by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

When it comes to films, I had no idea what to expect from 2021. It managed to be an even weirder year than 2020 but there were also plenty of things to be grateful for. We got to a point where it felt safe to go to the theaters, at least for a little bit. Which means I got to connect with the important people in my life, in one of our favorite settings. I saw a new Godzilla with my partner, a new Ghostbusters with my dad, and a new Spider-Man with one of my best friends. I was also able to virtually attend several incredible film festivals like The Final Girls Berlin Film Festival and The Nightstream Fest. So even as things become a little scary again, there were some memorable films and some lovely experiences with the people I care about. 

I had a hard time narrowing down my list this year, which is a testament to the quality of films I have seen. I saw 68 newly released films and most of them were at the very least fun to watch. I even had to make some serious last minute changes to the list. I did not expect to bump off incredible films like Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror dir. Kier-La Janisse. However, I reflected on what was important to me this year and it really came down to characters I connected with, and stories that touched my soul. With so much fear and anxiety at the state of the world I really needed to be taken on a journey far away. So my list really came down to the films that hit me in the gut, made my weep beautiful tears, and made me smile ear to ear. 

15. Jakob’s Wife (dir. Travis Stevens)

2021 was a very good year for one of my favorite actresses, Barbara Crampton. She had several films released this year and gives some really fun performances in them. However, Jakob’s Wife was a particularly fun film that took a vampire trope and made it about a woman’s midlife crisis. Crampton’s character Anne becomes a vampire and has to try and make her minister husband accept her changing body. The film has plenty of camp and gore for horror fans but Crampton and Larry Fessenden give very heartfelt performances and have so much chemistry. Writer Kathy Charles really gives a woman’s perspective on the script which makes it all feel more real. This was such a feel good vampire film and one of my favorite movie watching experiences.

14. Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train (dir. Haruo Sotozaki)

I knew this needed to end up on my end of year list. This year I rediscovered a long lost love of anime. My sister encouraged me to check out some newer shows and beforeI knew it I binged my way through several anime series, including Demon Slayer.I was blown away with the animation of Demon Slayer and felt very connected to the characters by the end of season 1. I had no idea that the film Mugen Train would send me on such an emotional rollercoaster. I always appreciate a really cathartic cry and that is one thing I got from the last 20 minutes of this film. Not only did we spend time with characters we loved from the first season, they also managed to make me feel completely connected to characters I had previously spent very little time with. The emotional hooks are all really great and it offered up some truly gorgeous moments of animation. This is one film that I would have loved to see on the big screen. 

13.The Last Matinee (dir. Maximiliano Contenti)

It is fascinating how many giallo inspired films we have gotten in the past few years. It is certainly a burgeoning horror trend, and I am not mad about it. The Last Matinee was one of the few of these recent films that actually felt like a true and proper giallo. The filmmaking is so great and it really lets its love of cinema shine through. I love the way this film sets up its characters and lets us follow along with the horrors that unfold one night at a tiny cinema. The film had several insane moments of gore that completely caught me off guard. It has been awhile since I have seen something that really grossed me out and made me cover my eyes, but The Last Matinee really brought it. 

12. Saint Maud (dir. Rose Glass)

I waited ages for this film to finally make its way to the U.S.  After taking a class where the teacher compared it to some of Shirley Jackson’s work, I knew it was something that would be right up my alley. I thought this was such an interesting depiction between the cross section of religion and mental illness. Jennifer Ehle (who plays Elizabeth in the BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries) gives an incredible performance. It is a troubling story with a disturbing lead performance but it has stuck with me for months now. I love stories about characters who repress certain behaviors and desires because of their religious affiliations, so its complex story really hit hard for me.  

11.Titane (dir. Julia Ducournau)

Titane was a highly anticipated release for me, especially with my love of her film Raw. I am a huge fan of body horror and I especially like it’s use here in regards to motherhood. This is still a film that feels a bit like an enigma to me. I feel like I am really excited for all of the writing future film academics will do on this film. I was strangely touched and moved by the dysfunctional characters of this world. This threw me for a loop and took me on a journey I was not expecting. Yet it burrowed its way into my brain and I cannot shake it loose. Ultimately, I loved the way this film made me feel and I look forward to pulling some new thoughts and feelings from it when I venture in for a rewatch. Ducournau is an incredible filmmaker and I look forward to watching anything she puts out. 

10. Benedetta (dir. Paul Verhoeven)

I did not realize that there would be so many films about religion on my list this year, but here we are. Verhoeven is another director that I have grown to love over the years so I was naturally excited for him to make a modern nunsploitation film. Benedetta is a fascinating historical drama about queer love, dedication to God, and the corruption of institutionalized religion. It really is everything I could have wanted out of a Verhoeven nun film. The film is shocking and hilarious. It is populated with complex characters including its title character, whom I still have mixed feelings about. It shares quite a lot of connective tissues with Ken Russell’s  film The Devils in its poignant religious critiques. It’s a smart and fascinating watch. 

9. Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (dir. Junta Yamaguchi)

This was by far my favorite film at the Nightstream Film Fest. I love seeing a low budget film that is made as creatively as this one was. This film manages to take a very complicated science fiction concept and makes it really fun and compelling to watch. The film is shot entirely on Iphones and takes place in two small locations yet the craftsmanship is just so impressive. The characters are a lot of fun to spend time with and I loved watching them all interact with each other. 

