The r/movies Reddit page is made up of over 26.8 million users and has been around since January 25th, 2008. With the Golden Globes already taking place on January 9th, film lovers are ramping up for the Oscars on March 27th and flooding the page with discussions on the best movies from this past year and which of those movies will win big.
With a wide selection to choose from, Reddit users found themselves having some of the same favorite releases. Many of the films that users agreed were the best releases of 2021 even ended up on former President Barack Obama's list of his best movies of the same year.
The Last Duel
Based on a true story, director Ridley Scott's The Last Duel is set in Middle Ages France under the rule of King Charles VI. After Knight Jean de Carrouges' wife accuses her husband's friend Jacques Le Gris of rape, the two men are ordered by the King to settle the dispute by dueling in France's last trial by combat.
Reddit users praise the unique filming used to show characters' perspectives, the framing and types of lenses changing between actors and situations. Fans also commend the acting of Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer throughout this thrilling, historical film full of intense combat scenes and emotional story-telling.
The French Dispatch
Beloved director Wes Anderson graced audiences with great performances from Benicio Del Toro and Adrien Brody in the form of The French Dispatch. In this film, a collection of stories from the last issue of a French-published American magazine are brought to life after the death of The French Dispatch's editor, Arthur Howitzer Jr.
Fans took to Reddit to point out the homages Anderson included in his film to French movies from the 50s-70s. These references gave fans a greater appreciation of the intricacy of the movie and cinematographer buffs were blown away by the gorgeous settings and scene layouts throughout each individual story.
Licorice Pizza
Licorice Pizza is set in 1970s California and details the lives of main characters Alana Kane and Gary Valentine, played by Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman respectively. The film is a coming-of-age comedy all surrounding first love, business endeavors, run-ins with the law, and growing up.
Reddit users frequently point out funny and memorable lines from the movie as well as relatable moments that occurred in the film that have happened to some in their teenage years. Users also point out Bradley Cooper's "unhinged and hilarious" performance as 1970s hairdresser and former boyfriend of Barbara Streisand, Jon Peters, for bringing an influx of laughs and exciting unpredictability to the film.
Drive My Car
Japanese film director and screenwriter Ryüsuke Hamaguchi adapted a series of short stories by author Haruki Murakami to create the film Drive My Car. Drive My Car centers around widowed main character Yusuke Kafuku and his search for a chauffeur and his attempts to build a relationship with the one in which his mechanic recommends.
Fans find themselves coming back to think about the movie's touching themes and brilliant acting from Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura alike, even comparing it to the genius of Bong Joon-ho's 2019 film Parasite. Drive My Car has won 54 awards, winning the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Non-English Language at the most recent 79th annual awards ceremony.
C'mon C'mon
C'mon C'mon focuses on a radio journalist named Johnny, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who takes his nephew on a roadtrip across the country. The movie shows the characters establishing a relationship during multiple, heartbreaking family perils and the connection between children and adults in their lives.
The film immediately sets itself apart from the other entries by being fully black and white. Fans praise this unique feature as well how realistic and accurate the movie was in showing the hardships children go through. Fans are also in love with how honest and genuine the movie's themes and dialogue are.
The Suicide Squad
After the disastrous release and reception of 2016's Suicide Squad, director and writer James Gunn took it upon himself to revamp the movie, and it paid off big time. The redeemed movie The Suicide Squad once again focuses on supervillains who join together to form a super-group to fight off other bad guys. Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn while a bunch of other misfits replace the 2016 group.
Fans disdain for the first film's character development was quickly erased by the witty one-liners, high action combat, and more fleshed out villains this movie had to offer. The R-rating also helped boost The Suicide Squad's popularity as well as the blood and gore fans had been waiting to see in this type of movie.
The Green Knight
Based on the Arthurian legend of the same name, The Green Knight follows King Arthur's nephew on his treacherous journey to prove himself to his family and to defeat the powerful Green Knight. Dev Patel plays the main character, Sir Gawain, who will stop at nothing to finish his mission.
Reddit users praise the story-telling of Sir Gawain's inner struggles to stay true to himself. Viewers were surprised by its main focus on the character's morality, but Patel's genuine portrayal of the character won fans over. The dialogue also enraptured fans, providing hard hitting lines that made fans sit back in awe.
Dune
Adapted from the science fiction novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, Dune is an action-adventure drama that follows main character Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet. The Atreides' family has the most valuable asset in the galaxy and to protect it, Paul travels to a dangerous planet to save the entirety of his universe, people, and family.
Dune is highly praised for its soundtrack which is composed, conducted, and produced by the legendary Hans Zimmer. Fans were also stunned by the visuals and how true it stayed to the book. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score at their most recent 79th annual awards ceremony.
Titane
Titane is a sci-fi horror movie that follows main character Alexia after a titanium plate is put into her head after a severe skull injury. After being released from the hospital, Alexia completely turns on her family and embraces what almost killed her in the most unsettling of ways.
Fans were absolutely shocked by some of the unthinkable things that occurred in the movie, but were still found enthralled by the story. Fans also praise the story for having a deeper meaning to it and its overall uniqueness and approach to certain subjects.
Pig
Starring Nicholas Cage, Pig, focuses on a hunter named Rob who lives alone in the wilderness of Oregon and returns to Portland on the intense search to get back his beloved pig who's been kidnapped.
Countless fans found themselves in tears throughout this film and has been brought up countless times in Reddit users' lists of their favorite movies of 2021. Fans were overtaken by the themes of grief and recovery and the gut-wrenching acting of everyone in the film. Pig has won 25 awards, 11 of those going to Nicholas Cage for Best Actor.