As my longer term readers know, I have done a Golf Year in Review for the last couple of years. What you may not know is that movies are a passion neck and neck with golf.
Being a bit of an obsessive when it comes to lists (who knew right 😂), I have always tracked movies I’ve seen. I still use a spreadsheet for all the movies, specials, documentaries, TV shows, and the like that I’ve watched. For me, there is something soothing in doing this.
For 2021, I had a loose goal to watch a lot of movies. Not a set number per se. I would say I accomplished that feat, having watched 230 movies and 28 specials/limited series.
I also found a knew way to track movies. I came across the Letterboxd app (also a website) that lets you create lists, write reviews, and rate movies up to 5 stars. You can follow people on here and see their activity as well. It’s been fun to have this chronological diary of entertainment for the year.
I saved the best for last. Many times I’ve mentioned the No Laying Up message board, The Refuge, on this site. Through that I have developed friends from weekly Zooms that started during the pandemic and have continued. Another Zoom tradition came out of the Refuge this year with Film Club.
Before you say how pretentious that sounds, it’s meant to be a bit tongue in cheek. We have serious discussions, but also laugh a ton. We’ve discussed movies ranging from Oscar winners to cult classics (shoutout Never Too Young to Die) and had fun with all of them. As with anything, people have differing opinions and it’s been great to hear them. We have some really knowledgeable people and I’ve learned a lot, even if I think Phantom Thread was just ok.
I like a lot of different types of movies and I will pretty much watch anything (horror excepted). You’ll see that in the summary of the year below. Bad to great, I’ll give anything a chance and I have only turned off movies early two or three times. I’m by no means a film expert and I don’t know all of the technical/thematic/analytical stuff that goes into film critiques. I know what I like and what I don’t. Hopefully, you’ll find something here you liked, see something new, or vehemently disagree with something! That’s what movies are all about.
Without further delay, let’s get into some categories and stats!
Favorite Movie of the Year
You’ll see below that I had three movies rated at five stars so I obviously loved them all. However, Hunt for the Wilderpeople stood out for me. A great mix of humor, sentiment, and feeling. I am a sucker for movies like that. I laughed so hard at this movie. Sam Neill gave a great performance but Julian Dennison in the lead role was incredible. Movies like this just make me happy.
Worst Movie of the Year
Could go a few ways here, but it’s Rambo: Last Blood. Totally unnecessary, Stallone is way over the hill for the part, stupid revenge tale. Yuck!
Biggest Surprises
Morris From America: I went into this with no expectations and came away really enjoying it. Craig Robinson and Markee Robinson give heartwarming performances as American fish out of water in Germany. Really fun movie!
Juliet, Naked: Rose Byrne will always work for me. Add in Ethan Hawke and Chris O’Dowd and this was a lovely romantic comedy hitting all the right notes. At a tick over 90 minutes, even if you don’t love it, the commitment is small.
Biggest Disappointments
I Care a Lot: This movie frustrated me in so many ways. I loved the premise and it had a great cast. The Netflix preview had me raring to go. Then I watched it and the entire back half of the movie was bad and all the characters were unlikeable. This movie pissed me off more so much!
