Check out our favourite films of 2021 below:

10. The Suicide Squad

James Gunn made his return to the big screen with the wild and crazy supervillain rollercoaster of a movie with The Suicide Squad. And this was pure comic book pulp at its best. R-rated and totally over-the-top, Gunn was like a kid in a candy store as he took his favourite most despicable, and sometimes useless DC supervillains, and threw them into a do or die mission to save the world. The Suicide Squad was loud and in-your-face cinematic fun and audiences were sure to get a kick out of it.

9. Jungle Cruise

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt took a trip into the Amazon jungle and this was one wild ride down the river! With terrific swashbuckling flair and moments of spot-on humour, Jungle Cruise was an enjoyable watch through and through. Johnson and Blunt had perfect chemistry together and you couldn’t help but fall in love with these two fantastic characters. Frank and Lilly were a terrific match on-screen and they certainly got involved in one hell of rush that was blockbuster fun at its best.

8. West Side Story

When you want that special feeling of the movies you only need to turn to movie legend Steven Spielberg and he delivered a stunning cinematic event to the big screen with West Side Story. Big, bold, colourful and bright, West Side Story was an incredible piece of cinema that was brought to life with the power of the famed stage show and translated onto the canvas of the movie screen like never before. This was a story to escape into and it truly got you in your groove thanks to a wonderful combination of performance, choreography and music, and made the movie theatre a very magical place once more.

7. Land

Filmmaker and performer Robin Wright took audiences out into the grand wilds of a still uncharted America in Land, and this film presented an intimate and meditative picture of life, love and loss. And it was sure to touch your soul. Using images and performance over dialogue and words, Wright showcased the feral beauty of a still untamed landscape and the consequences that happen when one encroaches on it. As her character Edee Holzer learn to live with the landscape she soon became one with it and a beautiful story of rebirth and renewal unfolded before the audience. Land was an absolute beauty of a picture and for those who witnessed it, it was certain to stay with them.

6. I Care A Lot

Rosamund Pike brought a cold, calculating and truely psychopathic quality to shady legal guardian Marla Grayson in the sharply original dramatic thriller I Care A Lot….and this one certainly cut deep. Frame by frame, minute by minute you had no idea where this crazy thriller was going to turn to next and as it moved quicker and quicker the tension only ramped up and the shocking final moment hit with the force of a 367 Magnum! This was cinematic originality as I’ve never seen before and I was hooked from the very first moment.

5. Spider-Man: No Way Home

The Multiverse has arrived and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man jumped headfirst into the web-spinning fun of it all with Spider-Man: No Way Home. And there were plenty of ‘Oh My God’ moments in this superhero extravaganza! Packing together action and narrative all in one, long time Marvel fans were treated to some very cool treats thanks to director Jon Watts unique narrative and this was a cinematic experience that truly fed the fanboy or fangirl in all of us. Audiences of all ages were sure to love what was delivered in Spider-Man: No Way Home and the result was pure fun at the movies.

4. Cruella

Fashionistas beware because Emma Stone was about to smash the catwalk with the high energy, rock edge of Cruella. Stepping into the devilishly decadent couture stylings of the infamous Cruella de Vil, Stone showcased the origins behind the madness and mania of one of Walt Disney Pictures greatest ever villains and Cruella was one wild time out at the movies. Feeding off the rebel, rock n’roll energy of the 1970s, Cruella was a hell of a lot of fiendish fun and there were plenty of bold moments to make you sit up and say WOW! Gorgeous to look at, and entertaining through and through you certainly weren’t going to forget the rush of Cruella and the devil was certainly given her due.

3. Wrath of Man

Tough guy director Guy Ritchie returned to the big screen with a vengeance with an action film of pure Old Testament vengeance with Wrath of Man. And this one hit with the strength of an M4 on full auto! Jason Statham was in pure beast mode as the mysterious ‘H’, a security cash truck driver who was not all he claimed to be and who had one hell of a grudge to settle. And the result was pure chaos. Wrath of Man was packed full of testosterone and kept you guessing the whole way through and it was a great pleasure to see Ritchie and Statham back together and the result was a piece of classic action cinema. Wrath of Man was not for the faint of heart, but damn did it hit hard.

2. The Last Duel

Maestro filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott took audiences back to the steel and fire of the Middle Ages with The Last Duel, an extraordinary historical story of truth and justice and this was a cinematic event for the ages. Telling the true story of the quest of the Lady Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer) for divine justice and the battle that her husband Sir Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) would fight with his sworn enemy Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), this was a once in a lifetime cinematic event. Damon, Driver and Ben Affleck were all truly exceptional in their parts, but the success of this movie belongs to Jodie Comer who gave a fiery and passionate performance and would not quit until she saw justice done. Bold and mighty, The Last Duel was an impressive and powerful watch and is far and away one of the best films I can claim to have ever seen.

1. No Time To Die

After a long wait, we finally saw the swan song from Daniel Craig as he once again donned a tuxedo and stepped into an Aston Martin for his final performance as secret agent 007 James Bond in No Time To Die. And this blockbuster cinematic event was nothing short of extraordinary. Operatic and dashing, No Time To Die was a film of pure energy and character and had the flavour of the ultimate Bond film as Bond raced against the clock to save the world from a dangerous and unhinged new villain. Craig was in his element as Bond and brought a complete full circle to his performance as the debonair spy in this energetic and pulse-pounding action thriller and damn was it a fine watch. No Time To Die was a fantastic experience in the cinema and audiences sure got their adrenaline fix with this one. It was just magnificent on every single level and a very worthy choice for the best film of the year.

