6.5
The parodic deathblow dealt to the musician biopic subgenre, courtesy of Jake Kasdan’s Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, has left subsequent genre entries with an unfortunate prospect: either reinvent the formula entirely or suffer under the weight of your own generic
7.5
Considering the blunt imagery that the phrase “eat the rich” conjures in one’s mind, is it even possible for a satire that takes this sentiment as its main comedic driving force to be subtle anymore? Or more to the point, should it
7.5
Ribbon is the COVID-anxiety drama that uses the plot device of getting too close for comfort effectively.
7.5
Lesson in Murder is a slickly executed, twisty serial killer drama that occasionally forgets where its strengths are.
4
Any movie aiming to dramatize the laborious nature of film production inevitably strikes upon the same universally accepted truism about the onerous process that has brought many a film crew to the point of despair. For those with any production experience, it
5
leaves Seriously Red toothless for a film patterning itself after a woman known for her indomitable gumption.
In a secluded room above a church, a group of posh and affluent white women sip tea and eat dessert while making polite conversation. Then, like a switch being flipped, casting all their pleasantries into a new light, school teacher Emily (Stefanie
7.5
The still relatively new phenomenon of YouTube fame has brought about a new breed of celebrity with the platform’s ascension to the upper echelons of popular media and, with it, new inquiry into the accountability of the YouTuber star. While it might
7
The slapstick, heavy-found-footage horror Deadstream works much better as a sendup of exploitative YouTuber culture than as a Raimi-esque horror comedy.
7.5
The world of professional skateboarding during its ascendance into mainstream popularity inarguably has the aura of an insulated “boys club,” born out of and maintained within California. For those not entrenched in the skating community, the likelihood of their familiarity with any
6.5
The horror genre has always wrung tension and thrived around the plausibility of the supernatural and stringing the audience along over whether what they think is happening is actually happening. As of late, this quality has been invoked by what was once
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.
