For those of us who enjoy the cinematic experience, 2020 was marked by a cycle of stops and starts. In an abundance of caution, theaters closed across the country. As COVID numbers improved, our theaters here in Washington state reopened in August and closed again as we headed into the holidays.  

Much of 2021 saw a return to a somewhat normal cinema experience. For me, as an avid lover of movies, I was overjoyed to return to some semblance of normal, but I had a decision to make.  

For more than five years, I reviewed every single movie I watched in a theater. This led to spin-off pieces where I ranked every movie watched in a theater throughout a calendar year, Oscar ballots posts, and pieces where I defended my five favorite movies of the year.  

In 2020, I learned to value the in-home cinema experience. I also learned to not devalue what I watch on the small screen. As I headed into 2021, I knew I wanted to make an exhaustive list of everything I watched in a calendar year. The entries below did not have to be released in 2021. I just needed to watch it between January 1st and December 31st.  

As you read the list, you will notice I highlight a few films and list all the others in the category. I will spend more time on the movies I enjoyed and far less on those I did not. I will also not bash one- and two-star films. I want to spend time on things that brought me joy and not on things that I failed to connect with meaningfully. 

As always, I am no film critic. I am just an avid lover of movies, who appreciates the art form and loves celebrating a film when it really lands for me.  

Enjoy the list and let me know what you think.  

Total Number of Films Watched this Year: 166 

Of Which Were Seen in a Theater: 53 

5 Stars  

Nomadland  

Much like Fern (Frances McDormand), I am from one of those towns that are slowly disappearing from the map. As agriculture becomes more industrialized and people leave for a better life in bigger cities, my hometown of Frederick, Oklahoma continues its slow march toward death. Before I know it or fully understand the consequences, my hometown will be gone. Knowing I escaped this collapse in an effort to create a new version of myself, I approached Nomadland.  

During the Great Recession, Fern’s home in the company town of Empire, Nevada had its heart ripped out with the closing of a mine. Following this catastrophe, Fern loses the love of her life. These seismic events give birth to a nomadic lifestyle of seasonal work throughout the American west. Because of the way in which this film is structured, we are made to feel tremendous pain for the plight of the working poor, living in vans or mobile homes, traveling throughout the country without a community of their own. At times, the loneliness Fern expresses is heartbreakingly sad. This is true until we discover there is more to the story. 

Fern is the personification of songs written by Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. The life we are witnessing is chosen. It is a life Fern always envisioned. It is filled with temporary relationships, exploration, and self-determination. It is seasonal, ever-changing, and forever confusing to those standing on the outside looking in on her. 

With the lifestyle choice realized, this film becomes something much more. It feels poetic in the same sense as Into the Wild. It feels boundless and deeply spiritual like standing on a cliff overlooking The Pacific Ocean. It flies in the face of conventional theories on permanence and the expected. It gives us another example of a person who rejects the tyranny of the expected. When these higher ideals are combined with superb writing, brilliant cinematography, and the grounded, quiet performance of McDormand, we get the best film of the year. 

Into the Wild 

Into the Wild changed the course of my life. I am often asked to name my favorite film of all time. I almost always mention this movie. Not because I think it is a cinematic masterpiece. It isn’t a movie without flaws, but I name it because I have never felt such a deep connection with an artistic expression.  

Into the Wild lit a spark under a depressed young man living in Oklahoma needing a dramatic change. It provided all the permission I needed to move across the country, pursue meaningful work, add to my education, fall in love, and deeply wrap myself around nature and the great outdoors.  

I have watched this movie countless times. Every single time I finish it, I feel less weird and alone. I close my eyes, rejuvenated, and fully aware that I am not alone in this world. There are lots of people like me who reject the tyranny of the expected and desire more from this life than a pre-drawn path created before we ever took our first breath. A piece of art did this for me. For that, I will be forever grateful.  

Belfast  

Belfast is a simply beautiful and breathtaking thing to behold. Set in the late ’60s and focused on a single neighborhood, this film personalizes the violence between Catholics and Protestants that wreaked havoc on Ireland for decades.  

Beyond the stunning cinematography, Belfast does a brilliant job of telling a story in which the innocence of a child washes away before our very eyes as incomprehensible violence changes him, forces his carefree parents to become more cautious, and whispers of a “better life” begin to dominate the conversation.  

Multiple movies have told a version of the story concerning the violence between Catholics and Protestants, but in my estimation, none of them have done it with such grace, care, and focus.  

Spencer  

As we head into awards season, you are going to hear a lot about Kristen Stewart’s performance as Diana in Spencer. Any acclaim or award she receives is completely worth it in my estimation. She is engrossing, enthralling, and spellbinding as the late princess.  

Standing outside the theater with a friend of mine, I had the following thought about the experience of watching this movie... “If I taught a course on film appreciation, my students would break down this film scene by scene.” We would spend hours defending and debating the choices made by the filmmakers, decisions about the lighting, set design, wardrobe, and writing. We would debate each scene and the individual stories told within each one. We would compare what we historically know to be true and what was merely conjecture. In the end, I hope my students would stand back and see how each of these individual choices create a fully realized film.  

