Manish's Top Ten Movies of 2021

During the pandemic, it became easy for me to detach, especially from movies. It became easy to watch a movie, enjoy it, but not really register with it. However, some movies jumped out to me and I really connected to them. Rather than do a traditional top 10, I wanted to highlight ten films that genuinely made me feel something while watching them.

Cruella – anarchy 

After about 15 months away from the movie theater, I chose Cruella for my first movie back. How could I miss my girl Emma Stone in this punk fashion pastiche? Honestly, it felt great to do something I hadn’t allowed myself to do for over a year. I was in the theater like “hell yeah!” for the whole runtime. Cruella is a good time, with some imaginative filmmaking and a standout lead performance from Emma Stone. You can keep your hot takes about Disney co-opting an era or whatever; I’ve heard them and I don’t care.

Dune – awe 

It’s kind of cool that the one in-theaters/HBO Max release that clicked on both platforms is this sprawling, alienating, and weird movie. I’ve seen Dune both in IMAX and at home, and felt in awe of its majesty and scale wherever I saw it. Dune is more than just its expansive vision, of course. It’s mystical and introspective. It demands your attention and does not hold your hand through its bizarre worldbuilding. The score, the camerawork, the costumes, and the editing solidify it as a hard-sci modern masterpiece. I love the courage of the ellipsis ending, tantalizing but still satisfying.

Encanto – purpose 

This late-breaking animated film is inward-looking and homebound, rarely ever leaving its main location. Howeverstill filled with magic, color, music, and adventure. Its compelling heroine Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) is immediately endearing as she searches for her purpose. However, her own journey starts to impact those around her, who are confronted with their own insecurities and anxieties about their place in the family. Encanto is about breaking away from what is expected of you, but accomplishes this through a uniquely Gothic and mysterious  musical aesthetic. 

Flee – lost 

The multitude of conflicting identities that Amin Nawabi belongs to in Flee make for a fascinating portrait of being lost and finding belonging. Refugee, gay, Muslim, teenager, protector, victim. The animated documentary shook me to my core. I related to it in some ways, and in some ways the film put my own privilege in sharp relief as a queer POC. Flee is about being lost for me, but it is also about being found and finding home. It’s a stunning piece of work, highlighting the universality of very specific experiences. 

Licorice Pizza – restlessness 

The sheer energy in Licorice Pizza is hard to resist. The characters are always moving, running, walking, dancing. The film is restless not just in its movement but in its structure. It moves from vignette to vignette, with no clear indication of time or place. The film is in constant motion, with all characters always trying something to get ahead financially, professionally, emotionally, sexually, or personally. The restlessness is there in its invisible structure; an aimlessness hides an agitation to get somewhere, anywhere, everywhere. 

Old – trapped 

I know it’s kind of hacky to relate movies to the experience of the 2020 lockdown era. And a lot of movies tried and failed to be about “what it’s like.” M. Night Shyamalan’s Old did capture best the feeling of being in one place while time rages on around you. His latest horror film, with its striking camerawork and unnerving performances, highlighted the feeling of stasis during a time of crisis, where there is a force at work beyond control and you’re not even sure if you can escape it. Old works in this metaphor because the film is effective as just a visceral, weird horror movie too. 

Parallel Mothers – angry

Janis (Penelope Cruz) is angry. She’s angry at the injustice her people experienced. She’s angry at the father of her daughter, at her nanny, at her situation. Pedro Almodóvar has made angry films before but Parallel Mothers is righteously angry. It’s also an exceptionally political and confrontational piece, directly addressing the bloody history of Spain through its evocative and twisty melodrama.  Almodóvar is exorcizing pain and suffering in this film, but is coming out of it replenished and at peace. The ending of the film is tragic, but hopeful for the days to come. 

Spencer – discomfort 

Retelling the well-known story of Princess Diana through the lens of horror is pretty awesome. It reframes the subject of countless paparazzi photos, documentaries, and TV shows into a human being again. Pablo Larrain’s film is more about the spirit of Princess Diana, rather than just rehashing history again. Kristen Stewart, herself no stranger to the pressures of scrutiny, is perfect in bringing the audience through the painful discomfort with her during this disastrous Christmas weekend. Most importantly, her joy and radiance shine through intermittently, especially in the dreamlike ending. 

The Suicide Squad – glee 

For me, 2021 was a pretty good year for superhero movies as I found something to enjoy in all of them. The lone film, however, to get me totally gleeful is James Gunn’s irreverent soft reboot The Suicide Squad. He takes the bone-crunching violence and pitch black comedy and turns it into an art form. I’m as surprised as anyone that this uber-violent and bizarre movie would stand out to me but what can I say. It’s a rocking good time, with everyone involved on the same page and maintaining its high wire act with aplomb. 

West Side Story – enthusiasm 

Having a master filmmaker tackle one of the greatest musicals of all time is a treat. Who knew? Spielberg’s West Side Story was a one-of-a-kind experience this year, a movie that brought me right back to my love of old Hollywood while still being able to show me something new with material I had seen before. The film is brimming with enthusiasm, just people doing what they love and excelling at it. That feeling was infectious to me, and I had a cinematic experience I hadn’t had in a long time. The music, the dancing, the romance, and the tragedy brought me to my feet and it was a true gift.