Dishonorable Mentions: Godzilla vs. Kong / Army of the Dead / F9
General Stats and Lists
Movies By Star Rating
*Note – 2.5 stars is my baseline for where movies start in my thought process when rating. I didn’t rate everything I watched.*
0.5 – Rambo: Last Blood / The Circle / Escape Plan: The Extractors / A Haunted House 2 / The Kissing Booth 3 / The Last Days of American Crime / Cosmic Sin / Kill ’em All / Johnny Be Good
1.0 – 13 / Girl in Progress / Monster Hunter / Terminator Genisys / Why Did You Kill Me? / The Stand In / Good Kids / Never Too Young to Die / Geostorm / Can’t Buy Me Love / Biloxi Blues / Father of the Year / What Dreams May Come / Chaos / The Back Nine / Lower Learning
1.5 – November Criminals / Jay and Silent Bob Reboot / The Expendables 3 / Borat Subsequent Moviefilm / Cut Throat City / Godzilla vs. Kong / Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal / Riddick / The Numbers Station / True Memoirs of an International Assassin / SAS: Red Notice / A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints / Night Teeth / The Perfect Date / Close / Brain on Fire
2.0 – Outside the Wire / Lowriders / Just Getting Started / Nobody’s Fool / The Artist / Above the Rim / I Care a Lot / Zack Snyder’s Justice League / Afternoon Delight / Army of the Dead / The Long Kiss Goodnight / Awake / Time / Coming 2 America / Brick / Maggie / Into the Grizzly Maze / The Ice Road / The Operative / Poms / Fantastic Mr. Fox / The Guilty / The Midnight Sky / The Meddler / Red Notice / The Matrix Resurrections
2.5 – Superintelligence / Tomb Raider (2018) / Gemini Man / What Men Want / To All the Boys: Always and Forever / Marauders / Kicking and Screaming (1995) / Darkest Hour / Everybody Wants Some!! / Thunder Force / Criminal / The Man From Nowhere / Irresistible / Heist / The Suicide Squad / Battle in Seattle / Freaks / Resort to Love / Message from the King / The Last Mercenary / 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi / True History of the Kelly Gang / Level Sixteen / Sweet Girl / Untold: Malice at the Palace / F9 / Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell / Peninsula / Some Kind of Heaven / Kate / Miller’s Crossing / The Long Dumb Road / The Whole Truth / Girls Trip / Avengement / Lost Girls / Streets of Fire / How I Live Now / Coming Home in the Dark
3.0 – Collateral Beauty / The Verdict / Playing for Keeps / The Rhythm Section / Like a Boss / Capone / Oldboy (2013) / The Groomsmen / Ready Player One / Wild Card / Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull / Triple Threat / Prince Avalanche / Rescue Dawn / The Half of It / Star Trek Into Darkness / Star Trek Beyond / Hotel Mumbai / I’m Your Woman / Locked Down / Those Who Wish Me Dead / I Am All Girls / Stowaway / Wag The Dog / Man Down / The Wedding Guest / Arctic / Good on Paper / Unknown / The Night Comes for Us / Felon / Beckett / Small Crimes / Monsters / Amanda Knox / The Paper Tigers / The Many Saints of Newark / 10 Years / The DUFF / Love Hard / Synchronic / Red Joan / Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible / 30 for 30: Breakaway / Wrath of Man / Mixtape
3.5 – Bully / Dolemite Is My Name / Woman Walks Ahead / Phantom Thread / Troop Zero / Midway / The Little Things / Moxie / Top Five / Moon / Mortal Kombat (2021) / Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse / The White Tiger / The Lifeguard / Greenland / Like Father / The Legend of Cocaine Island / A Midnight Clear / Fatman / Dead Man Down / Cartel Land / Adrift / Down in the Valley / Sword of Trust / Concrete Cowboy / Basic Instinct / The High Note / The Siege of Jadotville / Life of Crime / Bottle Rocket / Flipped / Let Him Go / The Incredible Jessica James / Fatherhood / Once Upon a Time in Queens
4.0 – Da 5 Bloods / The Good Liar / Bombshell / Terminator: Dark Fate / Last Flag Flying / Miss Sloane / Flags of Our Fathers / The Last Blockbuster / Morris From America / The Immigrant / Sound of Metal / Brittany Runs a Marathon / Midnight Special / Juliet, Naked / City Island / Late Night / The Fundamentals of Caring / The Last Days / Short Term 12 / Gunpowder Milkshake / Black Book / Sand Castle / I, Tonya / ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas / The Zookeeper’s Wife / Midnight Run / News of the World / Once Upon a Time in America / Dune (2021) / Worth / Starred Up
4.5 – Mudbound / Fences / One Night in Miami… / Arrival / If Beale Street Could Talk
5.0 – Casablanca / Manchester by the Sea / Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Movies Watched (Chronological Order)