When I step back and contemplate the fullness of this feature, I am impressed by what it says and what it leaves open for interpretation. It places so many of the decisions about what you are witnessing in the hands of the viewer. In a world where movies can seem so contrived and thoughtlessly based on well-known source material, this is an adult movie for adults who love challenging movies.  

Whiplash  

Whiplash is a violent movie. It isn’t Marvel Cinematic Universe violent. It is created with the violence of expectations, dreams, wishes, and desires. It is violent in the pursuit of perfection. It is violent because of the unease you feel for the characters on screen. It is violent in the same way a car wreck you cannot avoid watching feels.  

Since its release in 2014, I have returned to this film countless times. It makes me uncomfortable, sick, and desperate for refuge, but I cannot turn away from it. It pulls me in every single time and demands my attention. In part, this is because of masterful performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, but it also stems from hope and desire to watch a man possessed by greatness rise above his circumstances.  

 More 5 Star Films  

Boyhood, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Selma, Supernova, Land, One Night in Miami…, Soul, Promising Young Woman, 2021 Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts, Isle of Dogs 

4 Stars 

Sound of Metal  

Sound of Metal firmly and forcefully places you in the shoes of someone with a disability and demands you walk a mile in their shoes. You are asked to understand the longing for a return to normal. You are given opportunities to see adaption firsthand. You will come to understand this world is not built with them in mind. You will wait with bated breath as you watch someone grasp to make sense of a world that has entirely changed. 

In my estimation, this is what great art does. It presents an opportunity to be changed, and if it sticks the landing, you will walk away having done exactly that. When Sound of Metal ended, I had a better understanding of my privilege. I had a deeper appreciation for the little things in my life. I had newfound empathy for those who life has challenged in unimaginable ways. This is an experience that changed me for the better.  

Zero Dark Thirty 

Zero Dark Thirty is a film about real spy work. It is a movie about a woman possessed by a decade+ long hunt for Osama Bin Laden. It takes you to the frontlines and demands you take note of things done in our name to find a mass murder.  

Filled with leads that never deliver, torture sessions that consumed me with rage, and brief moments of hope, you will get a real sense of the frustration found in intelligence work. While the outcome of this film is well documented, the last thirty minutes (which are some of the most intense moments I have ever experienced watching a movie), only work because we know the lift required to arrive at this moment.  

When the dust settles on this film and all that remains is the corpse of America’s public enemy number one, there is a sense of deep satisfaction, but there is also a moment of profound opportunity to question who we had to become to achieve this goal. Lots of movies have been made about the war on terrorism. Few have been filled with this level of ambiguity.  

The Silence of the Lambs  

When I was a kid, my parents regularly spent time with another couple. The four of them would get together for double dates, game nights, or to watch movies. I vividly remember being asked to leave the room when they gathered to watch The Silence of the Lambs.  

Years later, as a young adult, I finally experienced this film in all its glory. When the credits rolled, I was shaken to my core. Before this movie, never had I watched a film that filled me with such dread, angst, and need to know and understand more. Without a doubt, watching this movie for the first time was a transformative experience. I would never see movies the same way again.  

Since that initial experience, I have returned to The Silence of the Lambs countless times. Every time, I find something new to appreciate in the performances, the story, and the collective efforts of the filmmaking team that made it all possible. Without a doubt in my mind, this movie has withstood the test of time.  

 (500) Days of Summer  

(500) Days of Summer is a perplexing film. It is part romantic comedy, part break up story, and part story about finding oneself. When it was originally released back in 2009, I was lost in the swamp of dating and trying to discover my most authentic self. I found Tom Hansen’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) so relatable. I so authentically shared his views on life, love, and ideas about the perfect partner.  

A year removed from a bad breakup myself, this film also made me realize there are two sides to every story. Each person has a story they tell themselves. We all arrive at a relationship with emotional baggage. In every interaction, these lessons of the past inform our reactions and the ultimate outcome. This movie gave me permission to forgive myself and a former girlfriend for the pain we caused each other.  

Rewatching this movie while tightly wound around the finger of the true love of my life, its initial lessons were reaffirmed, as was another key lesson. We all have a story we are telling ourselves. That story may not be the truth.  

