2021 — Features — Cinema As We Know It

Megan's Top Ten Films of 2021

2021 offered a smorgasbord of unique films. So unique, in fact, it’s hard to draw any conclusions about trends or new themes in my own taste. In years past, it was the coming-of-age story that was in fashion, or tales of American hardship and triumph that hit home. It would be a tall task to find a box that comfortably fit a sports documentary, an art-rock marionette baby, an Arthurian legend, and whatever descriptors you’d use for Titane. Perhaps common denominators are overrated. Eclectic in the best way. My top picks of the year each seemed to be plucked from disparate corners of the medium to form a delightful lineup with something for any mood.

Kevin’s Top Ten Films of 2021

Most films try with all their might to convince me I am anything but a passive witness. In return, I try (with all of my might) to forget that I am not just in a darkened room. This unspoken compromise can be a beautiful thing between individuals and artists who likely will never share the same space. In one way or another, my favorite movies of 2021 seem to be chipping away at passively existing- a feeling exacerbated by yet another year of precautions. As with me, I hope that art helped you feel a bit more alive in some way this year. Before we move too far into 2022, let’s reminisce together about some films that did that for me…

Theo’s Top Ten Films of 2021

If 2020 was the year of watching movies at home, 2021 was the year of the movie theatre. For me, it meant a return to two cinemas I particularly adore which provided a chance to catch up with favorites old and new. But as the year drew to a close with COVID-19 cases again on the rise in the UK, the bizarre question of whether I should be going to the cinema again weighed on my mind. And so, it was another weird year for movies and moviegoers – but far from a bad one. The difficulty I had in putting this list together is testament to the fantastic quality of films released in the period; any year in which sublimely sweet works from Paul Thomas Anderson and Céline Sciamma didn’t make my top ten is surely a good one.

Greg’s Top Ten Films of 2021

Looking back on 2021, the major theme has to be the return of theaters. What they have to offer — spectacle, shared experience, dialog — cannot be replicated at home in isolation, and more so than any one release, the return of theaters was notable based on the simple fact that they enable exhibition. Going from sitting at home and streaming movies for most of 2020 to being able to finally watch a film on the big screen served as a potent reminder of what is lost when theatrical exhibition is removed from the equation. While you should seek out these films by any means necessary, my favorite films from 2021 go hand in hand with the cinematic experience.

Back to the Movies

The movies are back! As theaters begin to reopen and restrictions are lifted, we can begin to take our places again, seated alongside friends or strangers, and find fresh joys in the world on screen. The celebration and preservation of film and filmgoing will be ongoing, but the best reasons for returning to the theater and committing to making them as accessible as possible, with as much selection as possible, are those personal. In honor of their return, our August & September theme is all about our favorite theatrical experiences and why in the light of the big screen anything is possible.

Visions from the LA Rebellion: An Interview with Charles Burnett and Billy Woodberry

In the late 1960s, the first generation of Black filmmakers at UCLA broke new ground for with their thoughtful, thorough, compassionate portrayals of the Black Americans on film, forming the cinematic movement that would eventually be known as the LA Rebellion. In honor of the retrospective at this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival, we sat down with cinematic legends Charles Burnett and Billy Woodberry to discuss the films that changed Black representation in cinema, the factors that influenced their work, and their enduring legacy that continues to inspire generations of filmmakers

Take It To Print! : April - May Theme

For our April & May theme, we’re selecting films that focus on journalism, and more specifically print journalism. As much as the medium has shifted to online publication, there remains a special place in our hearts for ink and paper and the means with which it arrives in our hands every morning without fail. These films embody the age-old tradition of journalism — hitting the streets, getting the facts, writing the story, and breaking the news — and define the complicated relationship between the profession and the public and do so through the lens of printing presses and Sunday editions.

Features, ThemesCinema As We Know ItApril 4, 2021Features, Themes, Greg Arietta, Kevin Conner, Theo Rollason, 2021

SXSW Online 2021 Review Feature

Want to read about all of Cinema As We Know’s SXSW Online 2021 coverage in one place? Check out our review feature! We’ve got capsule and full reviews for all the films we’ve seen at this year’s festival. We’ll be adding more throughout the remainder of festival and in the days after as we get caught up, so check back regularly for new additions.

SXSW Online 2021 Preview

For the second year in row, we’ll be experiencing SXSW from the remote isolation of our living rooms, covering as many films as we can for the next few weeks. Before the festival kicks off on March 16th, we want to highlight a smattering of films that are on our radar and that we think should be on yours too. Whether they feature familiar faces, one-of-a-kind premises, or word-of-mouth buzz, these are the films you should check out for SXSW Online 2021.

Sonic Dreams : February - March Theme

Like a good mix tape, a soundtrack cherry picks songs from disparate sources and strings them together to create an auditory experience all its own. The best films with soundtracks do this over and over again, playing track after track that cultivates a rhythmic liminal state of euphoria where sound and image become greater than the sum of their part. A Sonic Dream so to speak. For our February — March theme, we’re selecting our favorite film soundtracks that make us feel what cannot be rendered visually and add to the cinematic experience in ways only music can.

Features, ThemesCinema As We Know ItFebruary 8, 2021Features, Themes, Greg Arietta, Kevin Conner, Theo Rollason, Sonic Dreams, 2021