By William Watson
Did the world re-open in 2022? If you look at the movies, it feels like the answer is…sort of? Sure, there were tentpole movies like Spider-Man, Shang Chi, Black Widow, and No Time to Die, but the movie industry was definitely still a stay on home prospect most weekends.
In a year where very few films hit the modern $200m magic domestic number, Warner Brothers even adopted a controversial decision to do day and date releases of its entire slate. It remains to be seen how this new shift in the industry will play out, but that is for 2022 to decide.
But first let’s close out 2021. In a weird film year, I got my fellow Geek, Ryan Garcia, to buy into the madness of mass film watching. To make this article more fun, any film he saw on my list, he will bring the snark in the full list at the end. Check out his often bizarre film analysis.
Well, here we go…
Time to jump right into the list!
Top Ten
10. Coda
The Ted Lasso of 2021 movies. Just so sweet and warm. Coda tells the story of the only member of a family that is not deaf, who wants to be a professional singer. The way the family connects and supports her despite their blue collar roots will have you smiling.
9. In & Of Itself
Rarely do I take movie recommendations from Ryan, but we exchanged movie assignments middle of the year, and this was his pick for me. I am glad because I might have missed this recording of a live performance by magician and storyteller, Derek DelGaudio. His act is mixed in with a deep and emotional examination of personal identity.
8. Spider-Man: No Way Home
I was really frustrated when I heard they were doing a multiverse take on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. That isn’t really Spidey’s signature temperature. I was preconditioned to hate it, but damn it Holland, Zendaya, and the rest of the cast was amazing. I still wish we had gotten a more conventional Spider-Man movie where he swings around New York, but if they are going this route, at least they executed.
7. Nine Days
Artsy SciFi/Fantasy done well. A small, personal story of a man in the beyond who gets to choose from a group of souls who gets to go to Earth and live. Winston Duke, best known for the brutish M’baku in Black Panther, turns in an incredibly nuanced performance. His fascination with his charges, those who are set to replace one who died suddenly (especially the amazing Zazie Beetz), and how he softens the blows for those eliminated make me wonder how he’s not attracted ANY Oscar buzz.
6. Cruella
I had NO desire to see this movie. It was so far down on the list that I thought about not watching it until it was free on D+. But Stephanie wanted to watch it on a date night, so we rented it early. Money well spent! I assumed Emma Stone would do well, and she even exceeded expectations, but EVERYTHING worked in this movie. The direction, the costumes, the cinematography, the story. EVERYTHING! Probably my biggest surprise of the year.
5. Belfast
This is Oscar bait done well. When I saw it was a black and white movie set in the Troubles, I felt like many farts were to be sniffed. But this movie had a sweet and warm narrative set in a tough period of Northern Ireland’s history. Ciarán Hinds makes a good movie a special film with his Oscar worthy performance. The King Beyond the Wall, indeed!
4. King Richard
This might be Will Smith’s year to win the Oscar. He infused a fascinating character with depth and life. Richard Williams was a fascinating character and a lesser actor could have played him as a caricature without meaning to, but Smith fleshes him out and captures his drive (often obsessively so) to make his daughters great in every way.
3. Being the Ricardos
I don’t understand the controversy around the casting. Everyone was amazing! I love Aaron Sorkin. I love behind the scenes movies about famous moments in entertainment. I love 50s/60s era Hollywood. This was a movie custom made for me.
2. I Care a Lot
A February Netflix movie is my second favorite film of the year. That is how good it was. It was equal parts funny, tense, and violent. Peter Dinklage continues to find great roles that don’t even acknowledge his height; which tells you how amazing he is because entertainment has long been awful to people who have dwarfism. Dinklage is menacing and excellent, but it is Rosamund Pike who really makes this special. How she missed out on a nomination last year for the Oscars should be reviewed by the Justice Department!
1. Judas and the Black Messiah
So…my FAVORITE movie of the year was a film released in February on HBO MAX. Daniel Kaluuya earned his Oscar, putting in a Supporting Actor performance that belongs in the pantheon with Heath Ledger, JK Simmons, and Joe Pesci. Sure, sure. You have to pretend he’s not the lead character, but whatever. This movie should have won Best Picture. It had so much heart, passion, and depth. Worth the price of HBO Max for a whole year…
BOTTOM TEN
But even more fun than the top 10? The stinky bottom ten. You see a lot of movies…you see a lot of stinkers. In the past, I have sought out bad movies like Transformers or Mortdecai to fill in the bottom of the list. This year, the turds sought ME out!
So let’s take a look at the stinky turds inhabiting the Watson Bottom Ten!
10. Snake Eyes
Was Snake Eyes in this movie? This was a dumb karate movie that could have been any property until the last 30 seconds. I’m not sure GI Joe can be adapted into film. There’s just not much special about it.
