The 5 Best Films of 2021

Creating a top 5 list of the best films of 2021 proved to be surprisingly difficult. We were spoilt for choice as films began actually releasing again.
From the local art house cinemas to the giant multiplexes to everything in between, cinema felt like it was on a come back in 2021. And with the unprecedented shortening of the window between a cinema release and a home release, more people had access to great cinema than ever before.
But with so much to choose from, which 5 films actually made the cut?

Doctor Who – ‘Village of the Angels’ Review

Doctor Who: Flux is back on its feet after that shaky outing last week. ‘Village of the Angels’ is the show at its best though; with a great setting and fun supporting characters and returning villains who, for my money, are up there with the Daleks and Cybermen as the greatest Doctor Who nemeses.

Doctor Who – ‘Once, Upon Time’ Review

Well that was a divisive one. After airing two episodes that met pretty much unanimous acclaim (an extreme rarity in the Chibnall era) the third episode of the Flux saga has been met with a more mixed response. I’m part of the fanbase that really enjoyed it. It was all over the place, but intentionally so this time. Though at this point, half way through the series, I understand that people are expecting some answers to the myriad mysteries that Chibs has given us so far. Instead, we got loads more questions. But they sure are interesting.

Doctor Who – ‘War of the Sontarans’ Review

After last week’s fantastic but ever so slightly convoluted opener, this week’s episode of Doctor Who followed it up with an outstanding episode. And for my money, it was one of the very best stories of the entire Chibnall era.

Everything about this episode is Doctor Who on top form, from the writing to the performances to the music to the VFX. And that’s not to mention the direction and cinematography, which was downright amazing.

Doctor Who – ‘The Halloween Apocalypse’ Review

Doctor Who is back! And there actually seems to have been a lot of hype for its return. I guess at the moment, as the world falls to pieces around us, it’s nice to have something like Doctor Who to come along and make everything alright again. Even for just six weeks.

And based on the reaction to this first episode, we’ve got an exciting six weeks ahead of us.

No Time To Die (2021) Review

A new James Bond film being released is like national holiday for me. And with the long delayed release of No Time To Die, it was like all my Christmases had come at once.

No Time To Die is beautiful and heartbreaking, in equal measure. It’s a tragic love story masquerading as an action film. It’s one of the best and boldest Bond films ever made and one that will surely prove controversial for some Bond fans…

Doctor Who – Series 12 Rewatch and Review

If series 11 was controversial, then series 12 was downright divisive. In my opinion, this series takes everything that made the previous series what it was – including the good and the bad. The highs are generally higher, but they come alongside one or two pretty gruelling lows (or one episode in particular).

But overall, the series is still Doctor Who, and has all the stuff that makes the show great. Jodie Whittaker still kills it in the role, and the side characters get a bit more development, before we say goodbye to two of them. It’s an enjoyable series that’s been overshadowed by a controversial series finale. But we’ll get to that.

The Suicide Squad (2021) Review

The first thing to note about James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is that it is better in every imaginable way to David Ayer’s disastrous 2016 effort. Rather more surprisingly however, is just how good Gunn’s film is when compared to the rest of the DC superhero movie pantheon. It’s a gross-out splatter-fest, earning it’s 15 rating in almost every minute of run time, but with a big ol’ heart underneath all the guts and gore. It’s not entirely perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun and is undoubtedly the DCEU’s best movie yet.

Doctor Who – Series 11 Rewatch and Review

Series 11 is a controversial series of the show. It was the first (proper) appearance of Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor, her trio of companions, and Chris Chibnall as showrunner. Like Steven Moffat before him, Chibs had some pedigree. Sure, he was behind some forgettable episodes of Doctor Who, but he’d written some absolutely fantastic episodes of its sister show Torchwood. And he was just coming off the success of his smash hit Broadchurch.

So expectations were high. Then they announced the new Doctor…

Doctor Who – Series 10 Rewatch and Review

Series 10 marks the end of an era for Doctor Who in a big way. Not only was it the end for leading man Peter Capaldi, but it was also the final series for long-time showrunner Steven Moffat – as well as all the usual writers and directors that had made his era so iconic.

It’s (still) up for debate as to how successful this shake up has been, but it undoubtedly makes this series feel far more final than any other in the revived series.