Best Movies of 2021... So Far

15. SUMMER OF SOUL by Questlove - While Woodstock was occurring in 1969 in upstate New York, at the same time the Harlem Cultural Festival was also in full swing. Like with Juneteenth and the Tulsa massacre, it was a bit of Black history that was mostly overlooked in the mainstream. This documentary uncovers the 50-year-old footage that's never be seen and restores it for those who participated and attended. From Stevie Wonder to Nina Simone, it was a concert that represented the Black community in stunning fashion.

14. THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON by Ali LeRoi - This year, Two Distant Strangers (2020) won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. It was about a young, African American man who is killed by police and upon his death travels back in time to relive the same day and same death all over again. It was Groundhog Day (1993) meets Black Lives Matter. This film, starring Steven Silver, did that same concept first. In addition to the futility of Black people being able to change the outcome of police interactions, this film tackles the issues of coming out and interracial dating among gay men.

13. CRUELLA by Craig Gillespie - It's my favorite of the Disney live-action adaptations of their classic cartoons. It's Emma Stone versus Emma Thompson, the battle of the two Emma's in a prequel to One Hundred and One Dalmations (1961) meets The Devil Wears Prada (2006) but set in 70's London with a punk fashion sensibility or aesthetic.

12. A QUIET PLACE PART II by John Krasinski - A rare horror sequel that's just as good as the original. It takes a very narrowly focused view and opens things up a little. It's a monster flick that might not be as scary but is just as thrilling with great performances. The whole thing invokes and perhaps rivals Jurassic Park (1993).

11. DANCE OF THE FORTY-ONE by David Pablos - An infamous story from Mexico, 1901, is brought to life in vivid detail. It's about a gay scandal connected to the Mexican president and his son-in-law. It's a juicy, if soapy, Latino version of Brokeback Mountain (2005) meets Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

10. THE BOY FROM MEDELLÍN by Matthew Heineman - A profile of pop star, J Balvin leading up to his 2019 concert in Colombia and the political unrest there. I think this film in a lot of ways does what Summer of Soul does but for Latinos. It's not just a fluffy celebrity chaser. It is about the political struggles that Colombia faces and it's thoughtful and measured.

9. THE MAURITANIAN by Kevin Macdonald - Tahar Rahim stars opposite Jodie Foster about a man wrongly imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay for more than a decade. Rahim has the potential to be a movie star. He's charming and sexy but capable of such emotional depths. He's French but this film is an example of how viable he could be in America.

8. THE WHITE TIGER by Ramin Bahrani - It's Slumdog Millionaire (2008) meets Parasite (2019) with a dash of The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) mixed in a story that could have been directed by Martin Scorsese. It features probably the best performance by a non-American I've seen so far this year, that of Adarsh Gourav who gives what I would consider an Oscar-worthy performance, particularly in one scene that was one of the most jaw-dropping scenes I've ever seen.

7. JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH by Shaka King - Nominated for six Oscars at the 93rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, it won two. It won Best Original Song ("Fight For You") by H.E.R. and Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya who plays Fred Hampton, the leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party who was killed in 1969 as part of an insidious plot, orchestrated by the FBI, which is now seen as a racist assassination by the American government. It's a powerful and important story that everyone should see.

6. RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON by Carlos López Estrada and Don Hall - Walt Disney Animation brings a story focusing on a predominantly Asian cast, coming in the wake of Mulan (1998) and Moana (2016). It's redemption for Kelly Marie Tran who was rather dismissed in the last Star Wars film and it features Awkwafina giving a vocal performance on par with Robin Williams in Aladdin (1992).

5. ROCKS by Sarah Gavron - A powerful film about inner-city poverty in the UK, focusing on a young Black girl who is abandoned by her mother and has to take care of her little brother. If one is familiar with Small Axe (2020) by Steve McQueen, then one could consider that this film could be a spiritual successor. Instead of the 70's and 80's, this film takes place in the present.

4. TWO OF US by Filippo Meneghetti - This was the official submission from France to the 93rd Academy Awards for Best International Feature. It made the shortlist but didn't get nominated. Having seen all five films that were nominated, I can confidently say that this film was robbed. With the exception of Quo Vadis, Aida?, I would have preferred this film over all the others nominated, including the film that won, Another Round (2020) from Denmark. This film is also currently the best LGBTQ film of the year. It's romantic. It's heartbreaking. It's thrilling.

3. QUO VADIS, AIDA? by Jasmila Žbanić - Nominated for Best International Feature at the 93rd Academy Awards, this was the official submission from Bosnia and Herzegovina. It didn't win, but it absolutely should have. It's about the Bosnian War. It's about a woman who works as a translator for the UN and does all she can to protect her family from the impending genocide at the hands of the Serbian army. It's such an edge-of-your-seat, tense narrative that ends with such a gut punch that it blew me away.

2. THE FATHER by Florian Zeller - Nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, it won two. It won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, making him the oldest winner of a competitive Oscar. His performance as a man suffering from dementia is incredible, but Zeller's filmmaking here, the production design and the editing are very intriguing and superb. Zeller proves how clever he is and how a rather simple idea can be executed in an amazing way.

1. NOMADLAND by Chloé Zhao - Nominated for six Oscars, it won three, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Frances McDormand and Best Directing for Zhao who was the first Asian woman nominated in the category and obviously the first Asian woman to win. Zhao was also the second woman ever to win in that category. Her work was nothing short of wondrous, beautiful and compassionate to the beyond.