Top 10 Movie Moments of 2021
Now that we are almost a month into the New Year with the Academy Awards just around the corner, it is time to reflect on the best moments from movies of 2021.
2021 was a great year overall for the film industry and an impressive comeback for movies after the infamous year of 2020. Despite some lackluster blockbusters and a few forgettable independent films, there were some incredible movies that were released last year. We all have scenes that we remember from our favorite flicks, and these are my top 10 favorite moments from 2021 films.
(Keep in mind that I am limiting myself to one scene per movie, and this list is purely based on personal preference.)
SPOILERS AHEAD!!! You have been warned…
10. A World Without WiFi - The Mitchells vs. the Machines
One of the year’s funniest moments comes from the Netflix original animated film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines. As a quirky and dysfunctional family embarks on a cross-country road trip to drop off their daughter at college, the robot apocalypse begins. This film wonderfully balances humor that people of all ages can appreciate. While it has moments that younger audiences will enjoy, it is also a social commentary on the pros and cons of the human relationship with technology. At the beginning of the robot invasion, the ruthless and sinister A.I. antagonist, PAL, turns off the WiFi globally, knowing that humans will react chaotically. In this hilarious moment, there is a montage of sequences demonstrating how humans react to losing complete access to WiFi and resort to barbaric actions that should belong in the Old Testament.
9. The Ultimate Sacrifice - No Time to Die
James Bond is one of cinema's most beloved characters, and it is without question that Daniel Craig’s iteration of the British spy is one of the most popular versions. No Time to Die is a wonderful culmination of not just Craig’s adaptation of the character, but the legacy of James Bond himself. It brilliantly blends the comedy and tragedy that has followed the character throughout the last 60 years. Additionally, Craig’s portrayal of the character was more mature than his predecessors and revealed more beyond just the surface. The sacrifice James Bond makes at the end of No Time to Die for his loved ones represents not only a full character arc for Craig’s Bond, but the human aspect of Bond that was missing from various iterations. Daniel Craig showed us that James Bond can be more than a suave, womanizing spy because he truly displayed the heart it takes to make the ultimate sacrifice.
8. Campsite Slaughter - The Suicide Squad
Another hilarious film of 2021 was The Suicide Squad. Combined with James Gunn’s clever writing and vibrant directorial style and a stacked cast, The Suicide Squad was bound to be an upgrade from its notorious precursor. This movie is loaded with darkly comic jokes throughout, but the standout (for me, at least) is the scene where Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Ratcatcher 2, King Shark, and Polka-Dot Man murder nearly everybody at a campsite under the wrong impression that they are on opposing sides. From the choreography to the chemistry of the actors to the hysterical one-liners, this is a masterfully crafted black-comedy scene that will have fans laughing harder than they ever have at a comic-book movie.
7. The Berklee College of Music Audition - CODA
One of the most heartfelt, feel-good movies of the year is CODA. This film is about Ruby Rossi, who is the youngest of her family but the only person in her household that is able to hear; hence the title CODA (child of deaf adults). As Ruby navigates her way through the end of high school and into the next phase of her life, she discovers her love of singing but is worried about what her deaf family will think. With the encouragement of her choir teacher, she decides to audition for Berklee College of Music, despite experiencing turbulence with her family about it. As she nervously begins her audition, she eventually notices that her family sneaked up into the balcony to watch her perform, regardless of not being allowed. This gave Ruby the encouragement she needed to give the audition her all, but the icing on the cake was that she accompanied her performance with sign language so her family could understand the words she was singing.
6. The Dinner Table - Don’t Look Up
As a fan of dark-comedy and satire, 2021 was a win for me in the comedy realm, and Don’t Look Up is undoubtedly the funniest movie of the year. This brilliant, satirical social commentary had me laughing from beginning to end, but the best moment of the film is actually not a comical moment. Don’t Look Up intentionally paints neither side in a good light and acknowledges that society as a whole has issues that need addressing. The ending of this movie hones in on a message about the things that naturally allow humans to connect, even if we have collectively lost the perspective on the important things in life. Don’t Look Up may focus on extremely bleak societal themes, but within its tragic ending is a dramatic moment that utilizes the simplicity of gathering around a dinner table to remind us that there is still hope in this world.
