Top 10 Films of 2021

 

Rank	Title	Year	Country	Grade
1	Cruella	2021	US	B+
2	Riders Of Justice (Retfærdighedens Ryttere)	2021	Denmark	B+
3	Palmer	2021	US	B
4	Free Guy	2021	US	B-
5	The Power Of The Dog	2021	US	C+
6	Skater Girl	2021	US	C+
7	Don’t Breathe 2	2021	US	C+
8	Nobody	2021	US	C+
9	I’m Your Man (Ich bin dein Mensch)	2021	Germany	C+
10	Land	2021	US	C+

Top 10 Films of 2020

 

Rank	Title	Year	Country	Grade
1	The Gentlemen	2020	British	B+
2	Greenland	2020	US	B
3	Beastie Boys Story	2020	US	B
4	Palm Springs	2020	US	B-
5	Run	2020	US	B-
6	High Ground	2020	Australia	B-
7	Psycho Goreman	2020	US	B-
8	Crip Camp	2020	US	B-
9	The Way Back	2020	US	C+
10	Half Brothers	2020	US	C+

Top 10 Films of 2019

 

Rank	Title	Year	Country	Grade
1	Joker	2019	US	B
2	Little Monsters	2019	New Zealand	B
3	Driveways	2019	US	B
4	Bombshell	2019	US	B
5	Downton Abbey	2019	England	B
6	Deadwood	2019	US	B
7	Once Upon A Time In Hollywood	2019	US	B-
8	Ford v Ferrari	2019	US	B-
9	Saint Frances	2019	US	B-
10	Long Shot	2019	US	C+

Top 10 Films of 2018

 

Rank	Title	Year	Country	Grade
1	Free Solo	2018	US	B+
2	Ready Player One	2018	US	B
3	Isle Of Dogs	2018	US	B
4	Won't You Be My Neighbor	2018	US	B
5	A Quiet Place	2018	US	B-
6	The Biggest Little Farm	2018	US	B-
7	Bird Box	2018	US	B-
8	Hotel Mumbai	2018	US	C+
9	Overlord	2018	US	C+
10	Bohemian Rhapsody	2018	US	C+

Violent Night (2022)

 

More bloody than fun. Thin characters and plot. Not a Christmas classic. 

Rating: D

Uncharted (2022)

 

I picked this film at random on my flight home from Orlando. Poor choice by me. Farcical and shallow. Went nowhere. 

Rating: D-

Where The Crawdads Sing (2022)

 

Probably not a great idea to cross a girl who has been surviving since a young age alone in the swamps. You’ll have to be patient for the big reveal at the end. 

Rating: C

Nope (2022)

 

Peele is more miss than hit lately. The mystery wasn’t all that exciting. The story keeps your attention, but at the end you are left wondering if your in-flight movie time could have been better spent elsewhere. Ho-hum ending. 

Rating: C-

Spirited (2022)

 

A creative twist on the Dickens classic. Would have preferred a non-musical version, as I’m not a showtunes guy. 

Rating: C

Bullet Train (2022)

 

A shoot-em up firing mostly blanks. Implausible doesn’t even begin to describe it. The flash and bang will hold your attention, but ultimately you’ll end up wishing you had gotten off at the first stop. 

Rating: C-

Framing Britney Spears (2021)

 

I watched this mainly to better understand conservatorships and for a high-level overview of what’s transpired with Britney Spears the last few decades. I wasn’t really paying much attention. The documentary served both purposes. 

Rating: C

The Lost City (2022)

 

Some light fun if you don’t take it too seriously. Poor casting choice with Sandra Bullock. She’s simply too much older than Channing Tatum to make it a credible love story. 

Rating: C

Thor: Love And Thunder (2022)

 

It felt like an endless video game with non-stop flashing graphics. I’m glad Waititi can make a fortune directing this schlock so he can continue pumping out high quality series like Reservation Dogs, What We Do In The Shadows, and Our Flag Means Death. 

Rating: D-

Happy Death Day (2017)

 

If Groundhog’s Day were a slasher flick. Plot holes galore, but entertaining enough. 

Rating: C

Prey (2022)

 

A primitive prequel in the Predator franchise that pits an Native American girl and her dog against a Predator visiting Earth for some sport hunting. 

Rating: C+

The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent (2022)

 

Nic goes mega-meta in an action comedy that isn’t quite funny or thrilling enough. 

Rating: C

I’m Your Man (Ich bin dein Mensch) (2021)

 

German lady takes a robotic companion for a test drive to study the ethics of introducing AI-lovers into society. It’s actually pretty charming. 

Rating: C+

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

 

A bit of nostalgic fun with a nameless enemy that no one can feel sad about seeing get blown up. 

Rating: C

Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)

 

Another fun chapter in this completely engaging series. Fans of the show like me will love this film update. The characters are like old friends at this point. 

Rating: B-

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

 

Movies like this are made to be seen in the theater. Dinosaur fights and chases are in your face and felt in your bones. Fun to see a world slowly adapting to life with dinosaurs. Often felt like an Indiana Jones throwback–a compliment. 

Rating: C+