Since 2011, I have been pulling together a list of the best movies of the year according to the Brisbane-based critics who I run into regularly at preview screenings. Films to have topped prior year lists have been Drive in 2011, Argo in 2012, Gravity in 2013, Boyhood in 2014, Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, La La Land in 2016, Get Out in 2017, The Favourite in 2018, Parasite in 2019 and Nomadland in 2020.
To come up with an overall top 10, I’ve used a simple points system and applied it to the list of each critic. It is as follows:
- 3 points for the top film on each list.
- 2 points for the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list.
- 1 point for the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list.
If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the greater number of top 10 lists is ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval). If that's the same, it goes to an average of the individual rankings of each film.
The 10 list includes movies released in Australian cinemas and also those made available on streaming platforms.
We often see a clear stand out but that wasn't the case this year. Votes were spread evenly around. Edging out the competiton to claim the top spot was Edson Oda's drama Nine Days, It's nominated for best first feature at the upcoming Independent Spirit Awards.
Three films, covering a mix of genres, finished just two votes behind and featured on at least 50% of the lists - Jane Campion's moving drama The Power of the Dog, Paul Thomas Anderson's coming-of-age romantic comedy Licorice Pizza, and Denis Villeneuve's blockbuster sci-fi epic Dune. The highest ranked non-English language film, The Worst Person in the World, was just one vote further behind.
Australia was represented on the list with the AACTA Award winning Nitram. It's been a big year for documentaries with The Sparks Brothers proving popular. Other films to round out the list this year were The Father, The French Dispatch, The Green Knight and French Exit.
It’s another terrific list of films and all are worth hunting down on streaming services if you missed them in cinemas.
On that note, here are the top 10 movies of 2021 according to Brisbane critics…
Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 of 2021
1. Nine Days
2. The Power of the Dog
3. Dune
4. Licorice Pizza
5. The Worst Person in the World
6. Nitram
7. The Father
8 The French Dispatch
9. The Sparks Brothers
10 (tie). The Green Knight
10 (tie). French Exit
You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here.
A big thanks to all who submitted their lists. If you're a Brisbane critic would like to contribute in future years, please reach out to me on social media.
You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2021) below.
|
 Matthew Toomey
Born in Brisbane, Matt Toomey was introduced to the world of cinema when he landed a job at a video store fresh out of high school in 1995. A few years later, he started his own website and reviewed movies regularly on a community radio station. In 2005, he joined the team at 612ABC and can be heard reviewing the latest releases every Tuesday morning. He can also be heard weekly on regional ABC throughout Queensland.
Website: thefilmpie.com
Twitter: @ToomeyMatt
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Riders of Justice |
| 2. |
West Side Story |
| 3. |
The Father |
| 4. |
The Sparks Brothers |
| 5. |
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn |
| 6. |
Collective |
| 7. |
The Truffle Hunters |
| 8. |
The Dry |
| 9. |
The Worst Person in the World |
| 10. |
The Power of the Dog |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| The Dry |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Dreambuilders |
| Best Documentary: |
| The Sparks Brothers |
| Best Performance: |
| Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) |
| Worst Film: |
| Music |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Mortal Kombat |
 |
|
 Sarah Ward
Sarah Ward is a film critic, arts and culture writer, and film festival organiser. She is Concrete Playground’s chief film and TV editor, Screen International’s Australia-based critic, a writer for the Goethe-Institut Australien’s Kino in Oz, and a contributor to Flicks Australia, SBS, SBS Movies, ScreenHub and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Her work has been published by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, AACTA, Birth.Movies.Death, Junkee, FilmInk, Lumina, Senses of Cinema, Broadsheet, Televised Revolution, ArtsHub, Metro Magazine, Screen Education and the World Film Locations book series. She is also the editor of Trespass Magazine and a film critic for ABC radio, and has worked with the Brisbane International Film Festival, Queensland Film Festival, Sydney Underground Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival..
