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Year in Tiers 2021 - Kelly Rowland

Listen, I mean no disrespect to Kelly Rowland. She's an incredibly talented and beautiful young woman. She even made me giggle a few times in the critically adored Freddy v.s. Jason. But next to Beyonce, we ALL pale in comparison. This tier is dedicated to her and all the runners up out there not quite dynamic enough to flourish on the grandest stage.

#33. Those Who Wish Me Dead

Taylor Sheridan's latest throwback, neo-western thriller finds Angelina Jolie protecting a young boy caught in a Montana wildfire while being tracked down by his would-be assailants. And while the simplicity of this briskly paced 90 minute thriller is somewhat refreshing, it's hard not to leave wanting a little more detail concerning what our young runaway knows and who the people are that happen to be hunting him. Especially since this was adapted from a book...maybe cut the CGI lightning storm sequence and give us 5 minutes of backstory?


#32. Slumber Party Massacre

Taking aim at the exploitation slasher sub-genre, the Slumber Party Massacre remake attempts to satirize all of the familiar 80's horror tropes you're used to by turning the would be victimized female leads into vigilante heroines protecting a cabin full of hilariously glamorized guys (two of which are even dismissively named "Guy 1" and "Guy 2"). It's a fresh and funny commentary on the bygone era of horror, even if it's not really saying anything new by pointing out the shortcomings and sexism in slasher horror flicks.


#31. Fear Street Part 1: 1994

I'm still kind of in awe at the fact that Netflix jumped in to produce back to back to back Fear Street films, sight unseen. But honestly, the gamble paid off. It's a fun Stranger Things alternative for kids a little older seeking a more grisly horror adventure and despite its' somewhat clunky start, sticking with it is absolutely worthwhile. And even though it's obviously intended to launch a trilogy, the film successfully pulls off the task of establishing itself as an entertaining stand alone feature that sprinkles plenty of bread crumbs to lead you into the next chapter. You just have to stomach the forced 90's nostalgia overload in the first half hour or so.


#30. Belfast

Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical depiction of growing up in a country coming apart at the seams feels like a film tailor made for awards season. But it's hard to castigate the feel good immigration story as merely Oscar-bait. Particularly due to Branagh's exquisite work behind the camera which boasts some of the most remarkable cinematography of the year. Even if the story is fairly tame and predictable, it looks absolutely incredible. This trend of directors quite literally recreating their childhood on screen is kind of weird though. Especially when so many of them castigate superhero films for perpetrating childhood nostalgia...


#29. The Suicide Squad

Warner Brothers wasted no time at all to swoop in and scoop up James Gunn once he was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 for problematic tweets in his past (although he's since been re-hired). But despite an R-rating and a new band of quippy misfit anti-heroes, The Suicide Squad rebrand is almost too much like Guardians of the Galaxy to stand on it's own. And surprisingly Idris Elba struggles to keep up with the comedic tone of this picture and made me weirdly long for Will Smith to return as the lead... But other than that, it's a vast upgrade from the first attempt at a Suicide Squad film and a pretty decent action comedy. It just doesn't feel as fresh now that Gunn's already applied this exact recipe twice before in the comic book world.


#28. Red Rocket

Sean Baker's latest warts and all character study finds us with a terminally narcissistic former porn star, plotting his next hustle while having to move back to his hometown. It's no coincidence that Simon Rex's portrayal of a superficial and sleazy pursuit of fame and fortune runs parallel to the 2016 presidential race playing on background television sets throughout the entire film. Red Rocket is a portrait of the ugliness attached to the current American dream and all of the selfish, arrogant vanity it entails.


#27. Bad Trip

More Bad Grandpa than Borat, Eric Andre's hidden camera road trip comedy about a man chasing his dream girl from high school is just as outrageous and proudly crass as you would expect. It's a pretty ingenious way to point out how ridiculous most rom-com storylines are by having Eric Andre act out the typical plot points in real world settings. And most of the gags are absolutely hilarious, even though I will say Lil Rel seems to struggle holding his own next to Haddish and Andre. Was Hannibal Burress busy? Regardless, it's a fun trip to take, even if it relies a little too heavily on shock value at times.


