The Month of August is almost over and it's been pretty interesting the world of movies, kicking off its first weekend with an absolute blockbuster; The Suicide Squad which changed the game for the DCEU as already talked about previously.
However this month is not the topic of this discussion, while enjoying the cinematic releases of August, let's take a beat to remember just how stacked the month of July was in the department of Movies.
Last Month was truly filled with significant movies of different genres and most of them were actually pretty amazing and entertaining, some even ground-breaking.
So, Similar to my Anime Season Reviews, I'm going to listing and reviewing the best movies of the previous month, particularly the ones digitally released.
I won't be narrating the premise of these movies, just giving short, straight to the point reviews of them and as I said earlier, it's pretty much a recommendation list and I will be leaving out movies yet to be digitally released like Old And Escape Room : Tournament of Champions .
Although I doubt leaving them out would affect the integrity of this list that much, seeing how the ratings and early reviews of these movies really don't look appealing.
So without much gibber, let's move on in looking through the
TOP 15 BEST MOVIES OF JULY 2021
15) THE BOSS BABY 2: FAMILY BUSINESS (Comedy, Animation)
The famed animated comedy, Boss Baby returned with its sequel that pretty much kicked off the month alongside it's fellow highlighters of the first weekend of July.
If the title wasn't any indication, Family Business focused a lot more on the the theme of 'Family' and did so spectacularly well with its touching story set years after the first movie.
It was charming, entertaining and fun, the great comedy and music quality made it a really worthwhile watch.
However, it wasn't really anything more than just fun and definitely not as great as the first movie.
(Action, Sci-fi)
Another movie which opened up the month of July in its first weekend, immediately getting popular in a bad way due to its controversial plot structure.
Being honest, despite all the hate and controversy it got, it's not as bad as critics demonized it to be. Chris Pratt and Yvonne Stravhoski had Solid performances backed up by the stellar production values, leading the movie to great heights in terms of entertainment and engagingness.
The plot was pretty unintelligent and some scenes didn't make sense, but with its well executed action scenes radiated by its satisfying visuals and music quality, it can surely stand among its counterparts as an engaging action movie.
(Action, Thriller)
The Purge franchise has pretty much been an impactful one in the action-thriller movie scene. It's no surprise the most recent Purge movie didn't fail to deliver the high quality thrills and action the genre's known for.
The Forever Purge was a thrilling and engaging movie from start to finish, taking the violence and gore associated with this franchise to the extremes with its very real, very high stakes.
The movie was thoroughly held back by its political undertones and how it blandly depicts the societal themes it aims at depicting, painting Whites as villains or supremacists. Plus the characters being killed off had barely any development making the whole thing seem superficial if one thinks about it. But aside all that, in terms of its core aspects, this movie is an engaging horrific thriller that'll keep you at the edge of your seat throughout with its gritty action scenes and lots of unexpected deaths.
12) BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN PART 2 (Action, Crime)
This animated comicbook superhero crime movie served as a conclusion to the already established prequel bearing the same name which aired in June.
Most of the events had already been set in motion with its amazing first part, ending in a cliffhanger, leaving fans wanting a satisfying second part and ending.
The Long Halloween Part 2 was amazingly engaging as it continued the proper development of the conflicts, bringing all the combustible elements of the story together leading to a soothing climax. Jensen Ackles did a fantastic job voicing Batman and so did the entire cast, the action scenes were amazing, the villains were well adapted, the plot twists were great and the only thing hindering it how how rushed the 2nd part felt in comparison with the first, making it a step down in terms of quality.
(Action, Sci-fi)
This movie pretty much doesn't need any introduction to movie enthusiasts, especially comic book fans, and seeing as I've already given a full review of it earlier I'm going to keep it short and sweet.
Black Widow was an extremely entertaining movie with its strongest element being its fantastic fight scenes and production values, hindered by its failure to give a fulfilling story and develop its themes and characters sufficiently.
(Adventure, Comedy)
The comedic adventure movie of the year, Jungle Cruise is probably the most fun movie on this entire list. As you'd expect it's set on some kind of tropical Island/jungle with established myths and a treasure hunt like every other movie of its kind. But while it doesn't deviate from the tropes and structural bracket of its genre, it does fill it out completely by giving not only an engaging adventure, but great comedy as well.