9. F9
That rope bridge action sequence explains why Trump was elected president. May god have mercy on your soul if you like this franchise.
8. TOM AND JERRY
This was bad even by children movie standards. I kind of like the “Home Alone in New York” premise, but this movie couldn’t have been worse if it also included Donald Trump.
7. INFINITE
I expected nothing less from Markie Mark. As dumb as this movie was, it was worse because he’s just not a good actor. Put Matt Damon or Will Smith in this exact movie, and it goes up 30 spots.
6. MATRIX: RESURECTIONS
Memba Matrix? I ‘memba! When you are making jokes about making a fourth version to a video game trilogy to practically apologize for making the movie, you should know you should have scrapped the project. While this one wasn’t as atrocious as the third installment of the original trilogy, it was nowhere near as good as part two. I didn’t like part two.
5. The Woman in the Window
Ruining a movie with THIS cast??? Check. Knock off Rear Window with none of the charm? Check. Get me to the point where I didn’t CARE if she was crazy or there was a mystery? Check. Disappoint me with the ending? Check.
4. MALIGNANT
I vowed to watch all the WB day and date releases because I bought I big screen the day the news was announced. This one tested my vow. This was a nostalgia movie for an era where I had already abandoned horror movies as a genre I enjoyed. I can only assume this picture is from the movie because I don’t remember shit about it other than a general disgust.
3. HALLOWEEN KILLS
This was everything the 2018 reboot was supposed to undo. This was a schlocky, dumb movie where Jamie Lee Curtis phones in her worst performance ever. There was a cool premise they could have worked, the town fights back, but they made it REALLY dumb instead.
2. CRY MACHO
It was so stereotypically insensitive toward Hispanics, I am surprised Eastwood didn’t call it Cry Nacho. Eastwood’s time is passed. He needs to stop directing if this is his product. He definitely needs to stop acting. His fight scene was laughably bad. Poor guy is 90. He can’t beat anyone up except for Tom…
1. BARB AND STAR GO TO DEL VISTA MAR
The worst movie I have seen since Mortdecai. I do not understand how this got positive reviews. There is NOTHING funny about this movie. Terrible start to finish.
Final Thoughts
Not the best year for cinema. It’s odd because I thought this year would be a powerhouse given the hold from 2020. Yet, the film quality was really not there, making me wonder about the state of the industry. Well, until next year…
Full List (#1-175)
ALL-TIME GREATS
There are no entries this year which feel like they qualify as all-time greats…
EXCELLENT
| MOVIE | STARS | LOCALE | GENRE | DATE WATCHED |
Ryan says: | Watson Says: |
| 1 | JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH | 9.5 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 2/13 | Amazing. Even the end title cards are powerful. | Some of the most powerful acting ever. |
| 2 | I CARE A LOT | 9 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 2/26 | Pike kicks ass and her hair will slice you in half. | I wish this would have come out later in the year so Pike would be in the Oscar race… |
| 3 | BEING THE RICARDOS | 9 | AMAZON | DRAMA | 12/23 | Sorkin never lets the truth get in the way of a good story, again. | I don’t understand the controversy around the casting. Everyone was amazing! |
| 4 | KING RICHARD | 9 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 11/19 | This might be Will Smith’s year! | |
| 5 | BELFAST | 9 | FIRST RUN | DRAMA | 11/14 | A special movie made even more special by Handis… | |
| 6 | CRUELLA | 9 | DISNEY+ | DRAMA | 5/29 | Emma Stone makes a ho-hum retelling into fire. | One of the biggest surprises of the year! |
| 7 | NINE DAYS | 9 | PVOD | DRAMA | 11/3 | So moody and beautiful | |
| 8 | SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | ADVENTURE | 12/16 | It was the best possible version of a weird plot choice… | |
| 9 | IN & OF ITSELF | 8.5 | HULU | DOCUMENTARY | 8/9 | Pure magic. | An amazing story teller… |
| 10 | CODA | 8.5 | APPLE TV+ | DRAMA | 12/19 | There is a scene in this movie that, if you can watch without bawling, you are literally soulless | The Ted Lasso of movies. |
STRONG ENTRIES
| 11 | TWAS THE FIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS | 8.5 | APPLE TV+ | COMEDY | 11/30 | Kilowatts for Christ: The Movie | Every lawyer knows someone just like this guy… |
