Rounding out our 2021 top 10s is Chris! Be sure to check out all of our previously published lists and give our podcast a listen to hear us discuss what was another tumultuous year.
7.5
Taking a human-centric look at platform capitalism, The Gig is Up is an informative and succinct approach to the nuances and trappings of the gig economy.
9
It’s a Summer Film! is a loving testament to the indomitable spirit of young cinephiles that overwhelms with charm.
7.5
Office Royale is a delightful sendup of manga tropes that delivers on its promise of absurd clerical action.
5
You Can’t Kill Meme is an enigmatic look into the insidious ways meme culture developed after the 2016 election which proves too arbitrary in its focus.
8.5
#Blue_Whale is a refreshingly grounded approach to the screenlife film that terrifies due to its credible inventiveness.
7
Wonderful Paradise throws everything at the wall, and even what doesn’t stick is still bizarrely fascinating.
9
Junk Head is a momentous labor of love and a meticulously designed vision of a post-apocalyptic future.
5.5
Shunji Iwai’s pseudo-kaiju film proves we still have yet to crack the enigma and nuances of pandemic filmmaking.
7.5
Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist offers an informed and affectionate tribute to one of anime’s overlooked masters.
8
Undine is a moving romance that puts a fresh spin on a classic fairytale.
7
For all the familiar notes it hits, you can’t fault Blast Beat for it’s full-throated earnestness.
8.5
A title like The Killing of Two Lovers is more than just a punchy hook to draw in a receptive audience who aren’t looking for any surprises; it is a promise of payoff that will loom over the plot and threaten to
3
The Virtuoso is a flaccid thriller that fatally mistakes meticulousness for depth.
8
With About Endlessness, writer-director Roy Andersson continues finding success with his unique brand of introspective cinema.
4
At Night Comes Wolves tries to be many things but never finds solid footing with any of them.