The main cast of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily blunt masterfully established a naturally hilarious and sparky dynamic between the main characters in their adventure, giving room for so many amazing comedy flicks and humor in the progression. The other elements of the movie were great as well, the characters, the scenery, the designs, all contributed to making this movie truly fun and enjoyable from start to finish. Emily Blunt was hotter than she had any right to be in this movie and it was great seeing her have fun with a comedic role as opposed to her role on A Quiet Place.
(Drama, Thriller)
Of all movies on this list, this might probably be the most underwatched, especially since it got released in that first weekend that highlighted multiple blockbusters, but while you may've not heard of it, it's definitely one of the best movies of July and one of the best Drama movies this year.
It's an intuitive melodrama that integrates the real world conflicts of the medical field in telling a captivating story centered on the worth of 'Life' . The strongest element of this movie is definitely it's dialogues. A committee of organ transplant doctors literally dictating which lives are worth saving based on the mental condition and moral predicaments gives a sense of metaphorical symbolism to the word 'God' in the title and this creates room for effortlessly impactful and educative dialogues. Although it did establish the character relationships and conflicts well, it can get a bit too melodramatic at times, making the story a bit convoluted, but it's a thoughtful and compelling movie drama fans would find appealing.
(Action/Horror)
I'm sure a lot of movie fans may have seen and forgone this Netflix thriller like I almost did, but after watching and thoroughly loving the Netflix modern classic 'Dark', I've learnt not to underestimate Germans in their recent cinematic works.
Blood Red Sky might seem like a basic horror movie similar to Snakes on a Plane or Train to Busan but with Vampires, and perhaps on the surface it could be described as that, but it's a grave oversimplification of this amazing story. It's a lot more than just your average Vampirish-horror movie. It's an emotionally resonant and compelling story which shows motherly love and the depths a mother world go to protect her son even under extremely dyer situations. It depicts the consequences that could be wrought from biases and stereotypes and does so while masterfully delivering high staked gorey action scenes. There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the movie, strong performances from the entire cast, don't miss out on this as it's one of the best vampire movies I've seen in recent years.
(Action, Thriller)
This movie was pretty much my guilty pleasure of the month as critics and fans alike are still casting spiteful reviews towards it based on what they expected from it.
Well, I absolutely loved it and I think those downplaying this movie need to remember that sometimes, all a movie has to be is simple and sweet. It's not like the movie aimed to be anything it's not or tried to blandly tell an emotional story with no real subtext. It was a straightforward, badass, visually stunning and unapologetically entertaining action movie. The movie was basic in its plot and dialogues but it was all intentional and never once strayed from the playful and parodic tone in all its badass and edgy demeanor. It pretty much had the best action sequences of the month with a lot of well-choreographed gorey fight scenes backed by the amazing music and colourful set designs. Karen Gillan pretty much solidified herself as an Action-star with this role and the rest of the female cast especially Lena Headey also did a fantastic job. It's a movie that's guaranteed to entertain and engage you throughout, but only if you see it for what it is. It's nothing as deep as The God Committee or Blood Red Sky, but went for fun and entertainment and did that extremely well.
(Drama, Crime)
The recently digitally released crime-drama starring none other than Matt Damon takes the 6th spot on this list.
I didn't expect much from this movie given the fact that there were so many headlining hits in the month of July, and watching it a month after the rest certainly didn't help, but it set itself apart from the movies below it with its high quality storytelling and character writing.
It's a narrative drama with a slow and steady progression, masterfully developing its characters and representing strong themes along the way.
The story of a man who embarks on a journey in order to prove his daughter's innocence. Matt Damon's Solid Performance allows you to almost feel everything our main character feels; the restlessness, the anxiety, the optimism, the despair, as he repeatedly hits rock-bottom in chasing his goal.
The central message of this movie was pretty much that being a Screw Up can be hereditary, and being a slow-burn Crime-drama, it had the perfect pacing and proper build up to the emotionally dramatic elements and thrilling crime elements of the plot which bloomed when everything fell into place, leaving room for plot-twists and enabling the movie to leave one yearning throughout the 2 hour+ ride.
5) TILL DEATH
(Action, Thriller)
As I said while reviewing Gunpowder Milkshake, sometimes all a movie has to be is simple and sweet. The horrific thriller genre is all about execution, and I think Till Death does this perfectly.
It's an extremely violent action-thriller with a setting that's reminiscent but not derivative of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan's 'Gerald's Game'.
