Another year spent under the cloud of the Coronavirus pandemic comes to an end and the best thing that I can say is that my family are in good health still. I hope that is the case for all of you reading.

Cinemas in the UK remained closed until May 19th of this year and the entire film release structure has changed permanently as a result. Whilst people have been unable or uncomfortable to go to the cinema film studios have had to think of alternative ways to deliver films to people whilst still making money. Warner Brothers have begun to release films simultaneously on their streaming service and at the cinema much to the chagrin of Christopher Nolan who will be making his next movie without Warner Brothers for the first time since 2002. Universal will get the honour of releasing his Oppenheimer biopic. Possibly more impactful for cinemas is that the exclusivity window that they once demanded over films has been reduced to only forty-five days. Meaning that you only have to wait six-and-a-half weeks for the likes of Marvel’s latest blockbuster to arrive on Disney+ after it has released at cinemas. How either of these will impact cinemas it remains to be seen.

That is not to say that people have not still flocked to the cinematic experience for the ’right’ film. Both James Bond and Spider-Man appear to be massive draws to the public with No Time To Die and Spider-Man: No Way Home doing incredibly well at the box office despite the pandemic.

I for one am glad to be back at the cinema though. As I said last year, hopefully it continues to feel safer to be back.

The Stats

My cinema numbers are up slightly on last year but with nearly five months of cinemas being closed they still pale in comparison to what they used to be. On the other hand my streaming numbers more than doubled and I still feel like it is impossible to keep on top of the number of streaming releases available.

My statistics this year:

• A total of 215 films viewed
  • 58 visits to the cinema
  • 157 films via streaming services or physical media
• 195 of those films were new to me and have reviews on this site

With more articles on the site I have also experienced the greatest traffic on the website to date. I am grateful to have had over 3,000 visits to the site and over 4,500 views. A paltry number for some, but I am happy anyone deigns it worth their time to read my views so thank you very much.

My most read articles this year at the time of writing are:

1. Zack Snyder’s Justice League – Zack Snyder got to put right the injustice he felt at having his name attached to Joss Whedon’s inferior version of this film.
2. The Tomorrow War – It appears some of you like to hear me rant about how much I dislike a film? I had a great chat on the ”At The Flicks” podcast on this one as well.
3. Coming 2 America – Another film I actively disliked although my review was far more balanced I think. I assume the original must be held in high regard for this to be so highly viewed.
4. No Time To Die – The only cinema release in my most read top articles is the fabulous Daniel Craig swan song as James Bond.
5. Tom & Jerry: The Movie (2021) – A film that my kids loved and I found interesting and peculiar in different places

My End Of Year Lists

As with last year I have already published my favourite TV shows and you can see that list here – 2021 – Year In Review – Television

Otherwise as with last year I think I am going to stick with what I loved rather than what I hated and the fact that I saw so many good films this year means I am going to extend the list I loved to thirty.