| 12 | LAST NIGHT IN SOHO | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | HORROR | 3/30 | The two leads got me to go along for the ride. | |
| 13 | SHANG CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | ACTION | 9/2 | “Your mother wanted you to have something special when you returned.” “Dragon-scale shirts? What do they do.” “Nothing. That’s what she gets for leaving.” | Fun new entry to the MCU |
| 14 | NO TIME TO DIE | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | ACTION | 10/12 | That’s how you fucking end a story arc! | A fitting exit for Daniel Craig. |
| 15 | ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | DOCUMENTARY | 7/18 | Frustratingly spends time on the boring while skipping the interesting. | Brought back the pain of his passing.. |
| 16 | TOM PETTY: SOMEWHERE YOU FEEL FREE | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | DOCUMENTARY | 10/20 | Same as Roadrunner… | |
| 17 | THE SPARKS BROTHERS | 8.5 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 12/6 | I would have thought Edgar was making a mockumentary if I didn’t know they were real… | |
| 18 | STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET | 8.5 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 5/25 | I would pay to watch two hours of Muppet bloopers. | Big Bird singing at Henson’s funeral brings the feels |
| 19 | FAUCI | 8.5 | DISNEY+ | DOCUMENTARY | 10/11 | Great look at a personal hero | |
| 20 | NOBODY | 8.5 | PVOD | ACTION | 5/3 | The newer, better, less racist Taken. | Bob has come a long way from Mr Show! |
| 21 | CITIZEN ASHE | 8.5 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 12/8 | A dignified man who was a pioneer | |
| 22 | NO SUDDEN MOVE | 8.5 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 6/2 | Gotta love a movie where Brendan Fraser is credited but unrecognizable and Matt Damon is recognizable but uncredited. | Great noir crime thriller. My sweet spot |
| 23 | 8-BIT CHRISTMAS | 8.5 | HBO MAX | COMEDY | 12/12 | A more modern, slightly worse Christmas Story, salvaged by NPH | A charming new holiday classic |
| 24 | THE LAST DUEL | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | DRAMA | 10/17 | Come for the drama. Stay for Affleck’s hairdo… | |
| 25 | ASSASSINS | 8.5 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 11/28 | If I had a nickel every time I heard someone say they were tricked into becoming an international assassin by making YouTube prank videos I would now have two nickels. Which is not a lot of money but way more than I thought I’d ever have. | The prank was on them… |
| 26 | FRENCH DISPATCH | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | COMEDY | 10/21 | More of an anthology than a singular film… | |
| 27 | FREE GUY | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | COMEDY | 8/19 | This movie made me adjective! | A breath of fresh air in the years that air can kill you |
| 28 | WEST SIDE STORY | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | MUSICAL | 12/10 | Spielberg made a remake special. | |
| 29 | THE CARD COUNTER | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | DRAMA | 9/11 | This could have been a perfect film if the team behind Rounders made it | Gritty and captivating |
| 30 | TICK…TICK…BOOM! | 8.5 | NETFLIX | MUSICAL | 11/23 | This will change your life. Bum bum bum bum bum. | Andrew Garfield is the only person that should contend with Will Smith for Best Actor! |
| 31 | THE SUICIDE SQUAD | 8.5 | HBO MAX | ACTION | 8/5 | Killed it. | Good, dumb fun that should have done better. |
| 32 | THE UNFORGIVABLE | 8.5 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 12/18 | Sandra Bullock should just make Netflix movies forever. | This was a nice surprise. |
| 33 | UNTOLD: MALICE AT THE PALACE | 8.5 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 8/16 | I haven’t felt this bad for millionaires since the internet bubble burst. | It will make you feel for Jermaine Oneal |
| 34 | CLERK. | 8.5 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 12/8 | Required viewing if you are a Kevin Smith fan. | |
| 35 | RED NOTICE | 8.5 | NETFLIX | ACTION | 11/13 | This movie had me at featured extras. | I could watch this cast do anything. |
| 36 | MAYOR PETE | 8.5 | AMAZON | DOCUMENTARY | 12/1 | Glad they had a camera crew following his unexpected rise. | |