Mudbound / Bully / Dolemite Is My Name / Collateral Beauty / Woman Walks Ahead / November Criminals / The Verdict / Da 5 Bloods / Outside the Wire / Lowriders / Playing For Keeps / Phantom Thread / The Good Liar / Superintelligence / Casablanca / The Rhythm Section / Rambo: Last Blood / Tomb Raider (2018) / The Circle / Bombshell / Like a Boss / Just Getting Started / Escape Plan: The Extractors / Terminator: Dark Fate / Capone / Jay and Silent Bob Reboot / The Expendables 3 / Last Flag Flying / Manchester by the Sea / Miss Sloane / Borat Subsequent Moviefilm / Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching / Gemini Man / What Men Want / Troop Zero / Fences / Nobody’s Fool / Oldboy (2013) / The Groomsmen / To All the Boys: Always and Forever / Flags of Our Fathers / Midway / One Night in Miami… / The Little Things / Ready Player One / Wild Card / Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull / Marauders / Triple Threat / 13 / Kicking and Screaming (1995) / Moxie / Arrival / The Artist / If Beale Street Could Talk / Darkest Hour / The Last Blockbuster / Girl in Progress / Above the Rim / Morris from America / Everybody Wants Some!! / Prince Avalanche / Cut Throat City / Top Five / The Immigrant / Godzilla vs. Kong / Sound of Metal / Thunder Force / Rescue Dawn / The Half of It / I Care a Lot / Brittany Runs a Marathon / Star Trek Into Darkness / Star Trek Beyond / Moon / Midnight Special / Mortal Kombat (2021) / Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse / The White Tiger / The Lifeguard / Juliet, Naked / Zack Snyder’s Justice League / Hotel Mumbai / I’m Your Woman / Greenland / Monster Hunter / City Island / Locked Down / Late Night / Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal / Afternoon Delight / Army of the Dead / The Last Cruise / Terminator Genisys / The Long Kiss Goodnight / Those Who Wish Me Dead / I Am All Girls / Why Did You Kill Me? / Like Father / The Fundamentals of Caring / The Stand In / The Legend of Cocaine Island / Stowaway / The Last Days / Awake / A Haunted House 2 / Wag The Dog / Time / Coming 2 America / Brick / Man Down / The Wedding Guest / Riddick / Criminal / The Man From Nowhere / Short Term 12 / Irresistible / Heist / Gunpowder Milkshake / Good Kids / Hunt for the Wilderpeople / Black Book / A Midnight Clear / Fatman / Dead Man Down / The Suicide Squad / Arctic / Maggie / Never Too Young to Die / Into The Grizzly Maze / The Ice Road / The Numbers Station / Good on Paper / Cartel Land / Battle in Seattle / Geostorm / Adrift / Down in the Valley / Sand Castle / Sword of Trust / Unknown / Can’t Buy Me Love / Freaks / Concrete Cowboy / Resort to Love / The Kissing Booth 3 / Basic Instinct / True Memoirs of an International Assassin / Biloxi Blues / Message from the King / The Night Comes for Us / Felon / Beckett / Father of the Year / SAS: Red Notice / The Last Mercenary / The Last Days of American Crime / The Operative / Small Crimes / I, Tonya / 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi / True History of the Kelly Gang / Monsters / The High Note / ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas / Poms / Amanda Knox / The Siege of Jadotville / Life of Crime / Level Sixteen / The Zookeeper’s Wife / Fantastic Mr. Fox / Midnight Run / The Paper Tigers / Sweet Girl / What Dreams May Come / Untold: Malice at the Palace / Cosmic Sin / 30 for 30: Al Davis vs. The NFL / A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints / Bottle Rocket / The Many Saints of Newark / The Guilty / Flipped / Let Him Go / Night Teeth / News of the World / 10 Years / Once Upon a Time in America / The DUFF / F9 / Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell / The Incredible Jessica James / Peninsula / The Midnight Sky / Kill ’em All / Fatherhood / Love Hard / Synchronic / The Perfect Date / Some Kind of Heaven / Kate / Red Joan / The Meddler / Miller’s Crossing / The Long Dumb Road / Dune (2021) / Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible / The Whole Truth / Close / Girls Trip / 30 for 30: Breakaway / Worth / Downing of a Flag / Chaos / Avengement / Red Notice / Lost Girls / Starred Up / The Back Nine / Once Upon a Time in Queens / Lower Learning / Streets of Fire / Wrath of Man / Mixtape / How I Live Now / Johnny Be Good / Coming Home in the Dark / The Matrix Resurrections / Brain on Fire
Specials/Limited Series Watched (Chronological Order)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion / Tiger / The Plot Against America / Trial 4 / Death to 2020 / Brian Regan: On The Rocks / Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer / Godless / Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American / Michael Che Matters / John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid / John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City / Jim Gaffigan: Cinco / Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America! / Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed / Friends: The Reunion / Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby / Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty / Money, Explained / Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up for the First Time / The Serpent / Bo Burnham: Make Happy / Demetri Martin: The Overthinker / Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang / Squid Game / Colin Quinn: Red State, Blue State / Clickbait / Attack of the Hollywood Cliches