Best Films Of The Year

1. The French Dispatch – Wes Anderson is one of my all time favourite film makers and any film from his mind should be treated as mana from heaven. I adored The French Dispatch Of The Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun because it is Wes Anderson being allowed to make a film to his own peculiar and exacting manner and because of that it is genius. Available now on Video On Demand Services.
2. Palm Springs – Released in the US last year and on our shores via Amazon Prime Video this is the new and improved ”Groundhog Day”. I have already watched this four times this year and each time I find it funny, sad, ridiculous and dark.
3. The Green Knight – A film about atmosphere and story telling and probably one of the most beautiful films you will see this year. This one is also available via Amazon Prime Video
4. Promising Young Woman – I am still utterly baffled how this did not win Best Picture and at the least Best Actress at the Oscars. Carey Mulligan is simply amazing as a woman traumatised by what happened to a friend and struggling to find a way to survive that pain. Available on Sky Cinema and Video On Demand.
5. Dune – Denis Villeneuve delivers epic science fiction in part one of what was thought to be an impossible to film novel. I can only hope the second lives up to the first. Available on Video On Demand.
6. Pig – Nicholas Cage is spectacular in a story about finding acceptance. Available on Video On Demand.
7. Spider-Man: No Way Home – A film for fans of all things Spider-Man and one that I would love you to see with its secrets intact. Still in cinemas at the time of writing.
8. The Mitchell’s Vs The Machines – Probably the most fun and filled with ideas film you will see this year. For everyone of every age. Available on Netflix.
9. The Last Duel – Ridley Scott released two films this year and this one is up there with the best in his seminal back catalogue. Available on Disney+.
10. Last Night In Soho – Edgar Wright branches out into horror and is backed up by fantastic visuals, a brilliant soundtrack and two lead performances that would probably be in Oscar contention if this was not a horror film. Available on Video On Demand.
11. Riders Of Justice – A film so hard to pigeon hole that people I know who have seen it have gotten something completely different from it than I did. For me this is a comedy, a revenge movie, a look at statistical analysis and a view on therapy and religion. Mads Mikkelsen is brilliant. Available on Video On Demand.
12. West Side Story (2021) – Steven Spielberg remade a film classic and made a better film and yet no one went to the cinema to watch it! When this becomes available I wholeheartedly recommend it.
13. Tick, Tick… Boom! – In a year full of musicals this is one of the most fun and features a scintillating performance from Andrew Garfield that deserves recognition. This is available on Netflix.
14. No Time To Die – Daniel Craig’s final Bond film had a difficult journey to the big screen but boy was it worth the wait. A great theme song, fantastic acting, tense action sequences and a phenomenal ending to cap off his Bond career.
15. A Quiet Place Part II – A brilliant sequel to a brilliant original. What I loved about this is that the new story was genuinely interesting and felt like a logical expansion to the universe without pushing the boundaries too far. Available on Video On Demand.
16. I Care A Lot – Rosamund Pike is stunning in this dark comedy about a woman who is so diabolically evil that you find yourself rooting for the Russian Mafia to kill her. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
17. The Kid Detective – This is a real hidden gem that I suspect many people will have missed. A once famous kid detective now has to face up to the realities of being an adult failed detective. Available on Video On Demand.
18. The Power Of The Dog – Filled with brilliant acting performances this is a slow build western that has an absolute gut punch of an ending. Benedict Cumberbatch excels. Available on Netflix.
19. Judas And The Black Messiah – Another of last year’s Oscar contenders. This was my second favourite of the nominees after Promising Young Woman and shows how great Daniel Kaluuya is in everything he does. Available on Video On Demand.
20. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings – This was a fallow year on the big screen for the Disney Marvel films but this was the best of the bunch. Tony Leung’s villain was one of the best Marvel has seen and the fight sequences were exhilarating. Available on Disney+.
21. Cruella – This one came out of nowhere for me as I had no expectations of this live action Disney film. Emma Stone is fabulous and the costumes and soundtracks are to die for. Available on Disney+.
22. The Suicide Squad – James Gunn does for DC comic team movies what he did for Marvel with Guardians of the Galaxy. Available on Sky Cinema and Video On Demand.
23. The Wolf Of Snow Hollow – Jim Cummings is a fantastic actor/writer/director to watch and this is a brilliant low budget horror film. Available on Video On Demand.
24. In The Earth – For me this is probably Ben Wheatley’s best film. Do not watch under the influence of drugs, or maybe that is the point? Available on Video On Demand.
25. The Nest (2020) Carrie Coon and Jude Law put in brilliant performances in this drama that occasionally feels like horror. As yet this does not seem to have a home release.
26. Censor – Niamh Algar is the video nasty censor whose work may have an impact on some repressed memories. Available on Video On Demand.
27. The Night House – Rebecca Hall is brilliant dealing with the death of her husband in this haunted house horror movie. Available on Disney+.
28. Malignant – The craziest horror film this year is what I imagine would happen if you let a blockbuster film director do whatever he likes. Available on Video On Demand.
29. Relic – A horror film about family and dementia. Available on Video On Demand.
30. Host (2020) – A lockdown horror film where a seance is presented entirely via Zoom video calls. Available on Shudder.

What Next?

As mentioned above there are so many films that I have not managed to see this year that are receiving huge amounts of plaudits, hopefully I can check out some of those on streaming services soon.

These include the likes of:

• Another Round
• Titane
• Passing
• The Card Counter
• First Cow
• The Lost Daughter
• Cmon Cmon
• Petite Maman
• Drive My Car
• Shiva Baby

As for next year’s films I am looking forward to the following:

• Licorice Pizza – Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest opens on New Years Day in the UK
• Top Gun Maverick – If this does not come out next year it may be on my most looked forward to list permanently!
• The Batman – Oh my word do the trailers for this look special
• The Northman – Robert Eggers next film looks phenomenal
• Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness – Sam Raimi takes the reigns here in a film set to feature The Scarlet Witch heavily
• Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Part One) – The original was my favourite film in 2018

Oh and if I can make the time I want to do another director retrospective if I can given that I am eight films into Martin Scorsese’s back catalogue at the moment.

As ever, thanks for reading, stay safe and I hope you have a great 2022.