I Care a Lot (2021)
One of the more unusual gangster movies you’ll see, I Care a Lot revolves around the strange, nefarious world of court-appointed guardians for the elderly. Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is the most professional and ruthless in the business. Marla and her business partner, Fran (Eiza González), operate a well-oiled machine of seizing the assets of elderly wards and bilking them out of their money through completely legal — if extremely unethical — methods. But when she targets Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest), a wealthy retiree with no living heirs or family, she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Jennifer, it just so happens, harbors her own dark secrets and has close connections to a supremely volatile gangster (Peter Dinklage) who is fully ready to play extralegal hardball.
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Genre: Mystery And Thriller, Comedy
Stars: Rosamund Pike, Dianne Wiest, Peter Dinklage
Director: J Blakeson
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes
Mank (2020)
Directed by David Fincher from a script written by his late father, Jack Fincher, Mank takes you back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Specifically, it brings you into the world of Herman J. Mankiewicz — known not so affectionately as “Mank” — as he races to finish his magnum opus, Citizen Kane. His worldview and perspective of Hollywood are increasingly scathing and fueled by drink as he becomes jaded by the industry he’s working so hard to prop up.
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Stars: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins
Director: David Fincher
Rating: R
Runtime: 132 minutes
To All The Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
The final iteration in Netflix’s popular teen romantic comedy trilogy, To All The Boys: Always and Forever caps off Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter’s (Noah Centineo) surprise high school relationship in touching fashion. After returning from a family trip to Korea, Lara Jean is ready to make the biggest decision of her life. Or is she? Considering college plans with — and without — Noah, Lara Jean has to decide if she’s ready to put a capstone on this part of her life.
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Stars: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish
Director: Michael Fimognari
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 109 minutes
The Dig (2021)
The Dig was Netflix’s first breakout movie of 2021. It’s based on John Preston’s novel, which was in turn inspired by the real events of the Sutton Hoo archeological dig in 1939. Carey Mulligan plays Edith Pretty, a widower who hires archaeologist Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to investigate some burial mounds on her property. What he finds quickly draws attention from the government and more prominent archeologists. It also threatens to push both Basil and Edith out of the picture. Meanwhile, Edith and Basil develop a burgeoning romantic bond, despite Basil’s marriage and Edith’s fragile health. The film takes a few liberties with history, but it makes for a stronger drama.
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Genre: Drama, Historical
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn
Director: Simon Stone
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 112 minutes
The White Tiger (2021)
You probably haven’t heard of Adarsh Gourav before, but that’s likely to change after seeing him in The White Tiger. In his first leading role in a movie, Gourav takes center stage in the adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s novel. Balram Halwai (Gourav) is a man whose chance to escape poverty and servitude was lost while he was still a child. As an adult, Balram blackmails his way into the service of a rich couple: Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas). Despite their relative kindness towards him, Balram realizes that he’s still trapped in a life that he doesn’t want. And getting ahead in the world is going to require some drastic measures.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Director: Ramin Bahrani
Rating: R
Runtime: 125 minutes
Finding ‘Ohana (2021)
Finding ‘Ohana is pretty unapologetic about the way it channels The Goonies by way of Hawaiian mythology. Kea Peahu and Alex Aiono star as Pili and Ioane, a pair of siblings who are moved back to Hawaii by their mother, Leilani (Kelly Hu), to take care of their grandfather, Kimo (Branscombe Richmond). While learning more about their family heritage, Pili comes across a journal owned by Kimo that may lead to a lost pirate treasure. Soon after, Pili drags her new friend, Casper (Owen Vaccaro), and Ioane on the adventure of a lifetime.
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Genre: Adventure, Family
Stars: Kea Peahu, Alex Aiono, Lindsay Watson, Owen Vaccaro
Director: Jude Weng
Rating: PG
Runtime: 123 minutes