5. House Atreides Invasion - Dune
It actually surprises me that a scene from my favorite movie of 2021 is not at the top of the list, but here we are anyway. Dune is not only my favorite 2021 movie, but I believe it is one of the best science-fiction films of the 21st century. The House Atreides invasion sequence is my favorite moment in the story because it is the turning point for the main protagonist: Paul Atreides. He begins the film as an adolescent who is curious about the meaning of his dreams, abilities, and the universe, but he quickly becomes the Duke of House Atreides after his father sacrifices himself when the Harkonnen and the Sardaukar attack. Once Paul acknowledges his new position, there is an immediate, mature change in his disposition, which ultimately creates for a fascinating character arc and cliff-hanging exposition for Dune: Part Two. As a fan of the novel, I cannot wait to see the progression of Paul Atreides’s character arc.
4. Superman Ascends - Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a true triumph for the comic-book movie genre, and it is absolutely mind-blowing that it even exists. The fact that the vast majority of this 242 minute film was scrapped and reshot for the atrocious version we received in 2017 is insane. Even though the story itself is technically the same in both versions of the film, they are told radically different in every way imaginable. The moment for me in Zack Snyder’s Justice League that stood out amongst anything else is when Superman puts on the black suit, while the voices of Jor-El and Jonathan Kent encourage him, and he ascends over earth. It is baffling that this scene was cut from 2017’s Justice League. This is a top-tier comic-book movie moment, in my opinion, and the visuals, cinematography, score, and symbolism collectively make for a moment that will send chills down your spine.
3. The Duel - The Last Duel
Generally, a high quality duel would make this list for being a great action scene, and while this is a phenomenally crafted, intense sequence that will have audiences on the edge of their seats, there is far more to it beyond the surface. The Last Duel is based on true events and uses the Rashomon Effect to tell the same story of a sexual assault accusation from three drastically different perspectives. The duel itself is the climax of three perspectives of the same story, but the purpose of it is completely absurd. It is blatantly obvious that there was nothing consensual about the unfortunate encounter between Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver); however, society sides with Le Gris simply because he is a man. Even Marguerite de Carrougess’s husband, Sir Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon,) expressed skepticism in her side of the story.
The duel is essentially the clash of two male egos who are fighting for pride while the life of Marguerite de Carrouges is at stake and thrown on the backburner. Society did not believe Marguerite de Carrouges, yet when Sir Jean de Carrouges defeats Jacques Le Gris, the crowd delivers a roaring cheer implying that they believe her because the truth has been “revealed” based on an arbitrary duel. Despite this duel being a historical event, I believe its depiction in the film is meant to be a metaphor for how easily people side with certain things without any thought, and this can include subject matters beyond what is at hand in The Last Duel. If The Last Duel teaches us anything, it is that history repeats itself because society has always believed what it wants and always will. However, what we do with that message is up to us collectively, and we need to be on the side of truth and morality in order to grow as a society.
2. Louder Than Words - tick, tick…BOOM!
tick, tick…BOOM! was one of the biggest surprises of 2021 for me. I typically enjoy musicals, and assumed I would like this film, but I did not expect to love it. Every song is insanely catchy, Andrew Garfield’s performance is Oscar-worthy, and the film is expertly crafted. This biographical-musical tells the story of the ups and downs of the creative process from the perspective of a real life theater composer, Jonathan Larson. Ultimately, tick, tick…BOOM! is about how Larson learned to accept his ambitions and discover a balance in life, despite having many unanswered questions. “Louder Than Words” is the powerful, anthemic musical number finale of the movie, and it is the thematic culmination of the entire story. This moment perfectly encapsulates Jonathan Larson’s life and his thoughts on the world, and it packs one of the most sincere emotional punches of the year.
1. Synchronized Swinging - Spider-Man: No Way Home
I am certain that it comes without surprise that this scene made my number 1 spot for this list, as it probably would for all Spider-Man fans. Spider-Man: No Way Home is genuinely an unprecedented cinematic event in that it utilizes the multiverse for the culmination of all three eras of Spider-Man films. Before learning that this could be a possibility, I never imagined that something like this would happen in my lifetime. There are countless moments to love in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but there is truly something special about witnessing all three “Spider-Men” web-swinging together into battle for the first time. As somebody who has been a massive Spider-Man fan since a toddler, I genuinely could not believe what I was seeing on screen. This moment in Spider-Man: No Way Home will go down in history as one of the most iconic comic-book movie moments in cinema history, and it will forever be ingrained in my memory.
