MY UNPOPULAR 2021 FILM OPINIONS

2021 is just about coming to an end, and I've seen upwards of 200 titles from 2021. Among those, I've seen some critically acclaimed films I just didn't understand, and some poorly received films that I quite enjoyed. Here are some of them.

OVERRATED: Licorice Pizza

Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is a terrible film. I don't even think it's a bad film. There's something nice about the freewheeling nature of Licorice Pizza. But on the flip side of that, it all feels too disconnected for its own good. Alana and Gary criss-cross paths romantically, and there's an impressive bevy of half-interesting subplots, but it's dispiritingly fragmented and never as charming as it believes itself to be. The real stand-out here is Alana Haim, who gives a magnetic, dynamic performance.

UNDERRATED: Silent Night

In this Keira Knightley/Christmas vehicle, Knightley stars as a mother prepping for the end of the world. It's heartfelt, empathetic, surprisingly dark, and very much about something. The cast is uniformly excellent, the screenplay is idea-driven (yet underlined with plenty of witty banter), and it constantly evades expectations. At one minute it's a family Christmas film, another it's a disturbing thriller. I was surprised, moved, and delighted every step of the way.

OVERRATED: C'mon C'mon

In Mike Mills' latest soapy film about feelings, Joaquin Phoenix and newcomer Woody Norman take an uncle-nephew bonding trip across the country. It's hard to rag on the movie too much because it's essentially Mills wearing his heart on his sleeve in such a vulnerable way. However, I'm going to rag on the movie, because it has to be one of the most sentimental, schmaltzy, manipulative, cloying experiences I've had in a theater this year. Everything about this movie reads like a mental health bulletin board posted in a college dorm room. It's far too dumb to be so earnest.

UNDERRATED: The Scary of Sixty-First

In Dasha Nekrasova's directorial debut, two 20-somethings move into an apartment previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein. What follows is downward spiral through conspiracy theories, demonic possession, and giallo-influenced slasher horror. I was into it the whole time. Nekrasova, as a personality, is a button-pusher and this film is no different. All the better for it. The Scary of Sixty-First takes us to thrilling places, equally shocking, hilarious, and disturbing. It might be the only film I've seen this year that truly dares to push boundaries without sacrificing genuine intellect and subversiveness.

OVERRATED: Red Rocket

In Sean Baker's latest, washed-up porn star Mikey Saber returns to his Texas hometown and pursues a relationship with an underage girl, Strawberry. Here's another film that I don't think is necessarily bad, but I also don't necessarily get the love. Simon Rex and newcomer Suzanna Son deliver tremendous performances, and the end of the film is a stunner, but the road there is rocky. It's all a little too long-winded, unfunny, and scattershot to work. It's a true testament to the work of Mr. Rex that we're kept engaged through episodic narratives so infrequently compelling.

UNDERRATED: New Order

Michel Franco's latest (excluding Sundown) is a dystopian non-stop horror film about the lower class violently rising up against their elite oppressors in Mexico. It's a pointedly political film, unbelievably effective in its visceral rage and violent catharsis. There's nothing you'll see this year quite like it. And in terms of technical achievement, Franco's use of color and movement stuns. Finally, a dystopian epic unafraid to be colorful! I'm genuinely puzzled at the mixed response to this film, and I think it stands with the best of the year.