Thursday, December 2, 2021

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2021 - Episode VI


The last month of the year has arrived, and it looks to go out with a bang…as December is packed with releases from herculean names such as Spielberg, Coen, Thomas-Anderson, Wachowski, Sorkin, del Toro, Clooney, and McKay. Here are the notable releases for the final four weekends of 2021. 

 

 

WOLF – In this drama, George MacKay (1917), plays a young man who believes he is a wolf, and is sent to a clinic with similar individuals who think they are animals in human form. 

 

WEST SIDE STORY – Steven Spielberg directs this remake of the 1961 classic musical, which was based on the 1957 Broadway show. Ansel Elgor (BABY DRIVER) leads the way with Rachel Zegler in her feature film debut. 

 

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS – Ric Roman Waugh, director of SNITCH (2013), and ANGEL HAS FALLEN (2019), helms this drama where a collegiate quarterback stages a strike hours before the biggest game of the year. 

 

BEING THE RICARDOS – Nicole Kidman plays Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem plays Desi Arnaz in this biopic directed by Aaron Sorkin (THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7). 

 

NIGHTMARE ALLEY – Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro (THE SHAPE OF WATER, PAN’S LABYRINTH), directs this psychological horror film about an ambitious carnival employee able to manipulate people. The packed cast includes Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, and David Strathairn. 

 

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME – Tom Holland returns as Spidey and Benedict Cumberbatch is back as Dr. Strange in Marvel’s grand finale for 2021, which this time sees our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man battling foes from several dimensions. 

 

THE KING’S MAN – The third film in the KINGSMAN series which started in 2014, serving as a prequel as the secret agents take on Rasputin. The stacked cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Matthew Vaughn, who directed the first two films, returns to the directing chair. 

 

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS – Keanu Reeves returns to the Matrix in this legacy sequel to the sci-fi bending franchise that started in 1999. Lana Wachowski returns to direct, and her cast includes Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick Harris, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. 

 

SING 2 – The sequel to the 2016 animated musical comedy. Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, and Scarlett Johansson lead the voice-cast. 

 

THE TENDER BAR – George Clooney directs this drama about a boy who spends his life bonding with patrons at a bar…seeking to find a replacement for his long-lost father. Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, and Christopher Lloyd star. 

 

LICORICE PIZZA – Paul Thomas Anderson (THERE WILL BE BLOOD, BOOGIE NIGHTS), directs this comedy-drama about a young man looking to break into the movie business. Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, and Tom Waits star. 

 

DON’T LOOK UP – Adam McKay (THE BIG SHORT, VICE), directs this comedy-drama centering around two astronomers who try to warn the world about a pending asteroid strike. The packed cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothee Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep…and a few promised surprises. 

 

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH – The first film directed by only one of the famed Coen Brothers (Joel), based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The cast includes Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, and Brendan Gleeson. 

 

AMERICAN UNDERDOG – Zachary Levi (SHAZAM!), plays NFL quarterback Kurt Warner in this real-life underdog story. Anna Paquin and Dennis Quaid co-star. 

 

CYRANO – Peter Dinklage (TV’S GAME OF THRONES), plays Cyrano de Bergerac in this adaptation of the 2018 stage musical. Joe Wright (DARKEST HOUR, ATONEMENT), directs. 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the first month of 2022. 






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