| 37 | 76 DAYS | 8.5 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 9/15 | Same here but for Covid and not Pete. | |
| 38 | THE LOST LEONARDO | 8.5 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 11/30 | I think it was by a follower and not Leonardo. | |
| 39 | BLACK WIDOW | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | ADVENTURE | 7/8 | This would have been a much better movie without Natasha. | The movie would have been mediocre without Florence Pugh. |
| 40 | RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON | 8.5 | DISNEY+ | ANIMATED | 3/22 | Awesome world. Looking forward to some sequels. | Disney proper has been kicking Pixar’s butt the last five years. |
| 41 | A QUIET PLACE 2 | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | HORROR | 6/17 | This needs to turn into a premium series. Nice, tight little stories that could use a little more fleshing out. | Fun but not much new from the original. |
| 42 | ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI | 8.5 | AMAZON | DRAMA | 1/23 | Turns out this is not a reboot of the only song you know from Chess. | Great acting and directing. |
| 43 | THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE | 8.5 | FIRST RUN | DRAMA | 9/18 | The performances were great, but the story flags a bit. | |
| 44 | BLACK HOLES: THE EDGE OF ALL WE KNOW | 8.5 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 5/19 | This was amazing–when it’s all about a picture but the real money shot is a 4×4 grid showing correlation between images. Oh yeah, baby. | The scientists are surprisingly compelling storytellers |
| 45 | PIG | 8.5 | HULU | DRAMA | 12/19 | The best revenge movie about a truffle hunting pig you will ever see. | |
| 46 | MUSIC BOX: WOODSTOCK 99 | 8.5 | HBO MAX | DOCUMENTARY | 8/8 | Turns out we shouldn’t have done it all for the nookie. | Ok…so maybe Gen X was just as douchey as other generations… |
VERY GOOD
| 47 | WHITE TIGER | 8.5 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 2/14 | I wanted this to be better. | A charming little movie that could not have been ANY better! |
| 48 | OLD HENRY | 8 | PVOD | DRAMA | 10/31 | Nice PVOD rental with some good shootouts. | |
| 49 | GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE | 8 | FIRST RUN | ADVENTURE | 11/24 | Ghostbuster: The Force Awakens. | |
| 50 | CMON CMON | 8 | FIRST RUN | DRAMA | 12/7 | It jumped up 10 spots in the last 90 seconds of the film. |
GOOD MOVIES
| 51 | HOUSE OF GUCCI | 8 | FIRST RUN | DRAMA | 11/26 | Should have been a top ten movie but failed to execute. | |
| 52 | SOUTH PARK: POST-COVID: THE RETURN OF COVID | 8 | PARAMOUNT+ | ANIMATED | 12/16 | One of the rare times that South Park channels Futurama and delivers the feels! | |
| 53 | NIGHTMARE ALLEY | 8 | FIRST RUN | HORROR | 12/17 | This was decent but it should have been better. | |
| 54 | VACATION FRIENDS | 8 | HULU | COMEDY | 11/28 | John Cena needs to stop making movies where John Cena is the best part. | Dumb fun on Hulu. |
| 55 | DUNE | 8 | HBO MAX | ADVENTURE | 10/22 | If this receives a grade it should be Incomplete. | In the first 30 minutes, I thought it would be in my all time favorites. Then the next two hours were kinda boring. |
DECENT FLICKS
| 56 | CANDYMAN | 8 | PVOD | HORROR | 12/28 | Decent flick, but great direction that makes me excited about Marvels. | |
| 57 | VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE | 8 | FIRST RUN | ADVENTURE | 9/30 | The first one was fun and funny. This was neither for me. | Had the decency to be 90 minutes. |
| 58 | BECOMING COUSTEAU | 8 | DISNEY+ | DOCUMENTARY | 11/28 | What can I say? I like bipoic docs. | |
| 59 | MINARI | 8 | PVOD | DRAMA | 2/28 | Fittingly named. A weed of a movie that some people find valuable. | Small little movie. |
| 60 | UNTOLD: CRIMES & PENALTIES | 8 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 9/26 | WWE meets Sopranos meets Slapshot | |
| 61 | ZOLA | 8 | PVOD | DRAMA | 9/28 | Had its moments. | |
| 62 | 9/11: INSIDE THE PRESIDENT’S WAR ROOM | 8 | APPLE TV+ | DOCUMENTARY | 9/8 | Interesting view from the people in charge at the time. | |
| 63 | MALCOM AND MARIE | 8 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 2/10 | A performance piece. Zendaya is a treasure. | |
| 64 | A PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN | 8 | PVOD | DRAMA | 1/24 | This one will stick with you for a while. Maybe forever. | I liked it but I didn’t love it. |
