SABARI GANESH

2021 was a year which can be forgotten for the pandemic, but below movies, series and documentaries kept me occupied. The best I felt are listed below. The list includes only those I watched. If there are any others worth watchable, please include them in the comments.

Money Heist

A scintillating finale that rides you through the ruins of the Bank of Spain. An edge of a seat thriller with a fascinating premise. It would have been an enthralling wait if every episode would have been streamed a week apart like Game of Thrones, but the Professor gave us several interesting lessons in this worthy binge watch. Streaming in Netflix

Mare of East Town

How could a woman police in charge of a crime investigation balance her work and personal life after a divorce while exploring a new relationship? Kate Winslet, as usual, carries the stress of work and personal life chaos on her shoulders with grace and plump. Streaming in Disney+.

No Time to Die

A fitting farewell to Daniel Craig. She has your eyes was the line that teared me up. After a long time, this was the movie I watched alone in a theatre and relished every moment of it. And that Aston Martin DB5, I would work my ass off to own that any day. Click here to read my thoughts on this film.

Tenet

It was my first movie of the year, watched it in IMAX and had to watch it again and again in OTT to make sense of what the hell was happening. I would play Rainy Night in Tallin with boosted bass while driving on a highway while my mom in the back seat would clench her fists.

Inside Job (2010)

I wanted to watch this critically acclaimed documentary about the 2008 financial crisis. It gives us a better understanding of what led to the events of Lehmann Brothers bankruptcy. The bull run in the Indian Stock Market during the Coronavirus pandemic made me a bit sceptical of what’s happening in the market. I wanted to explore the history for valuable lessons and binge-watched this documentary along with related movies like The Big Short and Margin Call. This documentary lists down various aspects of the lack of accountability, greed for wealth, recklessness in planning, commissions, lobbying, corporate financial power and financial dreams of a common man. Streaming in Netflix.

Don’t Lookup

Leonardo DiCaprio and an ensemble cast hilariously take on the current mindset of the global population towards climate change. The character of Mark Rylance reminded me of the crony capitalism and the sugar coating of the corporate strategies with well-worded statements. Streaming in Netflix.

Annathe

It is a Rajinikanth movie. Should watch at any cost even if it is bad. Rajinikanth movies are only to watch, but not for reviews.

The Social Dilemma

This documentary exposes the trivial strategies by social media companies in hooking us to the screens and the potential impact they have in shaping an individual’s opinion. Streaming in Netflix.

Master

Much awaited and my favourite one. As a fan of both Vijays in the movie, I couldn’t say anything more than watch them canonizing their charm and prowess. They call him Master and maatragal varum faster.

Sarpatta Parambarai

I would say this is the best Tamil movie of the year. The story seems to be a well-tried and tested one in the backdrop of boxing, but its well-written characters make it the best in its genre. Streaming in Amazon Prime.

Jai Bhim

This movie was the best rated by the audience and critics, but I would like to differ with their judgement. It occurred to me that the movie has exaggerated the emotions and cliches. Although based on true events, the movie lost it somewhere in the middle of being as authentic as possible. It reminded me of a rather terrific Vetrimaaran’s Visaranai, and Surya had the guts to make a film on lines of Visaranai in the context of a highly sensitive subject. Streaming in Amazon Prime.

Jaathi Ratnalu

Not a great movie, but a memorable one for personal reasons.

Other notable mentions include Drushyam 2, Modern Love, Karnan, Kapatadhaari, Netrikann, The Mauritanian, The Conjuring The devil made me do it, Thalaivii, Jagame Thandiram, Army of Thieves, Army of the Dead, Midnight Mass, and Doctor.

Feature Image by BBC.