#26. Feat Street Part 2: 1978

Part 2 of the Fear Street trilogy pays homage to the summer camp slashers of the late 70's and early 80's by turning the cliché notion of sex and drugs killing our youth on it's head. The payoff for Part 2 is even better than it's predecessor but the journey there can seem a bit tedious given how many summer camp slashers we've seen before this and the obvious beats the film replicates from it's influences. But like Part 1, the juice is worth the squeeze and Sadie Sink (Stranger Things' Mad Max) continues to thrive in her young career, delivering a phenomenal lead performance.


#25. Black Widow

It may be about 5 years too late, but Black Widow's first (and almost certainly last) Marvel adventure was absolutely worth the wait. If for nothing else, the incredible dysfunctional family dynamic of Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz playing off of one another brilliantly. Their performances and chemistry alone elevate this passed your typical run of the mill origin story - even if the rest of the film can feel a bit formulaic at times. Somewhat of a Winter Soldier lite, Black Widow is still the best solo Marvel film since Black Panther.


#24. Dune

Denis Villeneuve's latest sci-fi endeavor adds even more visual spectacle to his impressive sizzle reel but structurally, I just couldn't get over how the story was split up into two films. Just make it a series if you can't keep the entire narrative contained within one movie. Because on it's own, this feels more like a prologue than a self contained stand alone film. The massive dump of exposition could have been edited down to a montage for me, because there's no real resolution once this chapter ends. It's all just building towards the second film. Like the most expensive television pilot ever made. Luckily enough, it did get picked up for a continuation though.


#23. Prisoners of the Ghostland

Director Sion Sono delivers an incredibly striking film with one of a kind visuals and ingenious concepts, they just happen to be trapped in a ridiculously messy and over the top storyline. This Mad Max style dystopian future, framed as a kung-fu Western is a stylistic treat but the lackluster story and dialogue (which features such gems as "hi-fucking-ya" and "Bring Me America") really hold this thing back. Not to mention the fact that it appears the entire budget was spent on bringing Nic Cage aboard. It feels as if the filmmakers relished a little too much in making a good-bad movie at times but overall, it's still really fun.


#22. A Quiet Place Part II

I think I may be in the minority here when I say that I actually enjoyed this sequel more than the original. With the mystery of a greater evil at the source of the Abbott family's reclusive existence no longer intact, I could just enjoy Part II for what it is. A post apocalyptic alien invasion movie. And a really well made one at that. John Krasinski builds out a great continuation of the world he created in the original and leads us to an intriguing conclusion on where the inevitable future sequels might take us. A brisk survival film that bridges nicely into whatever's next to come.


Check out our list of The Top 10 Horror Sequels of All Time


#21. Lamb

First time director Valdimar Johannsson delivers a gorgeously shot, strikingly bizarre folk tale about whether or not we as people can ever fully rid ourselves of our primal instincts and become domesticated. And while the premise could be too ridiculous for some, the filmmaker and his impeccable cast bring a levity and sincerity to the concept that might otherwise be written off as a gimmick. This is a remarkable debut picture and one we'll likely be looking back on later as the start of a great career.


#20. Zola

With the arms race for content more competitive now than ever, I guess it was only a matter of time before we got a full length film based off of a social media exchange. And as idiotic as it may seem, this film adapted from a viral Twitter thread is actually really entertaining. It's not quite the Harmony Korrine style social commentary I was hoping for, but it's still an incredibly fun ride to take due mostly to the talented young cast. More specifically, Riley Keough fucking crushes it here.


#19. Antlers

Scott Cooper develops an unbelievably bleak atmosphere with this pitch black allegory about abuse survivors in a poverty stricken coal mining community. Adding to the gravity of the proceedings are remarkable performances from Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons as well as a gripping score from Javier Navarrete. The only drawback is how underwhelming the final creature reveal is. The entire film is building to that moment and the villain is just so clunky and unthreatening that as great as the build up is, it's hard to consider the film great; even though it definitely should have been.


#18. Worth

Taking a look back at the tragic aftermath of September 11th, Worth depicts the impossibly difficult task of determining the financial worth of a life lost in the attack on the World Trade Center buildings. Lead by incredible performances from Michael Keaton, Amy Ryan, and Stanley Tucci; Worth takes an in-depth look at the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and the mediator caught in the cross fire of trying to do right by the families who lost someone that day and the insurance companies trying not to hemorrhage mass sums of capital. A solemn, insightful, and touching picture about grief and understanding.


