2021 Film Special Citation List

While I enjoy compiling and discussing the best in cinema as much as the next person, there are some intangible parts of a film year that I always enjoy talking about first. It’s one thing to have to compare entirely different pieces of art, but it’s even more difficult when some films have such strong aspects it’s hard to discuss them in true ballot fashion. A complex action scene, a despicable villain, or a couple worth cheering for all count as the “special citations” of a good film. Not to mention the complications of having to compare genres by themselves.

Hence, my special citation list. It consists of the best of a type, the things that are impossible to compare but are worth celebrating all the same. These are the parts of cinema that keep people talking, so I might as well do my part too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgGIvbQM8fM

Best Action Scene: “The Fall of House Atreides”, Dune

While some action scenes are remembered for the heroes that fought in them and the blow-for-blow exchange, no setpiece quite captured the emotions of viewers as Dune‘s second act closure. Hans Zimmer’s sobering score and the large-scale explosions captured by Denis Villeneuve make the tragic collapse of House Atreides all the more painful. The true emotional impact is how Villeneuve robs both House Atreides and the audience of the catharsis of a pitched battle. The bravery and skill of the Atreides soldiers are swiftly cut down by the sheer suddenness and swarming, brutal impact of House Harkonnen and the Sardukar, ensuring that those that watch Dune are just as repulsed and vengeful as our young protagonist.

Best Couple: Corey Hawkins as “Benny” and Leslie Grace as “Nina”, In the Heights

While there were plenty of romantic films in 2021, none of them portrayed a young love so innocent and pure as the chemistry between Benny and Nina in In the Heights. While Usnavi and Vanessa are the main couple of the film, it’s Corey Hawkins’ suave but sincere Benny and the intelligently complex Nina (played by Leslie Grace) that steal the show. They possess chemistry with each other that reflects a relationship cut short, before being explored as they’ve matured and grown over time. Benny and Nina come back together as if their relationship lost no time at all, and the performances Hawkins and Grace draw from each other make them the go-to couple of this year’s films.

Best Hero: Dev Patel as “Gawain”, The Green Knight

While superheroes may be the future of the film industry, sometimes it’s nice to see an original reinterpretation such as David Lowery’s version of The Green Knight. Lowery and actor Dev Patel create in their version of Gawain a deeply human protagonist. The journey he goes on from irresponsible heir and knight to a wiser, braver, and gentler human being makes for a fascinating deconstruction of what makes a hero. Patel’s willingness to bear all emotionally and physically gives audiences a morality tale for the modern ages. Sometimes, growth is what makes for a compelling protagonist, not just a paragon’s goodness. Gawain and The Green Knight provide.

Best Villain: Jesse Plemons as “Roy Mitchell”, Judas and the Black Messiah

While a good villain can be lots of things, the most despicable ones display competency and a manipulative streak that makes their villainy all the more disdainful. Jesse Plemons fits that mold to a tee in Judas and the Black Messiah, utilizing his everyman appearance and acting capabilities to hone that threat. His charming, humble presentation hides a man that uses whatever means necessary for power, trapping those like Bill O’Neal under his thumb. Plemons has never been more hateable in his career, and the insidiousness of his influence makes him among the least likable but most memorable of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5OG-nTUAOM&t=173s

Best Action Film: No Time to Die

No one does action like the grandfather franchise of cinema, James Bond. From an opening car chase on the streets of Italy to a watery labyrinth, No Time to Die is the pinnacle of what Craig’s Bond series has been building to. Every action sequence feels necessary and smooth, while the characters trade quips and blows expertly. No Time to Die‘s extended runtime is fully earned, with action scenes and character beats thoroughly mixed together to ensure that they all ring true.

Best Sci-Fi Film: The Matrix Resurrections

The Matrix Resurrections has divided critical opinion, to say the least. Even despite that, it’s still the most complex and fascinating blockbuster of the last five years. Lana Wachowski has engaged in a complete re-examination of her beloved trilogy, radically reclaiming her films that have been co-opted by reactionaries, corporations, and so-called film fans.

Matrix Resurrections discarded the cerebral, “too cool for school” aesthetic of the previous Matrix sequels and reminded audiences what these films have always been about, love. That, combined with its meta engagement with modern content creation and franchise filmmaking, makes The Matrix Resurrections a science fiction pinnacle piece.

Best Horror Film: Lamb

This is an obscure pick for this genre, especially as we’re going through a Renaissance age of mainstream horror films. Lamb‘s eccentric premise and haunting atmosphere make it a difficult film to ignore. The potential to make this a simple body horror film would’ve been easy, but Valdimar Jóhannsson takes Lamb to a different place.

It’s a rumination on grief, family, and past regrets, which are often more real and more terrifying for an audience to confront. This initial approach makes the eventual return to horror in the third act that much more gripping. That is also part of what makes Lamb such a special film.

Best Comedy: The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Never doubt Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for humor. The Mitchells vs The Machines is a non-stop, touching family comedy that is filled with endless jokes. From groan-inducing dad jokes to Internet memes used unironically and ironically, there isn’t a moment that doesn’t have the audience in stitches. There’s a joke for everyone in The Mitchells vs. The Machines, and it’s impossible to watch without a smile.

What were some of your favorite genre films? What about any scenes that stood out for their actions, or favorite characters from the year? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for more as the year continues.