| 65 | OPERATION VARSITY BLUES: THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL | 8 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 3/23 | Bad people, bad system, bad outcomes. | Interesting doc/drama combination. |
| 66 | LUCA | 8 | DISNEY+ | ANIMATED | 7/4 | I remember when Pixar movies had consistent, interesting worlds. | Felt more Dreamworks than Pixar, but the animation is good. |
| 67 | BLOOD RED SKY | 8 | NETFLIX | HORROR | 8/4 | I hope this becomes a franchise. Few edits short of a masterpiece. | If you are already afraid of flying, not the film for you… |
| 68 | CRACK | 8 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 2/11 | Interesting but unmemorable. | |
| 69 | MLK/FBI | 8 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 1/18 | Pretty straightforward doc. | |
| 70 | NEWS OF THE WORLD | 8 | PVOD | DRAMA | 1/16 | $15 | HANKS! |
| 71 | THE DISSIDENT | 8 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 1/14 | Pro tip: when engaging in a cyber war with a rich country, don’t click on random text links. | It will make you MAD! |
| 72 | THE FATHER | 8 | PVOD | DRAMA | 3/28 | I wish Boseman had won Best Actor, but don’t say he was robbed if you haven’t watched this brilliant performance. | |
| 73 | WHO ARE YOU, CHARLIE BROWN? | 8 | APPLE TV+ | DOCUMENTARY | 6/26 | Warm and sweet doc. | |
| 74 | RIDE THE EAGLE | 8 | PVOD | COMEDY | 12/12 | Fun disposable film. Perfect for napping when JK isn’t on screen. | MUCH better comedy than I expected. I liked the Covid shooting techniques. |
| 75 | SOUTH PARK: AFTER COVID | 8 | PARAMOUNT+ | ANIMATED | 11/27 | It was fine but not peak South Park. |
NOT A WASTE OF TIME
| 76 | COPSHOP | 8 | FIRST RUN | ACTION | 9/25 | Dumb fun that passed a Saturday afternoon. | |
| 77 | BLOOD BROTHERS: MALCOM X & MUHAMMAD ALI | 8 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 9/12 | Pretty straightforward doc. | |
| 78 | BEING JAMES BOND | 8 | APPLE TV+ | DOCUMENTARY | 9/7 | Fantastic interview leading up to Time To Die. | Really made me appreciate Craig’s place in film history. |
| 79 | SPENCER | 8 | FIRST RUN | DRAMA | 11/6 | Dallas Buyers Club entry. A performance piece. | |
| 80 | FATHERHOOD | 8 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 6/26 | I want Kevin Hart to be better than this. | Hart was charming and I like seeing him try to stretch his skills. |
| 81 | WORTH | 8 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 9/12 | Good performance by Keaton. | |
| 82 | SUMMER OF SOUL | 8 | HULU | DOCUMENTARY | 8/2 | I would love to go back in time and attend this amazing music festival. | |
| 83 | DON’T LOOK UP | 8 | NETFLIX | COMEDY | 12/24 | Feels like if this was supposed to be satire it should have gone further, which is odd given the topic. | Sadly a missed opportunity for greatness. |
| 84 | THE FRIENDS REUNION SPECIAL | 8 | HBO MAX | SPECIAL | 5/29 | This was fun, funny at times, and had some new information. Everything you’d want from a reunion. | Pure ass nostalgia! |
| 85 | A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX | 8 | PVOD | DOCUMENTARY | 5/22 | Super basic simulation theory from questionable sources. If it weren’t for the PKD footage, it’d be awful. | It made me think. |
| 86 | WEWORK: OR THE MAKING AND BREAKING OF A $47 BILLION UNICORN | 8 | HULU | DOCUMENTARY | 4/11 | I wanted there to be more about the crash here. | Megalomanics gotta megalomanic… |
| 87 | RITA MORENA: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT | 8 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 12/17 | What a charming entry in the annals of the American Dream. | |
| 88 | WITHOUT REMORSE | 8 | AMAZON | ACTION | 5/1 | Pretty generic. Could have been any action film except for the mid-credit scene. | Should have been so much better. |
| 89 | FRAMING BRITNEY SPEARS | 8 | HULU | DOCUMENTARY | 4/2 | Free Britney. | Pretty straightforward doc. |
| 90 | THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES | 8 | NETFLIX | ANIMATED | 5/8 | Unexpectedly awesome and sweet and funny at the same time. | I liked it but it was definitely more targeted at children than designed to appeal to all ages. |
| 91 | THE DAY SPORTS STOOD STILL | 7.5 | HBO MAX | DOCUMENTARY | 3/30 | Chris Paul’s lens is interesting. | |
| 92 | THE GREEN KNIGHT | 7.5 | FIRST RUN | ADVENTURE | 7/31 | Focuses more on mood and visuals than storytelling. | |
