Top five movies of 2021 so far
By Jake Skubish
It’s been a strange start to the year in movies: with the hope of fewer restrictions (and more money) in the latter half of the year, most of the big releases continue to slide toward the back half of the calendar. Once we hit October, I will be living at the movie theater: The Last Duel, Dune, The French Dispatch, Last Night in Soho, Eternals, Top Gun: Maverick … it can’t come soon enough.
But until we get there, we’ve had to live with the smattering of movies that studios have been willing to release. A Quiet Place: Part II was solid, F9 was a fun time, and In the Heights had its moments. But none of the tentpole releases so far have stood out. That’s reflected in my list: four of the five movies here are non-narrative features.
Just because the list is unconventional, though, does not mean I think these films are undeserving. Each is fantastic, and three are available to watch on streaming services right now. These are my five favorite films of 2021 at the halfway point.
5. passing
Passing is based on a 1929 novel by Nella Larsen which follows two childhood friends who reunite and becomes increasingly entangled in one another’s lives. One, Irene (Tessa Thompson), is a Black woman with a Black husband and children. The other, Clare (Ruth Negga), is a Black woman with a white husband, and a secret: she’s passing as white, and her bigoted husband has no idea.
Passing digs into the web of desires between Irene and Clare: what they have, what they don’t, and what they want. The film wrestles with the need to be seen and heard, and what’s justified in achieving it. It’s all presented in a sumptuous black-and-white frame from first-time director Rebecca Hall. Thompson is great as always, but the star of the show is Negga, who delivers an absolute knockout performance.
Where to watch: Passing will be available on Netflix later this year.
4. Summer of soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Summer of Soul is a total joy. The documentary highlights the power of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a massive concert series that took place the same summer as Woodstock but didn’t receive a shred of media attention.
Director Questlove makes a wise choice in crafting Summer of Soul: he lets the footage do most of the work. When you have previously unseen performances from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and other giants of music history, it’s best to simply marvel at their genius.
Summer of Soul is not a strict concert doc, though. Questlove expertly weaves in the history of the era with each subsequent performance without ever having the film feel like it’s getting sidetracked. It’s the perfect blend of corrective and celebration, and I have a feeling it might move up my list after a rewatch.
Where to watch: Hulu
3. homeroom
Homeroom takes place in Oakland and tracks a high school graduating class through the 2019-2020 school year. The film starts with a focus on student leaders’ efforts to defund the sizable police presence in their school district, and in the latter half COVID-19 arrives and throws the school year into disarray. What makes Homeroom special is its ability to make clear that when the pandemic started, the struggle did not stop. The world never really went on pause if you spent your time seeking a new path forward. This movie makes me believe in one.
Where to watch: Homeroom will be available on Hulu later this year.
2. Bo Burnham: Inside
Inside is an immensely depressing look at life in the digital age. How is it possible, then, that the film feels so comforting to me? I think it’s because I can identify so precisely with the conditions Bo Burnham is decrying. This is the paradox of his message: the internet flattens everything into nothingness and despair, but at the end of each one of those infinite data points is an individual person having an experience. Inside might disappear into the abyss, but I’ll still have felt something watching it. Full review here.
Where to watch: Netflix
1. Billie eilish: The World’s a little blurry
I know, I know: the best movie of the year is a Billie Eilish documentary? But I implore you to not dismiss it before giving it a try. Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry is an absolute triumph and one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.
The film is a portrait of an artist holding fast to honesty in the face of bullshit. Rather than follow the laudatory, public relations puff piece-style of other recent pop star documentaries like Miss Americana, The World’s a Little Blurry has real ideas. It’s an insightful examination of celebrity, fandom, empathy, family, growing up, the creative process, self-love ... and it doesn’t hurt that the music is perfect. It’s an act of both humanization and mythologizing, and pulls off both feats without ever feeling disingenuous.
Where to watch: Apple TV+