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Blu-ray Samurai
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Top 25 of 2021
1. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection (Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese)
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Death comes for us when we least expect it, but for some, it can’t come soon enough. After her son dies in a mining accident, Mantoa gives up on life and starts planning her own funeral. What follows is a haunting hymn on historical trauma and unresolved grief. The veneration of the dead is beautifully realized in Jeremiah Mosese's emotionally devastating film and the late Mary Twala’s final, heartbreaking performance.
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2. Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen)
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Flee is a painful, personal story of an Afghan refugee that feels especially relevant right now.
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3. Days (Tsai Ming-liang)
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Days is not a movie for everyone, with its glacial pacing and seemingly arbitrary play of non-events. But Tsai Ming-Liang's latest rewards the patient viewer who succumbs to its spell and understands that the movie is really about chronic loneliness and the healing power of human connection.
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4. Identifying Features (Fernanda Valadez)
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Identifying a loved one’s body is an impossible task. But what about when there is no body? And all you have left is the memory of their features, before they fade away completely. Identifying Features is a harrowing story of a mother looking for her son, but also the immigration crisis along the nation's southwest border.
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5. Night of the Kings (Philippe Lacôte)
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Set in the infamous La MACA prison, Night of the Kings is an engrossing and enthralling epic fantasy rooted in the West African griot tradition that reminds us how storytelling makes life bearable.
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6. Shiva Baby (Emma Seligman)
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Oy Vey! My Daughter Is Gay!
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7. Sequin In A Blue Room (Samuel Van Grinsven)
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Oh, to be a young, virile twink who is the object of every man's desire and is partial to gender-neutral clothing. At first, I thought Sequin in a Blue Room would genuinely reflect the opinions and preferences of the dating apps it seeks to imitate. But after a decidedly unexpected tonal shift in the second act, my expectations were happily exceeded as the film transforms into a highly-stylized but emotionally charged psychosexual thriller about coming into one's own.
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8. The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)
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The Power of the Dog is a shocking and powerful tale of toxic masculinity and repressed desire. Jane Campion's first movie in 12 years is an erotic thriller disguised as a western. The film is beautifully shot, and very nearly perfect. But pooh-pooh the animal cruelty in this film. It's not poetic. It's just sad.
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9. Summer of Soul (Questlove)
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Black music is Black liberation.
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10. Rocks (Sarah Gavron)
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After her mother disappears, Olushola, nicknamed “Rocks,” must look after herself and her young brother Emmanuel. Director Sarah Gavron’s latest film is a radically refreshing spin on the coming-of-age drama that explores class and race, but ultimately the healing power of friendship.
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11. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
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Heartbreaking and transcendent. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Hamaguchi's other film of 2021, is a triptych of three women navigating life and love in the modern age. It’s a film that looks to the future while holding on to the past.
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12. Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King)
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Judas and the Black Messiah tells a painful story of revolution and betrayal—it’s a gritty crime thriller which tackles issues of poverty, anti-racism, corruption, police brutality, and housing in Chicago. The cast, all around, is fantastic. But Daniel Kaluuya steals every scene with a tour de force performance as slain Black Panther leader Fred Hampton.
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13. Two of Us (Filippo Meneghetti)
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Two of Us is a beautifully crafted, impeccably acted film by Filippo Meneghetti that understands what it truly means to love someone. But also, the impact of when that love is lost or ripped away.
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14. I Carry You with Me (Heidi Ewing)
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Anchored by two brilliant lead performances—Heidi Ewing’s I Carry You With Me is an emotional powerhouse and one of the year's best movies. An immigrant love story that spans borders and decades, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. I Carry You With Me is a timely romance that deals with many issues going on today, woven through documentary footage and a swooning fictionalized drama.
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15. Saint Maud (Rose Glass)
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A stunning debut from Rose Glass with a breakout performance from Morfydd Clark. Saint Maud is a well-crafted, brilliantly acted and deeply disturbing psychosexual religious horror that slowly spirals down a path of mental illness, loneliness and obsession, to glorious effect. Oh, and that ending? Perfect.
