Best Movies and Series 2021: Mid-Year Award Edition

Welcome to the Geeky Therapy Awards!! (It probably won't catch on, but I tried). With June over and having reached the halfway point of the year, it is time to reflect on the movies and series journey thus far. Unlike last year, 2021 has been rich with new content, from new entries in blockbuster franchises, the continued survival of network telelvision series, and everything in between, it has been quite a task trying to keep up with it all. While these numbers are always fluctuating, at the time of this writing, I have watched 54 movies and over 26 seasons of television/streaming series. Of course, not all of that has been completely new content released this year, with some of my favorite views coming from movies/series in which I have caught up on from year's past. Getting through more content than I probably ever have in this amount of time would not have been possible without taking a hiatus from working after my recent move. During this time, I have put in more focus on building a back catalog of reviews/posts for Geeky Therapy, although I can not say that I am as satisfied as I want to be in that regards. As the year goes on and I return back to work, I am sure I will not be able to match this amount of viewed content (not that I won't be trying).

Though my passion for annual movie awards (i.e., Golden Blobes, Oscars) has waned over the years, I still find it easiest to discuss the best of the year, so far, in an award-like fashion. I will not be adhering myself to any pre-existing award format or anything of the like, but will try to create just a handful of award groups to help collect my thoughts. These will all be pretty broad, with no best actor or actress or the sort. I mostly want to do this to 1) bring awareness to recommended movies/series you have yet to see and 2) give myself a mid-year check for the end of year awards, which I may expand on from what I present here, depending on how it goes. All of these spotlights will have one or two honorable mentions. I do want to make sure to capture at least one 2021 offering in each category and as I stated before, some of what I've watched is a bit older, but still deserve recognition even if as a "Runner Up".

I have established some criteria for the awards eligibility and winning requirements:

1) the movie, series, most recent season must have been seen in its entirety

2) the movie, series, most recent season must have been seen for the first time this year

3) the movie, series, most recent season can not be awarded more than once

THE WASTED POTENTIAL

(The Movie/Series that had great elements, but could not pull them together)

MOVIE

The Woman in the Window

A good story. Great cast. What could go wrong? A lot, apparently. This Netflix Original thriller forget to actually be thrilling. Played out more like a drama with a very confused POV character, it was rarely ever gripping enough to be invested in the mystery. It had good moments and Amy Adams acted her ass off, but there was not enough glue holding the interest together.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Lucky

I See You

SERIES

Panic

Unlike it's movie counterpart, it still enjoyed this series enough. But to carry such an original concept and then make it background fodder in multiple episodes was a travesty. I think a more anthological approach to the series with less focus on a singular character and more focus on different perspectives of how the game impacted the characters could have helped keep it from being bogged down with some of its bland drama plot points.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Shadow and Bone

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THE MOST ENJOYABLE

(The Movie/Series that was a really fun watch, regardless of its overall quality)

MOVIE

The Raid: Redemption

My only regret is that it took me this long to watch this movie. Hands down, the most incredible fight choreography I have ever witnessed. Period. The story was kept simple enough as to not overly pollute this orchestra of violence with exposition or plot confusion. "Jaw-dropping action" is not just a figure of speech anymore.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Godzilla vs Kong

A Quiet Place Part II

SERIES

Invincible

In "Invincible," Amazon has proved that Marvel is not the only one who knows how to adapt comic stories. A world-class voice cast, unashamed violence, and a meaningful coming-of-age story made every episode must-watch TV. I have not found most current animated series very appealing, so this was not just a break of fresh air, but a complete redemption for the animated series genre.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Alice in Borderland

Ginny and Georgia

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THE REGRETFUL VIEWING

(The Movie/Series that could not help but be terrible)

MOVIE

False Positive

Having just written the review for this one, the failed abstract oddities and uninspired take on fertility from this Hulu Original are still fresh on my mind. There is really nothing positive to say about this movie that has any weight when compared to its shortcomings in storytelling, acting, and message. This was an enormous fall from grace for the company that brought us "Hereditary", "Lady Bird", and "Uncut Gems".

RUNNER-UP(S):

Fried Barry

Spree

SERIES

The Sinner (Season 3)

I probably should have expected this after Season 2 was considerably weaker than the critically successful first season. There was no layers to the mystery here, and not just that, but it attempted to be a character study of uninteresting people. The twists and mysteries of the first season have all but been forgotten, and after this season, this show should be as well.

RUNNER-UP(S):

The A List (Season 2)

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THE UNDERDOG VICTORY

(A Movie/Series that went under the radar and turned out to be a gem)

MOVIE

Z

If it was not for the choices the director made in how he told the third act, this might have beat out Psycho Goreman. What an excellently creepy film that, as a lifelong horror fan, immediately catapulted into my top 10. Not only did it prove the ability to build great tension, but its jump scares were legitimately shocking rather than feeling overused or campy. I still felt this movie long after it ended.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Kajillionaire

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

SERIES

Kim's Convenience

Canda, why have you been hiding this from me? Giving it a shot after seeing it on Netflix was a decision full of belly-laughing and real life LOLs. The everyday happenings of the Kim family and their unique perspectives, especially Mr. Kim's, bring such a light-hearted joy to television with an innocent humor that relies on little more than its enthusiastic cast to be both relevant and entertaining.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Sweet Home

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THE OVERHYPED LOSER

(The Movie/Series that did not live up to the anticipation or post-hype)

MOVIE

Zack Snyder's Justice League

I have spoken about this movie quite a bit, so I won't harp on it too long. Yes, it was more better and more cohesive than the theatrical cut. It was not the DCEU's savior, nor did it invoke the confidence of restoring Zack Snyder's vision. If anything, it supported the opposite. Even with an extra two hours, the movie still suffered from poor pacing, a poorly constructed story, and weak character balancing. Four hours should allow you time for amazing things, but instead, Snyder stripped the "super" from superheroes.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Nomadland

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

SERIES

Jupiter's Legacy

The Millar-verse of comics was supposed to be Netflix's stronghold on a shared universe and with comic adaptations continuing to be a hot commodity, you'd think Netflix's track record would have led to an easy success. Unfortunately, carrying an overly campy appearance with subpar special effects and a plot that focused on its weaker aspects could not keep the show afloat.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Final Season)

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THE BEST IN THE WORLD

(The Movie/Series that brought the best all-around viewing experience)

MOVIE

Psycho Goreman

I felt it as soon as the credits started rolling (and as they continued rolling, if you've seen the movie) that I had stumbled upon something special. This is a masterpiece of B-horror and is primed to be a cult classic. The ridiculously entertaining storyline and costume designs, to the charmingly annoying child lead, this movie has immediate replayability. Plus, it introduces the world to "Crazy Ball," which is how I now settle all fights and arguments.

RUNNER-UP(S):

Promising Young Woman

Coherence

SERIES

Cruel Summer

I have to give it up to Freeform for such a well-crafted series. In a time when most of network television has succumbed to being second fiddle to shows from streaming services, "Cruel Summer" was almost easily the best story I had seen in all media this year. If you have a vendetta against teen dramas, then this is likely not going to appeal to you, but I think this show has earned a chance from everyone. It will be interesting to see how this shakes up as the year goes on. I may have to add a "Limited Series" category to better capture long-form series versus the Marvel shows.

RUNNER-UP(S):

WandaVision

Sweet Tooth

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