December 2021 Review: The Best Movies I Saw Last Month
Originally published January 6, 2022
I always spend my December getting comfortable and hibernating at home more, which means way more movies! Last month I watched 49 movies. Let’s not waste time and get into it!
BEST #3) The Advent Calendar (2021); Director: Patrick Ridremont; France
Please check out the full review here.
Overall Score? 8/10
BEST #2) The Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001); Director: Christopher Gans; France
Central France has a big problem in 1764. A ferocious beast is claiming the lives of humans and livestock that dare venture out alone in the mountains and woods. The King of France seeks out the expertise of Chevalier de Fronsac and Mani, a famed French explorer and his Native companion who make it their mission to put an end to the beast’s grip on the nation. Once there, they find themselves embroiled in a mystery that leads them to coy royals, rowdy political dissidents, and indecipherable brothel owners who all hold the key to what is behind the killings but how? An insightful and beautifully realized interpretation of the Beast of Gévauden killings that plagued France in the mid 1700s, The Brotherhood of the Wolf holds up well as a dark horror fantasy epic that isn’t afraid to get dirty. Stunning cinematography, marvelous creature design, and beautiful period costuming help realize a world of violence, terror, and political intrigue. There is something for everyone and The Brotherhood of the Wolf pushes the boundaries for all viewers in unique ways that make it such a genre force. Sink your claws into this wonderfully poignant and engrossing period horror from the early 2000s whenever you have a spare winter’s night to spend huddled on the couch.
Overall Score? 8/10
BEST #1) Funny Games (1997); Director: Michael Haneke; Austria
A family travels to their lakeside home for a quiet vacation. Just as they are getting settled in, two young men visit with the neighbor and assume that they are family friends. Seemingly innocuous moments turn into something violent when the two men escalate a conflict involving some eggs. They duo take control and begin torturing the family both physically and psychologically over the course of the evening. Forced to endure the worst of humanity, will they have the grit and tenacity to overwhelm their captors and survive? Funny Games is a frustrating film in the best of ways. Compelling characters and exceptional performances drive this arduous exercise in shock filmmaking. Director Michael Haneke asks the audience to reflect on their relationship with violence, breaking the fourth wall at times to really hammer home the point. As often as Funny Games is a masterclass film in visual and psychological terror, it does lose points for scolding its own audience for perceived moral failings for daring to watch in the first place. Some may find it preachy, others may feel nauseous from the realistic portrayal of violence, and still, others may find it a bit of both. If nothing else, there are no games to be played with this Austrian gem.
Overall Score? 8/10