More 4 Star Films  

Los Angeles Plays Itself, Nightcrawler, In the Heights, For All Mankind, West Side Story, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Last Duel, Juno, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Judas and the Black Messiah, No Time to Die, A Quiet Place, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, The Alpinist, C’mon C’mon, Dune, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Little Girl, The Hurt Locker, Greyhound, Titanic, The French Dispatch, The Devil Wears Prada, A Christmas Story, Courage Under Fire, Ghost World, Adaptation, Summer of Soul (… or When the Revolution Could Not be Televised), The Killing of Two Lovers, The Sparks Brothers, Final Account, Lead Me Home, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Sweat, Baby God, Gone with the Wine, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Together Together, Summertime, Pieces of a Woman, The Intouchables, The Mauritanian, 2021 Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Shorts, The Courier, 50/50, War Dogs, The Departed, Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You, Coded Bias, Another Round, Mother’s Milk, Minari, Mr. Soul!, Roman Holiday, Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol, Onward, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Godzilla vs. Kong, Dead Presidents, The King of Staten Island, Groundhog Day, Nobody, A Day in the Life of America, Love Type D, 24 Frames, News of the World, Chinatown, Wonder Woman 1984 

3 Stars 

Cruella 

Cruella drips with cool. From the fashion to the confidence in which Emma Stone embodies the titular character, this film gives us the origin story we did not know we needed. It also made me more empathetic toward Cruella and her struggles. Without a doubt, I have a brand-new opinion about those Dalmatians. 

Free Guy 

Free Guy may be the funniest movie I saw all year, which says a lot about the state of comedy in modern-day Hollywood. In a world where everyone has become deathly afraid of offending anyone, filmmakers have instead decided to offend no one. Without a doubt, Free Guy will not offend anyone. It is light, cheery, and fun. It has just enough laughs and tender moments to keep adults engaged, as well as countless video game references to keep the nine-year-old in your life committed to its plot. The best comedy of the year was built for the whole family.  

The Sea Hawk  

Released in 1940, The Sea Hawk remains a north star in the sky of films focused on combat on the high seas. With Spain and England on the eve of war and both empires laser-focused on world domination, Queen Elizabeth hires Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn), a buccaneer with thousands of miles on the open seas, to serve as a thorn in the side of the Spanish Armada. From here, you get everything you could ever want from a feature such as this; ships at war, close combat, a bit of trickery.  

More 3 Star Films 

The Sanctity of Space, The Squid and the Whale, House of Gucci, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings, Eternals, The Wages of Fear, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, Black Widow, Flipped, Pig, The Donut King, Adam’s Rib, Collective, On the Rocks, Knock Down the House, Home Alone, The Protégé, Ria Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, a-ha: The Movie, The Suicide Squad, The Year of the Everlasting Storm, Lovers Rock, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The White Tiger, The Little Things, New Chefs on the Block, Women in Blue, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Badlands, Donnie Darko, Paragraph 175, 9to5: The Story of a Movement, Summer of 85, 200 Miles, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The 400 Blows, French Exit, Ida, Last Year at Marienbad, Hillbilly Elegy, Role Models, Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey, East of the Mountains, 2021 Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts, A Nous la Liberte, This Town, Before We Go, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, First Cow, On the Road, Spider-man: Far From Home, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Marksman, The Immigrant, To Catch a Thief, Citizen Bio, Cooking Up A Tribute, An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn 

2 Stars 

8 ½  

8 ½ is one of those films as a cinephile I am supposed to hold in high regard. Scrolling through reviews on Letterboxd, it is obvious to me that I missed something or failed to connect with the film in a meaningful way.  

Focused on Guido Anselmi, a film director, he finds himself lost and searching for new ideas at the peak of his career. Seeking rest and relaxation, he retires to a resort but is followed by a collection of characters, each one demanding he produce something new, and soon. For Anselmi, an opportunity to recharge his batteries never comes. As the film nears its final act, we watch as inspiration comes and leaves repeatedly.  

While I can deeply connect with the need to find new inspiration, the way in which this message is delivered throughout this film just did not do much for me. It certainly did not leave me moved in any authentic way.  

Working Girls 

Working Girls focuses on a day in the life of several working prostitutes in an upscale whore house in Manhattan. As the movie progresses, we learn of their struggles, the needs of regular clients, and the demand of the job. Taken together, the premise alone possessed a lot of potential for me, but it failed to connect in any real or meaningful way. I found it nearly impossible to care about the characters or empathize with their struggles in a tangible way.  

More 2 Star Films  

Affliction, Sibyl, Annette, The History of Time Travel, We Are the Best!, Air Guitar Nation, The Beastmaster, Victor Frankenstein, Bad Boys 

1 Star 

Aguirre, Wrath of God  

Aguirre, Wrath of God is another one of those films I am supposed to hold in high regard. Watching a man become obsessed with the search for El Dorado and slowly slip into madness at great cost to himself and his party, possessed so much potential for me. It could have been the writing. Maybe it was the acting. It could have been the way this thing was shot, but for whatever reason, I am not sure I felt what the filmmakers intended. I found myself angered by Don Lope de Aguirre’s spiral into madness. I felt pain for those who were allowing groupthink to bring about their demise. I was filled with rage by the conquest and its cost. What I didn’t feel was a filmgoing experience I would like to repeat anytime soon.  

More 1 Star Films 

Monster Hunter, Blood of the Dragon 

Be good to each other,

Nathan

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