Yes, we should be entirely way done with 2021, but permit us to close the books on this difficult year with one last belated feature whose title is not meant to be a backhanded compliment to the films, nor scolding and yes, generally relative as many people did see them, but not most (and yes, there will be some overlap with our Best of 2021 coverage, though it’s minor)

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2021

While most of us remain inside with far too many streaming options dangled in front of our eyes,  it doesn’t appear general audiences will be returning to theaters for movies that contain anything less than three Peter Parkers uniting on screen anytime soon.

Continue reading The 25 Best Films Of 2021 You Didn’t See at The Playlist.

We celebrate the movies at this time of year, and in the wild rush to praise directors and actors for all that nifty directing and acting they did over the last 365 days, we all tend to forget that cinema is about more than just two sets of people. Just read Twitter. Who’s naming anyone other than auteurs and stars? How many times has Steven Spielberg’s name come up? How many times has Janusz Kamiński’s?

Continue reading The Best Cinematography Of 2021 at The Playlist.

After jolting audiences with a striking opening shot playing with light exposure — the blurry image of a horse writhing against a villager jabbing at the animal with a javelin — ‘This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection’ cuts to a slow 360-degree pan, the camera revolving around a lesiba player: a South African musical bow instrument with a throaty hum that squeaks and bellows with the harmonious murmur of a dying bird.

Continue reading ‘This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection’: A Textile Folk Ballad That Will Shake You To The Very Core [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.