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16. Pig (Michael Sarnoski)
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Every few years, Nicholas Cage reminds us what a great actor he is. Pig, the story of a man who has lost it all, but will do whatever it takes to get it back, is his best movie in years. Although clearly inspired by the John Wick films, it takes a different approach to revenge and retribution, becoming a quiet meditation on life and loss and the art of cooking.
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17. I'm Your Man (Maria Schrader)
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According to Maria Schrader’s wry sci-fi comedy, the future of dating is artificial intelligence. And with single people's increased isolation and growing dependency on dating apps, she might be right. I just hope when the time comes that my humanoid robot also looks like Dan Stevens.
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18. The White Tiger (Ramin Bahrani)
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A smart and well-written underdog story that doubles as a critique of modern-day India's caste system and global capitalism.
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19. Passing (Rebecca Hall)
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Compellingly directed, beautifully acted, and exquisitely photographed in black and white, Passing is a triumph for everyone involved. Rebecca Hall's debut feature is an acutely insightful look at race, class, and identity told from a woman's perspective. Do yourself a favor and read Nella Larsen's superb and brilliantly nuanced novel in addition to watching the film.
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20. The Novice (Lauren Hadaway)
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Isabelle Fuhrman is absolutely phenomenal in this unnerving psychological thriller about pushing yourself past your limits.
In many ways, The Novice reminds me of my own time in school. The balancing act that many students face can be difficult, and at times seemingly impossible. And most don't even play a sport their freshman year. But Lauren Hadaway's debut feature is not just about one woman's compulsive need to be the best, but about a society and culture that tells her she should be.
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21. Riders of Justice (Anders Thomas Jensen)
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A revenge movie of sorts, Riders of Justice is a story about people working through their grief and adjusting to life after loss. Gripping and surprisingly witty, it's that rare action comedy that shouldn't work as well as it does. Daddy Mads and the supporting cast are all terrific. But it's Gustav Lindh (Queen of Hearts) as rescued sex slave Bodashka that steals the show for me.
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22. No Sudden Move (Steven Soderbergh)
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Steven Soderbergh has made very few mistakes in his career as one of Hollywood’s most brilliant and prolific directors. As such, he's always on the lookout for a narrative hook. This time, he’s found inspiration in the automobile industry in 1950s Detroit. But in his usual way, he’s flipped the script. Transforming this stylish, convoluted caper into a film with larger social and political implications about the corruption and racism at the heart of America. Don Cheadle and Benicio del Toro lead an ensemble cast in this clever neo-noir crime thriller that finds the city of Detroit in a rapid state of change with no slow-down in sight. No Sudden Move is one of Soderbergh's best films, with his only noticeable misstep being casting that pompous ******* Matt Damon.
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23. The Green Knight (David Lowery)
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David Lowery takes some creative liberties in this artful and fanciful retelling of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," but doesn’t sacrifice any of the medieval poems religious values of chivalry in favor of a compelling narrative.
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24. King Richard (Reinaldo Marcus Green)
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King Richard checks all of the boxes for a sports biopic about Venus and Serena Williams, two of the best tennis players in the world. But Reinaldo Marcus Green's assured direction and a pair of strong, committed performances from Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis—both of whom are at their energetic best—distinguishes it from others in the genre. It's no secret that the Oscars has a history of snubbing black actors, films and directors (as pointed out by Smith's own wife). But it would be nice for once to see history not repeat itself. And besides, I'm still pissed about Chadwick.
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25. Zola (Janicza Bravo)
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If you’ve seen Janicza Bravo’s offbeat indie debut Lemon, then you know what a success story this is (and that isn't). However, she brings that same acerbic wit into this fresh and exciting odyssey through the backwaters of Florida to illustrate not only the power of social media, but the idiosyncrasies that drive it. Taylour Paige solidifies her place as a unique talent to continue watching. And Riley Keough reminds us that "white trash" can sometimes be fun.
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Last edited by JWFORD; 03-04-2022 at 08:06 PM.
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