2021 was a good year for movies, and not much else. The box office, and inevitably the upcoming Oscars ceremony, won’t be evident of such, but the quality of filmmaking and storytelling this year was noteworthy. As I began constructing my Top 10 Films of the Year, I realized that not only was it challenging to narrow it down, but there were a handful of appropriate film pairings — equal in stature, themes, and style. While I admit this list is somewhat a cop out, here’s my Top 10 Double Features of 2021 (all released after the 2021 Oscar ceremony on April 26th). I do believe they represent the best films that I’ve seen released this year:
- In the Heights / West Side Story
This ‘New York song and dance’ double feature is an obvious duet. On the positive side, both films surprised audiences (and critics) with an abundance of colorful energy, and on the flip side, both films feature male leads with some troubling choices in their personal lives. In any other year, or perhaps ten years ago, these two films would be atop the box office and Oscar predictions, especially the one where Steven Spielberg directs his first musical that is an adaptation of another movie that won Best Picture. This year they’ll both have to settle for being two overflowing-with-life musicals that will become more and more appreciated over time.
2. Summer of Soul / The Beatles: Get Back
I’m calling this a ‘lets spend some time with musicians’ double feature. Is Get Back a limited series or documentary film, or neither? I dunno. Either way, I’m pairing these amazing documentaries together for their shared spectacle of capturing musical genius in real time. Questlove’s Summer of Soul takes a overdue look at the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, concentrating on the musical performances, as well as the political and cultural impact the festival had on the Black community. The highlight: a spontaneous gospel duet from Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples. Try not to cry. Meanwhile, in the other film, we get to watch Paul McCartney fiddle around with a musical idea before it, before our eyes, becomes a little ditty called “Get Back”. Eight hours of creative process footage? Hell yes! And not enough! Give me the twelve hour Snyder cut!
3. 14 Peaks / The Rescue
Jimmy Chin and I present a ‘Humans vs Nature’ double feature. Jimmy Chin, the professional climber and Academy Award winning director of Free Solo, also directed The Rescue and produced 14 Peaks. You may remember in 2018 when a young Thai boys’ soccer team were trapped and subsequently rescued from a flooded cave. Well, the details of the rescue efforts are hard to imagine, and The Rescue seamlessly blends real footage with reenactments to portray the multi-national effort. 14 Peaks gives attention to the unsung heroes of mountaineering, the Sherpas. The film centers on Nepali moutaineer Nims Purja and his “Project Freedom,” in which he climbs all 14 mountain peaks above 8000 meters in record time. The film gives equal attention to his team of Sherpas and the fact that they climb up and down these deadly mountains exponentially more often than the westerners who rely on them and attract the media attention.
4. Luca / Encanto
2021 may mark the beginning of a new era in Disney animated films, hence this ‘New Disney Formula’ double feature. One Pixar, one simply Disney, but both bending traditions to portray effective human stories about friendship, love, and family. I know, I’m not selling the ‘newness’ of it, but the emotional separation at the end of Luca and the villain-free, inwardly looking world of Encanto are fresh takes on family-friendly storytelling. I loved them both.
5. Passing / The Tragedy of Macbeth
Behold a ‘black and white’ double feature. The tremendous directorial debut from Rebecca Hall (Passing) and first solo directorial effort from Joel Coen (Macbeth) have produced two of the finest works of art this year. Visually striking and featuring pitch perfect casting, these two 4:3 aspect ratio literary adaptations should be seen immediately.
6. Roadrunner / PIG
This ‘for the love of food and each other’ double feature is a lot more melancholic than the theme would suggest. Road Runner is a brilliant and emotionally raw documentary about Anthony Bourdain. Meanwhile, Pig is about a reclusive former famous chef who’s pig is stolen. Nicolas Cage’s soft-spoken, hunched, haggard performance is hopefully gonna earn the often-bonkers star some awards. Both films depict the experience of food as personal, emotional moments that connect us to each other more than anyone truly realizes.
7. The Green Knight / The Last Duel
Behold this ‘men with swords’ double feature. Two auteur filmmakers, one age 41 (David Lowery) and establishing himself as one of the truly great stylistic storytellers of his generation already with films like A Ghost Story and The Old Man & the Gun under his belt, and the other age 84 (Ridley Scott) having directed over 25 feature films, two this year. Underrated and underseen, these films are worth checking out for their craft, their unique structure, and of course for the delightfully off-kilter performances of Barry Keoghan as a scavenger in The Green Knight and Ben Affleck as Count Pierre d’Alençon in The Last Duel.
8. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings / Spider-Man: No Way Home
Not that anyone was doubting it, but this ‘Marvel’s still got it!’ double feature highlights two of the most fun cinematic experiences this year. Well, not much else to say here… just about everyone in the world saw these films and enjoyed them. As I type this, Spider-Man: No Way Home was just reported to have entered the top ten worldwide grossing films of all time. Cool. Hooray for Andrew Garfield!
9. The Power of the Dog / The Lost Daughter
Netflix is still making a move for prestige with this ‘streaming drama’ double feature, fitting awkwardly on the Netflix selection page besides a library of cheesy original Christmas films and binge-worthy ’90s sitcoms. Jane Campion (The Piano, Top of the Lake) is back with a feature film after a 12 year hiatus, and is already a front-runner for Best Director and Best Picture, plus possible Oscars for Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Speaking of awards, The Lost Daughter is making its own push, including first time director Maggie Gyllenhaal and the perennially astounding Olivia Colman.
10. King Richard / CODA
This feel good ‘family for the win’ double feature can bring audiences of all ages and demographics together. King Richard, the story about the rise of the tennis dominating Williams sisters and their father, in a tour de force performance by Will Smith, is a heartwarming triumph. If you want more warm feelings, check out CODA, the story of Ruby, the only hearing person in a deaf family, struggling to fight to save her family’s fishing business while still pursuing her own dreams of being a singer. The film is hilarious, touching, and recalls former indie crowd-pleasers like Little Miss Sunshine, Billy Elliot and Minari.
AND one more for good luck… a future double feature:
11. Dune: Part One / Dune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune defied expectations and blew away audiences and critics alike with its artistry and patient storytelling. One can argue a Best Picture Oscar would be appropriate (in the same way that not rewarding Mad Max: Fury Road may have been a missed opportunity to crown the TRUE best film of the year). Dune was one of the few pieces of pop culture in 2021 that sparked worldwide chatter and excitement. Have you seen Dune!? What did you think of Dune!? SHOULD I READ DUNE!? When Legendary and Warner Bros green lit Dune: Part Two, the moment was so celebratory it could’ve been the latter half of a double feature on its own!
Honorable mentions:
‘This house is scary!’ double feature: The Night House / Malignant
‘Why is it still hard to watch foreign films’ quadruple feature: Titane / The Worst Person in the World / Petite Maman / Parallel Mothers
‘Chad still hasn’t seen’ double feature: Licorice Pizza / Drive My Car
