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Five Most Disappointing Movies Released In 2021
IMMEDIATE DISCLAIMER. THESE ARE ONLY MOVIES I HAVE SEEN. Unfortunately I can not see them all, even though I wish I could. Again, need to point out the obvious here […]
IMMEDIATE DISCLAIMER. THESE ARE ONLY MOVIES I HAVE SEEN. Unfortunately I can not see them all, even though I wish I could.
Again, need to point out the obvious here but movies are subjective. Not all of these movies are bad per say (though some are), and not all of these movies have high praise. There is a grey area. It is all about how one looks at the experience and feels after. It is allowed to be different for everyone.
So with that all being said, these are five movies released in the calendar year 2021 that were personally disappointing, whether I expected them to be high brow quality or not.
The below five movies are as of December 1st, 2021. This list is subject to change over the final month of the calendar year.
Beckett
Following a tragic car accident in Greece, an American tourist finds himself at the center of a dangerous political conspiracy and on the run for his life.”
Director: Ferdinando Cito Filomarino
Writers: Kevin A. Rice, Ferdinando Cito Filomarino
Staring: John David Washington, Boyd Holbrook, Vicky Krieps, Alicia Vikander
Release Date: August 13, 2021
Streaming: Netflix
I want to say this for the record. Beckett is not a BAD movie. It is a perfectly adequate and acceptable movie. Beckett however is still a disappointment because of all the movies on this list, it started out the best and ended with a fizzle. There was hope for Beckett, but hope is a dangerous thing. John David Washington is a rising talent and someone who can thrive in an action role, as we saw with Tenet (2020). The problem with Beckett is that the story doesn’t know what type of hero David Washington is playing. He starts out as a lucky, fighting for his live regular joe-schmo, but by the end he is like a super hero who can survive knife fights with trained killers and jumping onto moving cars. The potential is not fulfilled, which is why it lands on my list.
Black Widow
“Natasha Romanoff confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.”
Director: Cate Shortland
Writer: Eric Pearson, Jac Schaeffer, Ned Benson
Staring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, Ray Winstone
Streaming: Disney+
Release Date: July 9, 2021
People who know me know that I am not a huge Marvel fan, but even from an objective standpoint, this is not a good movie. Scarlett Johansson does not act well in this movie and the screenplay that is trying to keep this late story from told is not strong at all. No true bad guy, trying to make the audience care for a character that is already dead and inconsistent action sets along with a waste of Taskmaster; these are all negative things about Black Widow. What really takes the disappointment level for this to another level is how long everyone waited for it. This was supposed to be the jump start the kick-off to phase four of the Marvel cinematic universe. Instead, this roller coaster falls on its side coming out of the starting gate.
Halloween Kills
“The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode continues in the next thrilling chapter of the Halloween series.”
Director: David Gordon Green
Writers: John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Scott Teems
Staring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Judy Courtney, Will Patton
Streaming: Peacock
Release Date: October 15, 2021
This just is not a Halloween movie. I am sorry. It just isn’t. Sure, it has Laurie Strode and it has Michael Myers. However, it does not have the style, the pacing, the fun and the charisma that is within any of the redeemable Halloween movies. I came around a little on Halloween (2018), but still think it falls on the disappointment pendulum. Halloween Kills is in a deeper hole than it’s predecessor. I don’t need magical evil to rekindle my love for Myers and the original Halloween, but now I am looking forward to David Gordon’s Green final part of the trilogy with trepidation.
The Little Things
“Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon is sent to Los Angeles for what should have been a quick evidence-gathering assignment. Instead, he becomes embroiled in the search for a serial killer who is terrorizing the city.“
Director: John Lee Hancock
Writers: John Lee Hancock
Staring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Streaming: HBO MAX
Release Date: January 29, 2021
You tell me there is a movie staring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto about a serial killer and I am going to go running to whatever screen I can to see it. Such was the case with The Little Things. God damn this movie was a massive disappointment. Just on all accounts. The “thriller” aspect of The Little Things is not present, and the ending of the movie is absent of any true suspense. There is just confusion that this story is ending this way. In terms of Jared Leto, his performance was something…but I am not sure it was good? The Golden Globes did. That is maybe the only worthy talking point from this movie.
Red Notice
“An Interpol agent tracks the world’s most wanted art thief.”
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Writer: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Staring: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, Ritu Arya
Where To Watch: Netflix & Theaters
Release Date: November 12, 2021
Red Notice has the same problems as the Los Angeles Rams. It is a compellation of all star talent that is not working together as a coherent group. The individual parts are exciting, sure. But when they all get in the huddle, it’s just a mess over talking over one another and cheap tricks to simply get money and eyeballs. The special effects in Red Notice are bad and plot progresses with a bad video game with obvious breaking points for every level and new boss. Sure, Red Notice is the most watched Netflix movie of all time, but that does not mean that the quality is good. There will be a sequel that will make waves again, so you can’t blame Netflix and everyone involved for shoving Red Notice down our throats.
Honorable Mentions
Army Of The Dead
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Nomadland
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins
The Woman In The Window
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