Websites: concreteplayground.com
screendaily.com/sarah-ward/1100859.contributor
goethe.de/ins/au/en/kul/sup/kio.html
flicks.com.au/author/sarah-ward/
sbs.com.au/guide/person/sarah-ward
sbs.com.au/movies/person/sarah-ward
awfj.org/blog/author/wardsarah/
trespassmag.com
Twitter: @swardplay
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| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The Power of the Dog |
| 2. |
First Cow |
| 3. |
Licorice Pizza |
| 4. |
Promising Young Woman |
| 5. |
The Green Knight |
| 6. |
Annette |
| 7. |
Nitram |
| 8. |
The Worst Person in the World |
| 9. |
Titane |
| 10. |
The Sparks Brothers |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Nitram |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Raya and the Last Dragon |
| Best Documentary: |
| The Sparks Brothers |
| Best Performance: |
| Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) |
| Worst Film: |
| Music |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Wrath of Man |
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Don't Look Up |
| 2. |
A Hero |
| 3. |
Judas and the Black Messiah |
| 4. |
Promising Young Woman |
| 5. |
The Sparks Brothers |
| 6. |
The French Dispatch |
| 7. |
The Power of the Dog |
| 8. |
No Time to Die |
| 9. |
Dune |
| 10. |
Collective |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| High Ground |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Sing 2 |
| Best Documentary: |
| The Sparks Brothers |
| Best Performance: |
| Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) |
| Worst Film: |
| Love You Like That |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Fast and Furious 9 |
|
 Peter Gray
Peter Gray is a Brisbane based, Rotten Tomatoes certified freelance entertainment writer specialising in film. Currently the entertainment reporter/film reviewer for QNews, Queensland’s largest LGBT publication, head film critic for The AU Review, and regular contributor to Brisbanista, CRPWrites and This Is Film.
Website: rottentomatoes.com/critic/peter-gray/movies
Twitter: @ratedPDG
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Nine Days |
| 2. |
The Worst Person in the World |
| 3. |
Titane |
| 4. |
French Exit |
| 5. |
Summer of Soul |
| 6. |
Licorice Pizza |
| 7. |
The Power of the Dog |
| 8. |
The Father |
| 9. |
Nitram |
| 10. |
Shiva Baby |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Nitram |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Luca |
| Best Documentary: |
| Summer of Soul |
| Best Performance: |
| Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) |
| Worst Film: |
| Home Sweet Home Alone |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar |
|
 Ella Donald
Ella Donald is a freelance journalist, communications professional, and PhD candidate. She has written for publications like GQ magazine (Australia, Middle East), CNN, The Guardian, and ABC.
Website: elladonaldwriter.wordpress.com
Twitter: @ellafdonald
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The World to Come |
| 2. |
Shiva Baby |
| 3. |
Passing |
| 4. |
The Worst Person in the World |
| 5. |
West Side Story |
| 6. |
Beanpole |
| 7. |
Dune |
| 8. |
The Matrix Resurrections |
| 9. |
Venom: Let There Be Carnage |
| 10. |
Another Round |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Tall Poppy: A Skater's Story |
| Best Animated Film: |
| The Mitchells vs the Machines |
| Best Documentary: |
| The Witches of the Orient |
| Best Performance: |
| Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) |
| Worst Film: |
| Don't Look Up |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Tick.... Tick... Boom! |
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
The French Dispatch |
| 2. |
Licorice Pizza |
| 3. |
Dune |
| 4. |
First Cow |
| 5. |
High Ground |
| 6. |
Ammonite |
| 7. |
French Exit |
| 8. |
Lapsis |
| 9. |
Black Widow |
| 10. |
The Truffle Hunters |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| High Ground |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Encanto |
| Best Documentary: |
| The Truffle Hunters |
| Best Performance: |
| Rebecca Ferguson (Dune) |
| Worst Film: |
| Cranston Academy: Monster Zone |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| News of the World |
|
 Rob Hudson
Rob Hudson is the editor of popular culture website modmove.com and reviews film, theatre and music.
