10. The Suicide Squad (2021) (Dir. James Gunn) 94/100
The newest iteration of Amanda Waller’s unit already showed up in my Top 10 Films Released in 2021 list. James Gunn is turning out to be one of my favorite directors, creating 3 of my favorite superhero flicks of all time in Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, and now The Suicide Squad. The film is brilliant and is highlighted by an all-star cast where John Cena is potentially the best part of the entire thing.
9. Unforgiven (1992) (Dir. Clint Eastwood) 94/100
As a huge fan of western flicks, of course one of Clint Eastwood’s westerns would make it on my list. This film is exceptional, especially compared to his most recent “western,” Cry Macho. Unforgiven has all of the makings of a classic Clint Eastwood film, giving us the best westerns have to offer.
8. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) (Dir. Hayao Miyazaki) 95/100
Of course a Studio Ghibli film would make it onto this list. Howl’s Moving Castle is not my favorite Miyazaki film but it definitely carries much of the charm as any other Ghibli film. The animation is absolutely stunning with a great, unique story and characters that fly off the screen.
7. City Lights (1931) (Dir. Charlie Chaplin) 95/100
Charlie Chaplin was a genius in his time, delivering truly outstanding works of art, one of which being City Lights. The film transcends the silent era, still holding up to this day. It is not the best Chaplin film, but it is still exceptional.
6. The Mitchells vs The Machines (2021) (Dir. Michael Rianda) 96/100
Any film following not only a Studio Ghibli film, but now a Charlie Chaplin film is of course going to seem ridiculous, but hear me out. The Mitchells vs The Machines is a wonderful film that not only gives us a great family story similar to The Incredibles, but also features commentary on the large tech companies like Apple. It blew away all expectations that I had prior to watching it.
5. The Green Knight (2021) (Dir. David Lowery) 97/100
This film and The Mitchells vs The Machines both appeared on my Top 10 Films Released in 2021 list. This film invoked so much thought from me, giving me so much to analyze in every scene. It makes connections between the story and colors and how those colors affect Dev Patel’s character. Everything has a metaphor and another layer to think about. I definitely plan on watching this again to try and pinpoint more that I didn’t catch the first time around.
4. Coming To america (1988) (Dir. John Landis) 97/100
Not only was this film a truly wonderful film that is exceptionally well-made. Coming To America might just be one of Eddie Murphy’s best, delivering one of the best comedy performances from an all-star cast of all time.
3. King Richard (2021) (Dir. Reinaldo Marcus Green) 98/100
I’ve already talked about why I love this film in my Top 10 Films of 2021, but just to sum up, Will Smith gives one of the best performances of his career. Richard Williams is exceptionally written as well, making me hate and love him at the same time.
2. Palm Springs (2020) (Dir. Max Barbakow) 100/100
I never would have thought that I would ever rank an Andy Samberg film over the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Miyazaki, and Clint Eastwood. But this film is one of the most wonderful, emotional, and heart-warming films I have seen. Everything about this film is excellent and turns a once-done genre into something unique. It elevates the genre and exists in its own space. Palm Springs will surely become a classic in a few years.
1. Last Night in Soho (2021) (Dir. Edgar Wright) 100/100
Now for what I thought was the best film I saw this year. Edgar Wright’s newest film is unlike most I have already seen. I already talked about it in the Top 10 Films of 2021, but I just want to reiterate that there is nothing like this film and it is a work of art, in my opinion. Edgar Wright delves into a new genre from his other films and does so by creating a masterpiece.
Marc Mifsud 