2021 has been a great year for cinema. It certainly has been for me since I have reviewed the highest number of films this year than any other year since starting this blog. I covered a total of 23 new releases in 2021, bumping 2016 as the former record holder for highest number of reviews and, I’d like to think, redeeming myself for the mere 7 reviews I cranked out last year.

So instead of picking 3 of the worst and 3 of the best, I’ve decided to select 5 films each category. Because I can!

If you’ve read my previous Best and Worst Ofs then you know I like to start with my greens i.e., the best films of the year. I always found destroying a film more fun than complimenting one hence I like to think of the Worst section as the pudding of the annual feast.

Let’s begin with my top 5 Best Films of the Year.

5. Godzilla Vs Kong

If you’re a long-time follower of mine then this shouldn’t come as a surprise. You knew how hyped I was for the fourth entry in the MonsterVerse series and how much I praised it when I finally saw it. Godzilla Vs Kong had a lot stacked against it; the poor performance of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the uncertainty of whether of a kaiju series can compete in the modern Western market and of course being the rematch of the most iconic cinematic tournament in history. The fact that the film overcame these obstacles and delivered a legitimately entertaining flick, for fans and non-fans alike, is the primary reason why it’s in my top five. Plus the fact that I’m a whore when it comes to good kaiju films.

4. Candyman

Like Godzilla Vs Kong, the odds were against Candyman. There were so many ways it could’ve failed yet Nia DaCosta’s reboot excelled, paying homage to the original film it’s based on, without copying it or overindulging in references, and telling its own, uniquely poignant story. While technically it is a sequel to the 1992 film of the same name, I like to think of it as a companion piece as it takes the themes and issues the original tackled and explores what’s changed (and what hasn’t) since its release. It’s not perfect; the social commentary isn’t particularly subtle and the climax could do with some more padding but since it’s a horror reboot (of a series that I’m really fond of) and it managed to avoid all the traps most reboots fall into, its totally earned the number four spot on my list.

3. Dune

Towards the end of my review of Dune I started to struggle to come up with things that hadn’t already been said. Now, months after its premiere, I’m really struggling. Let’s just say that by filming one of the most famously unfilmable books in history and in a way that most of the public can comprehend, while being totally original in both its look and writing, made the decision of putting it in my top five best of the year list incredibly easy. I’ll always love the David Lynch version but this was pretty fantastic.

2. Censor

The subject matter alone made Censor a noteworthy film of the 23 I saw this year but had Censor simply revelled in the look and furniture of its setting, with little to say, it wouldn’t be on the number 2 spot. There’s a reason the film takes place in England during the ‘video nasties’ scare of the 80s’. The story itself deals with the issues that were raised in that period, issues that are still relevant today. Censor is a character study of Enid, a film censor haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her sister. The dedication she has for the search for her sister, as well as for her job, lead her to doubt her own memory and sanity. In response to this uncertainty, Enid fights to discover the truth. Through Enid’s struggle, Censor offers a mature and comprehensive discussion of censorship. This is one of the only few fiction films I’ve seen about censorship (I’ve seen plenty of documentaries about it) and it’s the best, no contest.

1. Pig.

This was the most thought-provoking and emotionally-engaging film I saw this year. When the end credits rolled, I wasn’t the same. Pig is well written, funny and very entertaining but its story and characters left me with so many notions about success, failure, grief and identity. It’s certainly another film for the ‘if-you-think-Nicolas-Cage-can’t-act-watch-this’ category as next to Adaptation and Leaving Las Vegas, it’s one of the best performances I’ve ever seen him deliver. There’re no fights, no explosions, no life-threatening stakes, just good character-driven drama. Drama about issues that we all confront at some point in our lives. In my review I give it a 10 out of 10 and I still stand by that rating. When I finished watching Pig, I didn’t think I was going to see anything better and I was right.

Now that we’ve finished the main course, it’s time for dessert. Here’s my list of the Top Five Worst films of 2021.