Website: modmove.com
Twitter: @modmove
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Nine Days |
| 2. |
Riders of Justice |
| 3. |
Coda |
| 4. |
Nitram |
| 5. |
Summer of Soul |
| 6. |
The Mitchells vs the Machines |
| 7. |
The Dry |
| 8. |
The Power of the Dog |
| 9. |
The French Dispatch |
| 10. |
Judas and the Black Messiah |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| The Dry |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Mitchells vs the Machines |
| Best Documentary: |
| Summer of Soul |
| Best Performance: |
| Caleb Landry Jones (Nitram) |
| Worst Film: |
| Tom and Jerry |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Cruella |
|
 Baz McAlister
Walkley Award winning journalist Baz McAlister is a writer and deputy night editor at The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail, and co-hosts 'Force Material', a podcast about the secrets, history and influences of Star Wars.
Website: bazmcalister.wordpress.com
www.forcematerial.com
Twitter: @bazmcalister
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Pig |
| 2. |
The Suicide Squad |
| 3. |
Last Night in Soho |
| 4. |
In the Heights |
| 5. |
The Green Knight |
| 6. |
Malignant |
| 7. |
Werewolves Within |
| 8. |
The Dig |
| 9. |
No Time to Die |
| 10. |
Riders of Justice |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Nitram |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Luca |
| Best Documentary: |
| The Sparks Brothers |
| Best Performance: |
| Nicolas Cage (Pig) |
| Worst Film: |
| Old |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Gunpowder Milkshake |
|
 Nick L'Barrow
Nick specialises in 60 second movie reviews on his Instagram profile - covering all the major releases and indie films that hit Australia. Nick is also a featured reviewer for Novastream Network and Film Notions.
Website: instagram.com/nicksflicksfix
Twitter: @NicksFlicksFix
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Nine Days |
| 2. |
A Quiet Place: Part II |
| 3. |
Titane |
| 4. |
Nitram |
| 5. |
The Worst Person in the World |
| 6. |
CODA |
| 7. |
Last Night in Soho |
| 8. |
The Power of the Dog |
| 9. |
The Sparks Brothers |
| 10. |
The Mitchells vs the Machines |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Nitram |
| Best Animated Film: |
| The Mitchells vs the Machines |
| Best Documentary: |
| The Sparks Brothers |
| Best Performance: |
| Caleb Landry Jones (Nitram) |
| Worst Film: |
| Cosmic Sin |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Jungle Cruise |
|
 Shayne Grieve
Shayne runs the Film and Television department at Grace Lutheran College, teaching (well indoctrinating mostly) his Media Arts and Film students and sharing his passion for cinema . He launched This Is Film in 2013, and attempts to squeeze in the rare film viewing/screening when he’s not looking after his three rugrats (3 under 5 years!).
Website: thisisfilm.com
Twitter: @ShayneTIF
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
Dune |
| 2. |
The Green Knight |
| 3. |
Minari |
| 4. |
Licorice Pizza |
| 5. |
Inside |
| 6. |
Spider-Man: No Way Home |
| 7. |
The Father |
| 8. |
The French Dispatch |
| 9. |
Nitram |
| 10. |
The Power of the Dog |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| Nitram |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Raya and the Last Dragon |
| Best Documentary: |
| n/a |
| Best Performance: |
| Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) and Youn Yuh-jung (Minari) |
| Worst Film: |
| Space Jam 2: A New Legacy |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Zach Snyder's Justice League |
|
 Jacob Richardson
Jacob Richardson is a Brisbane-based film reviewer and filmmaker, whose reviews can be found in the online publication Film Focus Magazine, as well as in a range of newspapers in NSW.
Website: filmfocusmagazine.com
instagram.com/filmfocusau
Twitter: n/a
|
| |
| Top 10 Films: |
| 1. |
French Exit |
| 2. |
Licorice Pizza |
| 3. |
Dune |
| 4. |
Nine Days |
| 5. |
The Father |
| 6. |
Judas and the Black Messiah |
| 7. |
In the Heights |
| 8. |
Ron's Gone Wrong |
| 9. |
Zola |
| 10. |
Pig |
| |
| Best Australian Film: |
| The Dry |
| Best Animated Film: |
| Ron's Gone Wrong |
| Best Documentary: |
| Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain |
| Best Performance: |
| Anthony Hopkins (The Father) |
| Worst Film: |
| My Salinger Year |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: |
| Free Guy and The Dig |
Garry Williams
David Edwards
