Favourite Films and TV Shows of 2021 So Far| Carenza Bramwell

As we are now over halfway through 2021, I thought it would be fun to look back at the year and talk about my favourite films and TV shows. As of writing this, I have watched 90 things. I have watched 59 movies and 31 TV shows. I have been rewatching a lot of favourites, including a complete rewatch of the Marvel films. I went through my list of things I've watched and picked 5 favourites. 

The Queen's Gambit

A highlight from the start of the year and one I still can't stop thinking about. I have a full review, which you can read here. I don't know how they did it, but they made chess an engaging subject. Beth and the other characters all had something about them. They were icons. I loved this show so much that I have since read the book and feel that the show is superior. If for some reason you haven't watched the show, you really should as it's one of the best I've watched in a while. The writing. The acting. The set design. The whole package. It was incredible. 

The Mauritanian 

Despite the dark subject matter of this film, you can't help but feel hopeful as it ends. Tahar Rahim as the central character brings light to an otherwise quite bleak film. As it's based on real events, it can leave you feeling angry that this happened. I still want to read the book that this is based on. I think the other cast members are just as strong in their performances, but this is Rahim's film. I'd recommend doing some research on this film before watching it. It was another one where all the elements came together to create an amazing film. You can read my review of it here. 

 

Shadow and Bone

I was not expecting to like this show. I hadn't been the biggest fan of the books so I didn't see the hype around the show. A friend of mine convinced me to watch it and I ended up watching it twice. I was that hooked that as soon as I finished watching it for the first time, I started watching it a second time. I went and reread the books because of it. They made some great changes as I really don't care for the books. I have a full review of the show, which you can read here. I think it goes without saying that I am very excited for series two and for them to introduce some of my favourite characters to this show. 

 

The Machines vs the Mitchells 

If you are looking for something funny, heartwarming and beautiful, then look no further. This is probably my favourite film of 2021 so far. It was great from start to end. I loved the characters, the animation, the story. I don't think there was a single thing I didn't like about this film. Olivia Coleman voices the villain and is clearly having a blast. At it's core, this is a film about a family coming together despite being very different. I loved all of their storylines. I think, to put it simply, I loved this film. 

Breeders Series Two

I watched this series in one day because I could not stop watching. I had rewatched series one and thought it was good, but this series knocked it out of the park. Obviously as it's a second series, I won't be going into details so I can avoid spoilers. They threw everything they could at these characters. I found the storylines really engaging. They tackled some important topics. The performances were superb. If you are looking for a new sitcom, then I'd strongly recommend this one. This is a show about parenting and as someone who is very much not a parent (and won't be for quite some time, if ever), there is something for everyone in this show. We all know people like that. 

So that was a very quick list of my favourite films and TV shows of 2021 so far. I'll be doing an updated one at the end of this year, with hopefully some more things on it. Have you watched anything from this list? What are some of your favourites so far? 

My Favourite Movies| CarenzaOnBooks

I was brainstorming ideas for blog posts and was getting stuck on what I should post. I then realised it's my blog and I can post what I want. That's why today's post is all about my favourite movies plus some honourable mentions. I've picked my five all-time favourite movies and five honourable mentions.

  

Lady Bird

I feel that we have to start with my all-time favourite movie- Lady Bird. I've written a whole blog post about how much I love this movie. I saw this at a really important point in my life. I was undecided about my future and this movie was oddly reassuring. Plus it had a fantastic cast (Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet to name a few) and it was beautifully shot. The soundtrack is also incredible. Greta Gerwig has become a favourite director and writer of mine and I aspire to be like her when I grow up.

 

La La Land

I know that there is a lot of mixed feelings around La La Land, but I genuinely love it. I'm very happy that I saw it before the hype as I don't think I would have enjoyed it that much. The aesthetic is on point. The songs are so catchy that you'll have them stuck in your head for days. The theme of achieving your goals vs selling yourself for your art was beautifully written. As someone who would, maybe, like to work in the movie industry this didn't glamorise the ugly side of Hollywood. I need to watch it again in full as the last few times I've watched it I've only watched three-quarters of it. 

Moulin Rouge

Up until I saw Lady Bird, I would have said Moulin Rouge is my favourite film. I watched this way too much when I was a kid and I feel like I need to watch it as an adult to see if I still like it. It's another film where the soundtrack is an absolute bop. It's set in Paris, which is one of my favourite places in the whole world. I just remember it being a beautiful love story and like the other two films I have mentioned, the visuals are stunning.

Mood Indigo 

This might be a bit of an odd one to put on my favourites list as it's the only movie I've seen once. I saw it at the cinema five years ago and to this day it remains one of my favourite movies. It's a French movie and it's slightly bonkers, but I fell in love with it. I keep on meaning to buy it on DVD so I can watch it again, but there's a part of me that doesn't want to taint that memory. I don't think I can put into words how much I loved this movie and what it meant to me at the time I saw it. 

Hot Fuzz

This is definitely the odd one out on the list as it's the only action/comedy movie. I became a huge fan of the Cornetto Trilogy about five years ago. Hot Fuzz has to be my favourite in the trilogy. I'm not sure why I decided this was my favourite in the trilogy, but if I ever want to watch a Cornetto movie, I always pick this one. I think the Cornetto trilogy is really clever and I admire Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost greatly for their work on it. I do love a good comedy and this has to be one of the best.  

Honourable Mentions

My Neighbour Totoro

I was going to put this in my favourites, but I felt that it was better suited to this category. Studio Ghibli make some amazing movies and this has to be one of the best. I feel that it's one of the best purely because Totoro is an epic character. He (is it a he?) doesn't say anything and yet manages to help these two young girls. It's another one with amazing visuals, as all Studio Ghibli movies have. It just puts me in a good mood when I watch it. 

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 

This is the best Harry Potter movie and I will defend it until the day I die. Alfonso Cuaron made some amazing decisions with the visuals of this movie. He also expanded the set of Hogwarts. It introduces us to some of the best characters in the series and has the best soundtrack. I think it is universally loved within the fandom and every time I see a screenshot from it, I just feel happy. 

Baby Driver

Another Edgar Wright movie and a recent watch. I had wanted to watch Baby Driver since I saw the trailer for it and I finally watched it. The use of music in it is so clever and the story is super compelling. The cast is also phenomenal. It's very different from some of the movies Edgar Wright has made and maybe after a few more watches, might become one of my favourite movies. 

  

Call Me By Your Name

I feel that this deserves an honourable mention as I recently watched and fell in love with it. I'm really glad I read the book first as the book is obviously superior to the movie. I would say that it was one of the better adaptations out there and they are going to make a sequel. The main performances were incredible, it had epic visuals and the soundtrack was beautiful. I might have to watch it again very soon because I feel now I can fully appreciate it. 

 

In Bruges 

My final movie on this list is In Bruges. I wasn't sure if I wanted to put this on, but I realised I've watched it so many times and I do really enjoy it. Martin McDonagh is a writer I hugely admire and this was his first film. It subverts expectations and is a genuinely funny movie. It has some great quotes. Having been to Bruges, I feel I can fully appreciate it more than when I hadn't been to Bruges.