Megan Fox did a fantastic job portraying the main character, fully encompassing the shock and hardships associated with the role with her stunning performance.
The movie was one hell of an experience, right from the grand plot twist which started its second act, it was an extremely thrilling ride that'll keep typical viewers glued to the screens. The action scenes were very well done in all its brutality and gruesomeness.
There isn't really much more to say about it given that it's a horrific thriller, it's one that's better experienced, but one thing I can promise anyone yet to see this movie is that it's one that'll engage you throughout with intense highlight scenes that'll leave you genuinely shocked and thrilled, making it one of the best of its kind this year.
4) THE BOY BEHIND THE DOOR(Action, Thriller)Not meaning to dismiss the previous entry in any way, but speaking about simple, well executed thrillers, The Boy Behind The Door does it a nudge better than Till Death.
I wouldn't recommend this movie to someone with a history of shock or heart problems, as it's one that took everything it did to the extremes in all its shocking moments.
It's a perfectly executed game of Cat and Mouse between two young innocent kids and the sadistic old lady who kidnapped them.
The action was brutal, irreverent and gruesome, and despite the fact that the main leads are kids, the violence goes both ways. So If you're one that enjoys settings along the lines of Home Alone or just don't enjoy seeing kids get brutally hurt, you might find it unsettling, but that's just the charm of the movie. Delivering something so unorthodox in such a raw and unapologetic manner.
The chase, being the best part of it was splendidly executed and thrilling, the stakes were real and sky high, and even if you may get the idea the main duo might survive the difficult situations, you can't help but wonder at every turn how they'll manage to do that. It's a psychological thriller I'd definitely recommend to hardcore fans of the genre.
3) PIG (Drama, Thriller)
If I were to pick a single movie to stand as the best Drama of the month of July this year, that would be Pig, the directoral debut of Micheal Sarnoski starring Nicholas Cage.
This movie is one of the most authentic drama movies I've seen this year with its strongest and most prominent element being Nicolas Cage's Oscar worthy performance. The perfect execution of a story which doesn't seem relevant, taunting all generic and expected tropes of its genres, creating a truly genuine experience. Nicolas Cage's stunning performance may've just marked his transition back to an A-Lister as he not only fully embodied the role but enabled viewers to feel the weight of every scene. The soothing atmosphere, the passionate dialogues, the nuanced character reactions all brought out to full capacity through spectacular production and direction, making this an effortlessly captivating tale.
There isn't really much more to say about it, it's more about the experience and real world significance of the movie. Being a directoral debut, it's pretty much one of the best in modern times I've seen, Cage showed the world he could still give his A-game if he put the effort and it'll honestly be a great thing to see Pig listed among Oscar nominees for Best Actor and Director this year.
Seeing as how an almost similarly phenomenal movie named 'First Cow' got released last year and A24's 'Lamb' is on its way and already looking beautiful, it seems domestic animal numecleature in modern drama is becoming a thing, and one that's not to be trifled with.
2) FEAR STREET TRILOGY
(Horror, Thriller)
If I were to think of a single title that dominated the month of July that would be Netflix's Horror Trilogy; Fear Street. It only landed in the second spot due to the delayed digital release of the one I put above it.
The horror genre really wasn't doing great earlier this year especially with three major Horror franchises; The Conjuring, SAW and A Quiet Place releasing disappointing followup movies, at least before Fear Street swooped in, saved the horror genre leading it's counterparts last month and dominated July with its 3 parts released in the first 3 consecutive weekends of the month.
Unlike the psychological-thrillers I reviewed earlier; Fear Street isn't just a well executed chase, it fully embodies it's horrific elements while still managing to tell a well-rounded story in its three parts.
Part 1: 1994 told the story in the main timeline in 1994 where a certain town named 'Shadyside' had been plagued for centuries with continuous horrific murders. The main events are set in motion when a group of teens encounter this evil force and gain the determination to put an end to the curse while barely hanging on to their lives in the horrific chase. The stakes in this movie are at its extremes and you can literally feel that right at the start due to its beautifully brutal, gruesome and unpredictable death scenes in the many thrilling chases in this film.
Part 2: 1978 certainly didn't deviate from this greatness as it served as a sort of prequel to the main timeline, focusing on the narrated events which occured at a Summer Camp 16 years back , which exposed the teens to the mysteries behind the curse. The 2nd part gave a similarly fantastic horror experience as the first, perfectly executing it's storytelling and thriller elements and adequately paving way for the plot to move forward with its beautiful ending.