| 93 | TREAD | 7.5 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 12/5 | Follows a crazy guy who loses his shit. | |
| 94 | NOMADLAND | 7.5 | PRIVATEER | DRAMA | 1/20 | Are these broken people or symptoms of a broken system? | Beautiful but boring. |
| 95 | THE COURIER | 7.5 | PVOD | DRAMA | 8/28 | A decent period piece spy thriller | |
| 96 | PIECES OF A WOMAN | 7.5 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 1/10 | Dallas Buyers Club entry. A performance piece. | |
| 97 | THE YEAR EARTH CHANGED | 7.5 | APPLE TV+ | DOCUMENTARY | 6/26 | Interesting tidbits but not a great story. | |
| 98 | THE LITTLE THINGS | 7.5 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 1/29 | Tough sell. Not really a murder mystery, but acts like one. | Fun for a February on HBO Max. |
| 99 | ARMY OF THE DEAD | 7.5 | NETFLIX | ACTION | 5/22 | This is the best zombie heist film to come out in a long time. | This was fun but stupid. I WILL watch a sequel, though. |
| 100 | THE TOMORROW WAR | 7.5 | AMAZON | ACTION | 6/2 | This is the Jeff Foxworthy of Edge of Tomorrows. | Same as Army of the Dead… |
| 101 | THE WRATH OF MAN | PVOD | ACTION | 12/25 | An epic, interweaving crime tapestry where half the threads are fine silk and the other half are flimsy cobwebs. | It’s like Guy Ritchie farmed out half the film to Liam Neeson’s writing team. | |
| 102 | BECKETT | 7.5 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 9/19 | Guy jumps off a ledge and survives, so he finds a taller building to jump off of and survive. | With a better script doctor and director, this would have been impressive. |
| 103 | FEAR STREET 2: 1978 | 7.5 | NETFLIX | HORROR | 7/14 | Hard to judge as a standalone, but still brought some great elements to the first one. | I love the three film concept. This was the best as a single film. |
| 104 | SCHUMACHER | 7.5 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 11/7 | Hit just at the right time as I got into F1. | |
| 105 | FINCH | 7.5 | APPLE TV+ | DRAMA | 11/6 | “What if Pixar was really fucking depressed when it made Wall-E?” | I love Hanks, but this one dragged a lot. |
| 106 | ARMY OF THIEVES | 7.5 | NETFLIX | HORROR | 11/1 | It was fun, but at the end of the day the best part was the CGI of the inside of the safes. | A very likable lead. |
| 107 | UNTOLD: BREAKING POINT | 7.5 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 11/11 | I like the untold series of sports docs. | |
| 108 | IN THE HEIGHTS | 7.5 | HBO MAX | MUSICAL | 6/23 | Exactly how musicals should be made into movies. Exciting, visually stunning, and an amazing cast/story/music. | It just didn’t connect with me. |
| 109 | FEAR STREET 3: 1666 | 7.5 | NETFLIX | HORROR | 7/17 | Fantastic ending of the trilogy–half origin, half resolution. What a fun event! | You needed this to end the series, but as a standalone movie it is uneven. |
| 110 | LARRY FLINT FOR PRESIDENT | 7.5 | TRIBECA | DOCUMENTARY | 6/14 | What a character! | |
| 111 | JUNGLE CRUISE | 7.5 | DISNEY+ | ADVENTURE | 7/31 | How does a movie feel too big and too small at the same time? | They almost wasted an all world cast. They better get the sequel right! |
| 112 | THE ETERNALS | 7.5 | FIRST RUN | ADVENTURE | 11/4 | Total opposite of GotG. That movie took a cast of mostly unknown characters and made us like them all. This took a cast of mostly unknown characters and made us not give a shit about any of them. | The Nomadland of the MCU. |
| 113 | OLD | 7.5 | PVOD | HORROR | 10/31 | I liked the concept and the twist, but the movie had a lot of down time. | |
| 114 | BOB ROSS: HAPPY ACCIDENTS, BETRAYAL AND GREED | 7.5 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 8/27 | This should have been 90 minutes about the squirrel that lived in his shirt pocket. | Thank goodness Ross wasn’t the bad guy the title alludes to! |
| 115 | THE HARDER THEY FALL | 7 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 11/6 | Westerns are usually black and white. This is one is too, but different. | I love the cast and the premise, but the direction didn’t work for me. |
IF YOU HAVE SPARE TIME
| 116 | STILLWATER | 7 | PVOD | DRAMA | 8/21 | ZZZzzzzz…. | |
| 117 | STOWAWAY | 7 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 4/27 | If you’re curious about this, just watch Gravity again. | A great premise that didn’t quite launch. |
| 118 | THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD | 7 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 5/15 | The screenwriter had a fire sale on action movie cliches. | Glad I only saw this on HBO. |