#17. The Power of The Dog

Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of a tortured, self-loathing, banjo picking cowboy with a relentless mean streak is captivating and the web of conflict he weaves between this film's impressive cast is pretty great. Add to that some breath taking cinematography and a masterful score from Jonny Greenwood and you have a film bursting with character. But the unintentionally hilarious, glamorized love scene with Bronco Henry's trusty cum rag definitely took me out of the movie's tense setting for a bit. Otherwise, this probably could have been up in the next tier.


#16. Mass

A therapeutic examination of the emotional debris left in the wake of an unthinkable tragedy, Mass is an intense look at two sets of parents processing forgiveness and grief. In his first outing as a writer/director, former actor Fran Kranz creates an incredibly effective and well developed pseudo therapy session for these characters that feels painfully authentic and easy to sympathize with. The remarkable performances from Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd and Reed Birney definitely don't hurt either. And while the ending may start to teeter on heavy handedness - this is still a captivating debut film from the dude who played the stoner in Cabin in the Woods.


#15. Fear Street Part 3: 1666

The final installment of the Fear Street trilogy is a perfect endcap to the series, both in it's VVitch-y origin story and the culmination of all three storylines intertwining beautifully for a season finale style wrap up. It's a surprisingly thoughtful and well developed exploration of class disparity and systemic oppression cloaked in 90's nostalgia and familiar horror tropes. And cast chemistry aside, it executes the Stranger Things game plan better than Stranger Things does. Bring on the next batch! As long as writer/director Leigh Janiak is there, so am I.



#14. Pig

Nic Cage stars in a lot of fucking movies. But this may be his most captivating performance in quite some time. No, not over the top insane, Mandy/Wicker Man style captivating. Like actually, genuinely riveting. He's the anchor of this film. Ignorantly mislabeled as "John Wick with a pig" this tale of a once renowned chef, turned reclusive truffle hunter isn't a shoot-em-up revenge flick but rather a somber reflection on loss and exploring grief as we watch a man re-examine the life he once lead. Beautifully framed by first time director Michael Sarnoski, Pig carries with it a slow-burn levity and poignancy rarely captured by a filmmaker on their first feature.


#13. The Many Saints of Newark

While the controversially abrupt ending to The Sopranos left many fans wanting more, I wasn't sure we'd ever get it. Especially after James Gandolfini passed. But sure enough, HBO has resurrected The Sopranos with a prequel film that paints with all the vivid colors of the original series palette. From it's incredible ensemble cast, it's brutal depiction of mob violence and it's thoughtful examination of traditional family roles - The Many Saints of Newark drops you right into the unique world of The Sopranos almost seamlessly. Although the rise of Harold McBrayer doesn't seem to gel with the rest of the story so well, maybe that's just Warner planting seeds for another potential continuation? Regardless, this was a phenomenal piece of supplemental material for one of television's best dramas.


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#12. Stillwater

First and foremost, I had no idea who Amanda Knox was before I watched this movie. So my opinion has nothing to do with her story or the parallels that may or may not exist in this film. But having said that, I think Spotlight director Thomas McCarthy delivered a really interesting picture here. Matt Damon is great as the fish out of water American in France trying to acclimate to a foreign culture as he seeks justice for his daughter. The story is pretty fascinating and effectively had my attention for the duration of the proceedings. It seems that well made, adult thrillers can still get made. And that's nice.


#11. Finch

Is there anyone that can sell his attachment to an inanimate, inhuman object like Tom Hanks? Dude kills it. In this whimsical and charming look at a post-apocalyptic world, Hanks plays an extinction level event survivor who re-programs a robot to protect his dog after he's gone. It's got all the wonder of a classic Amblin production, anchored by Hanks' best performance in quite some time. Remarkably uplifting and heartfelt for a one man show about preparing for your own death in the wake of an apocalypse. It's gotta uniquely quirky and nihilistic tone that I really dug. And it's the best apple+ film thus far by A LOT. Let's just hope they still have enough subscribers that it doesn't go entirely unseen.


#10. The Killing of Two Lovers

Here we have another grim portrayal of life in poverty-riddled middle America, centered on a newly separated couple just trying to get by in devastatingly bleak circumstances. The film is unflinchingly raw and emotional, personified brilliantly in Clayne Crawford's masterful lead performance. As he tries desperately to hold onto the frays of his family and own mental stability, we see a man buried in nearly unsurmountable sadness as his love of life dries up before his very eyes. The industrial sound design is reminiscent of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and likewise, this portrayal of decaying blue collar America is effectively haunting. Director Robert Machoian is a force to be reckoned with.



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