit can transcend borders, language, risk, and doubt. A triumph to witness. (9.0)
- DirectorZach ParrishAn elderly couple regain their youth in the rain.Wholeheartedly succeeds at its mission checklist: Gorgeous animation, heart-tugging existential theme, all set to a soaring 'La La Land' dance number. (8.5)
- CreatorMalcolm SpellmanStarsAnthony MackieSebastian StanWyatt RussellFollowing the events of 'Avengers: Endgame,' Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities -- and their patience.A tonal and thematic sequel to one of my favourite films was bound to scratch my full-body fanboy itches. A charming evolution of Sam & Bucky, and a super-welcome new addition in Wyatt Russell's U.S. Agent, of which I adored every overly-intense second of. (8.5)
- CreatorMark LevesonDan PattersonStarsColin MochrieAisha TylerRyan StilesAisha Tyler hosts this skit comedy show where the actors on the show, usually Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles and another guest star or two do different comedy skits. It's all improv and made up on the spot.(8.5 - Season 17 & 18 / 9 & 10)