5. Army of the Dead

This may come as a surprise to some as my review of Army of the Dead was mostly positive. I had my issues but I praised the film for its scale and social commentary. Some time after posting my review, I gave Army of the Dead a second viewing and if I had written my review then, it would’ve been a lot less positive. I was perplexed by all the acclaim the film was receiving from viewers and critics. I only found one member of the cast genuinely interesting, I thought the breeds of zombie didn’t make sense and, amazingly, despite its undead swarms, zombified tigers and beautifully desolate cityscape, I found Army of the Dead to be pretty boring. It just goes to show that, even when armed with all of Hollywood’s resources, without a good script you have absolutely no hope of moving an audience.

4. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

If Candyman is a textbook example of how to reboot a franchise then Ghostbusters: Afterlife is certainly a contender for an example of how not to reboot a franchise. The failures of Afterlife are just like those of many failed reboots of late; over-reliance on references, recycled plots and concepts, prioritizing nostalgia over cohesiveness. The biggest failure of Afterlife however is its total misunderstanding of what made Ghostbusters great. The 2016 film was doing its own thing hence its disdain of the original is excusable. Afterlife however is Ghostbusters 3, knowledge and respect of the first two films is crucial and it had absolutely none. Ghostbusters is deadpan, sarcastic and cynical, the complete opposite of the Spielbergian tone of Afterlife. To make things worse, unlike its contemporaries Afterlife has enjoyed a lot of success both financially and critically hence there’s a good chance there’ll be a sequel. It’s just not fair.

3. Thunder Force

Looking at the premise, it’s pretty clear that Thunder Force is supposed to be a parody of recent superhero films but when you watch it, you realise that most of the comedy comes from the stars flexing their improv skills. It’s the kind of comedy I cannot tolerate; one with no thought or preparation, that is grabbed from thin air and shoved in, regardless of what it adds to the story. Can a good superhero satire get made in today’s world? Probably. The success of films like Deadpool and The Lego Batman Movie show that such a film can do well. Maybe the comic book genre will get its Blazing Saddles or Airplane one day. The only way that can happen however is if a writer settles on a single idea and follows it through. Thunder Force doesn’t commit to being a parody of superhero films. It tries, it shows us a world of superheroes with superhero characters but then it gives up, opting to be an SNL-style comedy film, only to give up on that and try being a superhero parody again. It was one of the most confusing and painful viewing experiences I had this year. I pray there’s no sequel.

2. Willy’s Wonderland

The headline of my review was ‘REALLY Not As Fun As You’d Think.’ I don’t mean to flatter myself but I believe that is a perfect summary of Willy’s Wonderland. All the film had was a good idea (throw Nicolas Cage into Five Nights At Freddy’s) and nothing else. It certainly didn’t have the means to execute its idea; it didn’t have a good script or the budget to make it properly. Nicolas Cage’s mute protagonist is not funny or charming in the slightest, all the other characters are boring and there are Five Nights At Freddy’s cosplays that look better than Willy’s animatronics. Don’t watch it. Trust me, hearing the premise for the first time is way more fun than watching the actual film.

1. Ape Vs Monster

Like with Dune, I’m struggling to come up with things that haven’t already been said about Ape Vs Monster. This is due to the fact that Ape Vs Monster is essentially an average Asylum film and a lot has been said about Asylum films. The only thing that can described as decent about Ape Vs Monster is that it exists. The Asylum chose to prepare a film to coincide with the release of Godzilla Vs Kong and I was silly enough to believe that it might’ve been fun. Half of the exterior shots in the film are stock footage clips, all the monsters and explosions look like ready-made graphics purchased from a visual effects site and the two main creatures the title refers to only confront each other once. Willy’s Wonderland had a good idea that was executed terribly, Ape Vs Monster is a good idea that you can waste an hour and a half witnessing and, surprise surprise, it’s not worth it.

Well, that was scrumptious. Let’s hope next year’s feast is even better. Here’s to more reviews in 2022!