| 119 | CHAOS WALKING | 7 | PVOD | ADVENTURE | 5/28 | I mean, sixth release time is the charm! (Watson: It was not…) | Better than I expected. Holland is just likable. |
| 120 | FEAR STREET 1: 1994 | 7 | NETFLIX | HORROR | 7/5 | Best since Scream of poking fun at a genre while also being right inside the genre. | Without the trilogy, this would have been a teeny bopper flick |
| 121 | KATE | 7 | NETFLIX | ACTION | 9/27 | This was fun in a way Gunpowder Milkshake should have been. | I like this subgenre and the lead, but it was unmemorable. |
| 122 | INJUSTICE | 7 | PVOD | ANIMATED | 11/2 | Passable DC Animated flick. | |
| 123 | THE GUILTY | 7 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 10/4 | Nightcrawler lite and with telephones. | Not a bad film, but not a classic. |
| 124 | VAL | 7 | AMAZON | DOCUMENTARY | 8/17 | Worst remake of the Stephen Hawking documentary yet. | He’s a weird dude. |
| 125 | WEREWOLVES WITHIN | 7 | PVOD | HORROR | 7/9 | I laughed more than I thought I would. Really fun modern comedy. | Felt like this could have been better with a tighter script. |
| 126 | TINA | 7 | HBO MAX | DOCUMENTARY | 4/12 | Tina Turner remains the best concert I ever went to. It was better than this, although this was interesting. | Pretty straightforward doc. |
| 127 | GODZILLA VS KONG | 7 | HBO MAX | ADVENTURE | 3/31 | Anytime a person spoke this movie got worse. | Boring as hell when Godzilla and Kong are not on screen together. |
| 128 | UNTOLD: BREAKING POINT | 7 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 11/7 | The worst of the series I watched. I skipped the Jenner entry though. | |
| 129 | OUR TOWNS | 7 | HBO MAX | DOCUMENTARY | 5/2 | Some interesting takes, just not sure there were interesting takeaways. | ZZZzzzzz…. |
| 130 | JUSTICE LEAGUE: SNYDER CUT | 7 | HBO MAX | ADVENTURE | 3/18 | It’s a bit more believable that Bruce grew that beard in 7 days as opposed to just one, but not much. | They should have made this a mini-series as planned. |
| 131 | BATMAN: SOUL OF THE DRAGON | PVOD | ANIMATED | 12/1 | Decent DC Animated. | ||
| 132 | PETER RABBIT 2 | 7 | PVOD | COMEDY | 8/29 | James Cordon ruined this movie. | Missed the charm of the original. |
| 133 | ENCOUNTER | 7 | AMAZON | DRAMA | 12/11 | Riz Ahmed saves this from the near bottom. | |
| 134 | YES DAY | 7 | NETFLIX | COMEDY | 3/24 | Should you watch it with your family if you have nothing else to watch? Yes. | Family fun if you have YOUNG kids. |
| 135 | JUSTICE SOCIETY: WORLD WAR 2 | 7 | PVOD | ANIMATED | 5/15 | I would have rather just had a movie about the JSA instead of time travel with the JLA. | |
| 136 | BATMAN: LONG HALLOWEEN PART 2 | 7 | HBO MAX | ANIMATED | 10/13 | Better than part 1. | |
| 137 | THE UNITED STATES V BILLIE HOLIDAY | 7 | HULU | DRAMA | 2/26 | Relied just on the music. The plot was boring. | |
| 138 | BATMAN: LONG HALLOWEEN PART 1 | 7 | PVOD | ANIMATED | 7/12 | Not as good as part 2. But obviously not much… | |
| 139 | THUNDER FORCE | 6.5 | NETFLIX | COMEDY | 3/26 | Amusing enough, but mostly a miss. | What Ryan said… |
| 140 | NAIL BOMBER: MANHUNT | 6.5 | AMAZON | DOCUMENTARY | 5/26 | Passable crime doc. | |
| 141 | MURDER BY THE COAST | 6.5 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 8/18 | I don’t remember much of this one. | |
| 142 | COMING 2 AMERICA | 6.5 | AMAZON | COMEDY | 3/5 | This was a total blast. How dare you. | Memba Coming to America? I ‘memba! |
| 143 | THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK | 6.5 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 10/6 | Felt like fan fic. | |
| 144 | OASIS KNEBWORTH 1996 | 6.5 | PARAMOUNT+ | DOCUMENTARY | 11/28 | I liked the music, but I really hate the Gallaghers… | |
| 145 | ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS | 6.5 | PVOD | HORROR | 12/23 | The rooms were fun. The plot was clunky. | |
| 146 | LOCKED DOWN | 6.5 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 3/14 | Not really a heist | I graded this one on the covid curve. |
| 147 | PLAYING WITH SHARKS | 6.5 | DISNEY+ | DOCUMENTARY | 8/11 | It was something on in the background. |
GETTING A LITTLE TEDIOUS
| 148 | PINK: ALL I KNOW SO FAR | 6 | AMAZON | DOCUMENTARY | 5/22 | Pink’s music and the wire flying save this otherwise boring doc. | I like her music. She is not an interesting person. |