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Poised with sharklike self-assurance, Marla Grayson (Academy Award® nominee Rosamund Pike) is a professional, court-appointed guardian for dozens of elderly wards whose assets she seizes and cunningly bilks through dubious but legal means. It’s a well-oiled racket that Marla and her business partner and lover Fran (Eiza González) use with brutal efficiency on their latest “cherry,” Jennifer Peterson (two-time Academy Award® winner Dianne Wiest) — a wealthy retiree with no living heirs or family. But when their mark turns out to have an equally shady secret of her own and connections to a volatile gangster (Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage), Marla is forced to level up in a game only predators can play — one that’s neither fair, nor square.

Director J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed) takes audiences on a dark and deranged journey in this razor-sharp thriller. Part character study, party black comedy, part edge-of-your-seat thriller, I Care A Lot is a thoroughly original concept and takes you on a very twisting journey which is sure to shock and surprise at every step. In my own opinion, the less that is said about this film’s narrative leads to a better viewing experience for audiences, and in my own personal view, I Care A Lot is the most original film I’ve seen since Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy. And this all comes down to Blakeson’s vision and talent as a filmmaker.

Audiences will really get a kick out of I Care A Lot, and Blakeson’s unique remix of genre and story is sure to keep you on edge. Violent, deranged, comically hysterical and utterly shocking, Blakeson introduces you to a range of characters who are each more twisted than the next, and his exploration of the themes of success and survival makes for a very interesting watch. Blakeson toys with his audience from beginning to end and the result is an extremely exciting piece of cinema that you can’t look away from.

Standing in as I Care A Lot’s central character is Rosamund Pike as ultra-sharp legal guardian Marla Grayson. A corporate lioness on the hunt in a modern-day savannah, Marla is determined to succeed in a hyper-capitalistic world and has forgone any kind of moral obligation or ethical boundaries in her pursuit of success and wealth. She’s a crafty, manipulative go-getter who has found a perfect niche in life as a legal guardian, which allows her to fleece her clients of their life long savings…..until she chooses one mark who turns out to be anything but a nice old lady.

Pike absolutely commits as Marla and she takes audiences on a dramatic, thrilling and sometimes terrifying journey as she simply won’t give up until she gets what’s hers. She gives Marla unwavering confidence and moral superiority, alongside a crooked smile and ‘sweet’ demeanour that underneath hides a dangerous and morally bankrupt person. And it’s enjoyable to see Pike shift and slide throughout the film’s narrative. In one scene you’ll hate Marla, then in the next, you’ll love her. There’s a strong complexity to Marla’s character and this is all down to the strength of Pike’s performance and her talent for playing very bad girls. Marla Grayson is a true cinema original and Pike’s performance is sure to stay with audiences.

Facing off against Pike’s Marla is Peter Dinklage as the nefarious Roman Lunyov. A dangerous, sadistic character who the less is said about the better, but who grows particularly tried of Marla’s ‘schemes’ and who desires to make an example of her. This is Dinklage like we’ve never seen him before, and he again brings his A-game talent to this very dark character. As an audience member its fun to see these two characters sparring together on screen, their battle of wills growing more dangerous by the minute. Like Pike, Dinklage keeps the audience on edge, and you never know what he’s going to do next as this unpredictable and extremely volatile character.

I Care A Lot’s wild card entry is noted performer Dianne Wiest as Jennifer Peterson, an elderly lady who is the target of Marla’s latest scam and who is anything but what she pretends to be. Wiest has made a career playing sweet, good-natured characters and Blakeson uses this to his advantage in presenting a character that we’ve never seen Wiest play before and she gives Pike a real run for her money here.

Alongside its standout narrative and performances, I Care A Lot is a meticulously designed piece of cinema from a visual standpoint with cinematography, production design, costuming and score all drawing you into the action that unfold on screen. Whether it’s the neon shaded hues and dark shadows of cinematographer Doug Emmett’s visuals, or the sickly, overly polished ‘prison-like’ space of a retirement village, or Marla’s sharply tailored pantsuit wardrobe in bright primary colours, all of it draws you in and makes for a solid feast for the eyes.

Part of the fun of I Care A Lot from a viewing standpoint is you never know where this narrative is going to take you and the resulting film is filled with twists, turns and sucker punches you just can’t see coming. With his film, Blakeson takes an interesting look at ideas of success and capitalism in action, and with a character who is so goal-focused as Marla it’s hard not to look away. Another fun thing about this film is just how unlikeable and repugnant all of these characters are, and as an audience member this aspect of the film toys with your emotions as these characters play their game and this leads up until the film’s shocking final scene.

I Care A Lot is one of the cleverest, most original pieces of cinema I’ve ever come across and in my mind could well end up being the best film of the year. It’s a piece of cinema that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through and really does something interesting with notions of character and genre. See this one immediately, because you don’t want to miss out on it.

Image: Amazon Prime Video

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