Weird Cinema Awards: Best Films of 2021

Thanks to everyone and anyone who took the time to read the site in 2021. I’m grateful for you all and look forward to another great year exploring all the weirdest films in history.

As for summarizing the year of film: 2021 could be frustrating as audiences continue to overlook the adult specialty drama, independent filmmaking, and international films. Studios continue to strip away at the current theater models and will eventually force those three specific niches into the streaming basement. However, there were still tons of great films produced this year outside the confines of the restrictive studio system and films that weren’t considered blockbusters. Many eccentric films and filmmakers made it a year to remember and overall, the top 30 films below are all one’s I’d absolutely have no problem recommending to anyone. So, yes, I’d still consider 2021 a major success and a return to form after the Pandemic 2020. The problems with the industry are with the decision makers at the top and not with the creative minds themselves who are producing incredible work still.

The last thing I’ll say is continue to support small theaters, filmmakers, and studios. Also, explore outside your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to watch foreign language films as the overall range of international films far surpasses anything going on in Hollywood right now.

Enjoy the awards picks and please let me know your favorites on Twitter

Worst film of 2021

Honorable mention: Mortal Kombat

5. The Guilty
4. Those Who Wish Me Dead
3. Cherry
2. Reminiscence
1. Dear Evan Hansen

Best VFX

Honorable Mention: No Time to Die

5. Lamb
4. The Suicide Squad
3. Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings
2. The Green Knight
1. Dune

Production Design

Honorable mention Nightmare Alley

5. The Souvenir: Part II
4. Spencer
3. The Green Knight
2. The Tragedy of Macbeth
1. The French Dispatch

Best Comedy

Honorable mention: Belfast

3. Red Rocket
2. Annette
1. The French Dispatch

Best Horror

Honorable mention: Lamb

3. Last Night in Soho
2. Titane
1. The Medium

Weirdest film

Honorable mention: Ema

5. The Medium
4. Annette
3. About Endlessness
2. Titane
1. Memoria

Best Ending

Honorable mention: Nitram

5. The Power of the Dog
4. The Souvenir: Part II
3. Hit The Road
2. Identifying Features
1. Memoria

Best Scene

Honorable mention: Three witches perched above, The Tragedy of Macbeth

5. An Evening with Henry McHenry, Annette
4. The Devil Inside, Identifying Features
3. Freeze Frame, The Worst Person in the World
2. Hernan in the forest, Memoria
1. Yusuke and Koji car confrontation over Oto, Drive My Car

Most Original Film

Honorable mention: The Green Knight

5. Annette
4. The French Dispatch
3. The Worst Person in the World
2. Titane
1. Memoria

Best Score/Soundtrack

Honorable mention: Nicolas Jaar, Ema

5. Sparks Brothers, Annette
4. Jonny Greenwood, Spencer
3. Mica Levi, Zola
2. Alberto Iglesias, Parallel Mothers
1. Jonny Greenwood, The Power of the Dog

Best Animated Film

3. Summit of the Gods
2. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
1. Belle

Best Costume and/or Makeup

Honorable mention: The Tragedy of Macbeth

5. Nightmare Alley
4. The French Dispatch
3. Titane
2. Spencer
1. Dune

Best Sound Mixing

Honorable mention: West Side Story

5. Ema
4. The Green Knight
3. The French Dispatch
2. Dune
1. Memoria

Best Sound Editing

Honorable mention: The French Dispatch

5. Summit of the Gods
4. C’mon C’mon
3. Titane
2. Dune
1. Memoria

Best Editing

Honorable mention: Identifying Features

5. The French Dispatch
4. Memoria
3. Parallel Mothers
2. The Souvenir: Part II
1. The Worst Person in the World

Best Cinematography

Honorable mention: The Worst Person in the World

5. The Power of the Dog
4. The Green Knight
3. The French Dispatch
2. The Tragedy of Macbeth
1. About Endlessness

Best Adapted Screenplay

Honorable mention: Passing

5. Dune
4. The Tragedy of Macbeth
3. The Green Knight
2. The Power of the Dog
1. Drive My Car

Best Original Screenplay

Honorable mention: hit The Road

5. Wheel of Fantasy and Fortune
4. A Hero
3. Mass
2. Parallel Mothers
1. The Worst Person in the World

Best Ensemble

Honorable mention: Belfast

5. Hit The Road
4. Mass
3. The French Dispatch
2. Nitram
1. Drive My Car

Best Supporting Actress

Honorable mention: Judy Davis, Nitram

5. Alicia Vikander, The Green Knight
4. Kotone Furukawa, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
3. Essie Davis, Nitram
2. Kathryn Hunter, The Tragedy of Macbeth
1. Pantea Panahiha, Hit The Road

Best Supporting Actor

Honorable mention: Benicio Del Toro, The French Dispatch

5. Masaki Okada, Drive My Car
4. Jeffrey Wright, The French Dispatch
3. Troy Kotsur, CODA
2. Vincent Lindon, Titane
1. Anders Danielsen Lie, The Worst Person in the World

Best Actress

Honorable mention: Tilda Swinton, Memoria

5. Agathe Rousselle, Titane
4. Mariana di Girolamo, Ema
3. Kristen Stewart, Spencer
2. Renate Reinsveve, The Worst Person in the World
1. Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers

Best Actor

Honorable mention: Amir Jadidi, A Hero

5. Adam Driver, Annette
4. Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
3. Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
2. Hidetoshi Nishijima, Drive My Car
1. Caleb Landry Jones, Nitram

Best Overall Performance

Honorable mention: Panatea Panahiha, Hit The Road

5. Anders Danielsen Lie, The Worst Person in the World
4. Hidetoshi Nishijima, Drive My Car
3. Renate Reinseve, The Worst Person in the World
2. Caleb Landry Jones, Nitram
1. Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers

Best International Film

Honorable mention: Identifying Features Mexico

5. Ema, Spain
4. Parallel Mothers, Spain
3. Drive My Car, Japan
2. The Worst Peron in the World, Finland
1. Memoria, Cambodia

Best Director

Honorable mention: Wes Anderson, The French Dispatch

5. Justin Kurzel, Nitram
4. Joanna Hogg, The Souvenir: Part II
3. Joachim Trier, The Worst Person in the World
2. Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
1. Apichatpong Weersakthul, Memoria