8. Candyman (dir. Nia DaCosta)

The original Candyman is an all time favorite of mine. The film still seems so relevant, so naturally  I was excited to see an updated version of the story with  a black female filmmaker behind the camera. The film has a lot of interesting things to say about folklore, artistic responsibility, and the changing face of gentrification in Chicago. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gives another incredible performance along with Teyonah Parris and Colman Domingo. DaCosta is a great filmmaker, there were so many beautiful set pieces and shots that I was in awe of. 

7. Last Night in Soho (dir. Edgar Wright)

It seems that this film was much more divisive than I would have expected it to be, but I for one loved it. On a very basic level its color palette and costume design was really gorgeous so I was immediately drawn into this world. It is hard to talk about the film without giving too much of it away. However, the thing I liked the most about it is that it takes the trope of the “dead girl” and it turns it on its head. I am also very interested in the idea of cities with horrible histories and how those atrocities leave a dark energy that taints the space for years to come. I think that Edgar Wright and co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns play with all of these ideas and the end result is something very interesting.

6. In the Earth (dir. Ben Wheatley)

While I have mixed feelings on the trend of pandemic themed films at the moment, In the Earth is a fascinating attempt at combining folk horror with the horrors of climate change and pandemic life. Wheatley has sneakily weaseled his way into becoming one of my favorite directors. There is such a fascinating humor to his horror films that always seems to work for me. Reece Shearsmith (A Field in England) gives an insane but incredible performance, it's perhaps my favorite performance of the year. Now more than ever we humans should have to dig deep and connect with our environment.

5. I’m Your Man (dir. Maria Schrader)

I really love films that deal with our relationships with technology. Films like Her and Ex Machina have stuck with me for this reason and I was excited that I’m Your Man added to this realm of films, while also being something totally new and beautiful. The romantic relationship at its heart is so interesting and different, and really delved into how a woman’s experience can be totally different from a man’s when it comes to falling for a robot. Dan Stevens is one of my all time favorite actors and he gives such a charming and heartfelt performance. He and Maren Eggert have plenty of chemistry and bring so much to this quirky little sci fi flick. This was a hilarious and beautiful story. 

4. Shiva Baby (dir. Emma Seligman)

It is easy to romanticize life pre-COVID. I often trick myself into thinking I miss a lot of social gatherings. However Shiva Baby is a great reminder about how awkward social events can be. The pure anxiety of being trapped in a space with people you have varying relationships with is so totally real. I appreciate a film that manages to be compelling based solely on performances and dialogue. I love the way it sets up its pieces to make everything feel all the more awkward. The film was also filled with some beautiful emotional moments that sat with me. The film meditates on traditions, the mess that is dating and relationships in 2021, and finding your way into adulthood.  

3. The Matrix Resurrections (dir. Lana Wachowski)

One of the few things I can rely on in the crazy world is the fact that a Wachowski film will always be about the power of love. With everything that has been going on, it was such a comfort to sit down and know that this film would give me all the warm and fuzzies. It was something I could count on in a world full of surprises. Which is exactly what happened. Having the added bonus of one of my favorite writers, David Mitchell, working on the script meant that this film hit me in all the right emotional spots. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss returned to their roles and were so incredible. The new actors to the franchise, like Jonanthan Groff, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jessica Henwick were all such a delightful addition to the world. This movie was a warm embrace and I cannot wait to plug back in when I rewatch it. The moment the film started I got chills, something that has not happened to me in a long long time. This was a perfect last minute edition to my 2021 watches. 

2.The Green Knight (dir. David Lowery)

I was brimming with anticipation for this film to be released and when I finally saw it, it still managed to completely catch me off guard. This was a really great year for folk horror and more and more it seems like the perfect subgenre for the world we live in. The Green Knight made me really reflect on my place in the world and the importance of storytelling. Hundreds of years later you can adapt an Authurian legend and find very prescient themes to hash out and bring to light. It made me think of The hero's journey and how it’s important to stumble, lose your way, and make mistakes. I also reflected on appreciating the beauty around us and how we need to stray from the path and to appreciate what life offers. The journey is as important as the destination. Yes I had a real existential time with this one and feel its themes are embedded in my DNA now. Please see this one. Also Dev Patel…hot damn. 

1. Pig (dir. Michael Sarnoski)

I knew this film would wreck me so I avoided it for so long. And here it sits in my number one spot. I love a good Nic Cage revenge plot, but Pig is far more tragic and heartfelt than I ever would have expected. This is a film about love, loss, and how time hardens us. As they state in the film “We don’t get a lot of things to really care about.” I needed to be reminded of that, I think we could all use that reminder. It hit me in a similar way as the Matrix where I just wanted to hold all those who are close to me and appreciate the hell out of them. This film is tender and beautiful and all of the food looks so exquisite. Simply thinking about the film as I write this starts to bring tears to my eyes. This feeling fully disarmed me and I am so thankful for it. 

Well there you have it. It is an eclectic grouping of films. I try to put less pressure on myself to watch the films I feel like I am “supposed to watch” as a  film critic. This year I focused on the ones that I was the most excited about. I let my emotions guide my choices. I had so many real emotional responses to all the films on my list that I needed to share them with you all. Even the campy horror on the list. It all made me appreciate the beauty of films. I also feel compelled to mention a film I didn’t feel like it counted for the list necessarily, but Bo Burnham’s Inside is one of the best things to come out of this year so please please watch it.