Part 3: 1666 set 3 centuries ago from the present events, practically foreshadowed the entire franchise as it told the main origin story that lead to all the madness years later. It was pretty much the strongest part of the trilogy in terms of story and writing as it told a significantly captivating and dramatic tale, making perfect use of its themes and cinematic devices and laying a solid foundation for the resolution of the plot which occured in its second half.
Needless to say, all 3 Fear Street movies are excellent horror movies whether you consider them individually or as a complete trilogy and as it gave an unforgettable experience, it wouldn't be a stretch to already call this a modern classic horror franchise.
1) THE GREEN KNIGHT
(Adventure, Fantasy)
Here we are, after going through 15 of the best movies of last month, the one which shined the brightest ended up being none other than David Lowery's trailblazing new midieval fantasy epic; The Green Knight.
Before I go deep into the review, I'd first like to make it clear that this film is a sort of vibe-check for movie fans. To put it more bluntly, it's not for everyone. It's like a poetry recital, it's a movie that'd be hated by viewers going into it for fun and entertainment, but fully appreciated by genuine lovers of cinematic art.
It's been a while since a memorable epic movie has been released, and The Green Knight filled that hole in my heart completely with its unorthodox story that subverts the typical midieval fantasy war formula.
This movie was truly phenomenal and groundbreaking, with an authentic story and progression that's effortlessly engaging from start to finish.
It's a simple story told in a complex and compact way and even if the plot didn't have a lot of dialogues, the few interactions and character moments were just powerful.
Although it's an epic named 'The Green Knight', don't expect an action packed adventure even with the existence of mythical fantasy creatures. It's more conceptual and sequence based in its progression, slowly building towards a groundbreaking crescendo that'll stay etched in the memory of viewers for years to come.
The Cinematography and Production values were just perfect. Visually stunning in its displays with its mind-bending glamorous imagery and spectacular music quality and sound effects which naturally establishes an unsettling atmosphere.
Dave Patel played Sir Gawain, the main character who set out on a journey to gain courage and conquer fear in acceptance of his upcoming demise. He practically earned his Oscar nomination this year with a completely powerful performance which adequately delivers the catharsis and empathic drive required from such a role.
The ambiance of every scene was perfect, impactfully encoding a lot of symbolism centering the general messages and themes this movie intends to highlight with its well written story.
With its perfect writing and execution of an authentic story, it gives the kind of fulfilling cinematic experience you only encounter a few times in your entire lifetime.
It's truly a One of a Kind movie which I already see as one of the absolute best this year and I hope it gets the love and appreciation it deserves and that the creator of this Masterpiece, David Lowery transitions from an underrated to a more renowned director.
Watch this movie not with the expectations of a fun or entertaining movie but a Classic that'll deserve an applause afterwards because it'll certainly give you a legendary impact that'll resonate with you throughout the year.
Among the released movies which didn't make the list there's
Snake Eyes which adds to the evergrowing list of disappointing
G.I. Joe movies.
The Last Mercenary ,
Jolt and
Die in a Gunfight also failed at being anything short of basic and horrible action movies.
Space Jam: A New Legacy , being the biggest dumpster fire of the month and Resort To Love which was a pretty fun but unappealing rom-com.
Still waiting for the digital releases of Old and The Escape Room 2 and I'll be sure to let you know if they're any good.
Other than that, with everything mentioned on the list, July has pretty much been the most impactful month in the movie industry this year and seeing as how this month already has a good number of hits, I'll probably make a follow-up review countdown for August's movies.
Be sure to check out a good number of these recommendations while taking my reviews at heart.
I'll always be here to guide you all through the world of cinematics, anticipate my next review which I'm going to make even more interesting than usual.
Thank you all for reading
Be sure to drop your thoughts in the comments
And I'll See you all Later!.
Yo go just dey mesemu but nice read very well done
ReplyDeleteNice read and recommendations ✨
ReplyDeleteImpressive
ReplyDeleteIt's really not easy but you consistent, this is nice
ReplyDeleteSeen most of the movies here and for the ones I haven't seen i would make sure to check them out. Keep it up bruh
ReplyDeleteAmazing read as always
ReplyDelete