| 149 | BIGGIE: I GOT A STORY TO TELL | 6 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 3/8 | Biggie is fascinating. This wasn’t. | How do you screw up a documentary about Biggie? |
| 150 | OUTSIDE THE WIRE | 6 | NETFLIX | ACTION | 3/13 | So bad. So very bad. | This one should have been more fun. |
| 151 | AMERICA: THE MOTION PICTURE | 6 | NETFLIX | ANIMATED | 7/18 | Super funny on paper. Kinda funny on screen. | Not funny either way… |
| 152 | 14 PEAKS | 6 | NETFLIX | DOCUMENTARY | 12/7 | Cool premise. Great visuals. No narrative thread. | |
| 153 | MORTAL KOMBAT | 6 | HBO MAX | ACTION | 4/24 | “Okay, here’s the plan. You know how we just fought all those guys and they won? Well now we’re going to fight the exact same guys again.” | Not as good as the cartoon movie from 2020. |
I’M GETTING A HEADACHE
| 154 | THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD’S WIFE | 6 | PVOD | COMEDY | 8/24 | Even a bad movie with Ryan Reynolds is a bad movie with Ryan Reynolds. | |
| 155 | GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE | 6 | NETFLIX | ACTION | 7/21 | Valiant effort, but the attempt at worldbuilding was what made this so frustrating. | Stop trying to make the next John Wick, Hollywood. |
| 156 | REMINISENCE | 5.5 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 8/22 | This is an excellent anti-Chinatown. | I was bored the whole time. |
| 157 | SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW | 5.5 | PVOD | HORROR | 11/9 | If Chris Rock can’t make me like a Saw movie… | |
| 158 | CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG | 5.5 | PARAMOUNT+ | COMEDY | 12/1 | I watched this just to annoy Clayton… | |
| 159 | SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY | 5.5 | HBO MAX | COMEDY | 7/22 | Spent as much time in space as the Fantastic Four reboot. | Why hasn’t Warners come out with a jelly called Space Jam? |
| 160 | ICE ROAD | 5.5 | NETFLIX | ACTION | 6/26 | The “good” Liam Neeson movie of the year. | |
| 161 | THE MARKSMAN | 5.5 | PVOD | ACTION | 6/7 | The BAD Liam Neeson movie of the year. | |
| 162 | THE CONJURING | 5 | HBO MAX | HORROR | 5/4 | It’s nice to have another X-Files movie to watch. | So insultingly dumb. |
| 163 | VOYAGERS | 5 | PVOD | DRAMA | 9/22 | It’s been a rough couple of years and even I thought this was overly pessimistic about humanity. | Artsy sci fi movies are easy fuck up. They did. |
| 164 | THE POWER OF THE DOG | 5 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 12/1 | This was a flawless movie. | It was sooooooo boring and the acting was bad. I usually love fart smelling movies and this one died on the vine for me. The biggest surprise ever was that Ryan liked this. |
THE BOTTOM AND DESERVING
| 165 | SNAKE EYES | 5 | PVOD | ACTION | 8/22 | Years from now I look forward to someone bringing up this movie and I’ll say “They made a Snake Eyes movie?” | Was Snake Eyes in this movie? |
| 166 | F9 | 5 | FIRST RUN | ACTION | 6/24 | Magnets, bitch!!! | That rope bridge action sequence explains why Trump was elected president. |
| 167 | TOM AND JERRY | 4.5 | HBO MAX | COMEDY | 2/26 | Nothing about this movie was good. But Tom and Jerry were the worst parts. | This was bad even by children movie standards. |
| 168 | INFINITE | 4 | PARAMOUNT+ | ACTION | 5/13 | This movie makes Highlander 2 look like Highlander. | I expected nothing less from Markie Mark. |
| 169 | MATRIX 4 | 4 | HBO MAX | ADVENTURE | 12/22 | Fans of the Matrix series will love it, others won’t. I’m totally cool with that. | Memba Matrix? I ‘memba! |
| 170 | THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW | 4 | NETFLIX | DRAMA | 5/14 | Really good second act but a first act that slogged and a third act that felt forced. Pity. | Ruining a movie with THIS cast??? |
| 171 | MALIGNANT | 3.5 | HBO MAX | HORROR | 9/19 | I vowed to watch all the WB day and date releases because I bought I big screen the day the news was announced. This one tested my vow. | |
| 172 | HALLOWEEN KILLS | 3.5 | PEACOCK | HORROR | 11/23 | This was everything the 2018 reboot was supposed to undo. | |
| 173 | CRY MACHO | 3.5 | HBO MAX | DRAMA | 10/6 | Eastwood is done as a leading man. This was just sad. | |
| 174 | BARB & STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR | 0.7 | PVOD | COMEDY | 4/21 | This movie made Tom and Jerry look like Judas and the Black Messiah. | The worst movie I have seen since Mortdecai. |
