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2021 was a year of complex themes, layered characters and a fresh gamut of stories that made many a viewer pause and reflect. While some stories took us back to the sweet joys of nostalgia, others challenged our imagination, giving us a new perspective of characters, situations and even fantasy tales. Here are some of the best films and shows released in the past year on Amazon Prime Video that left a long-lasting mark.
Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem and Aaron Sorkin. If that's a combination that doesn't intrigue, we don't know what will. The three Academy Award winners team up to capture the story of Desi and Lucy, aka actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as they grapple with a crisis at their workplace as well as their relationship. A behind-the-scenes peek inside their classic sitcom, I Love Lucy, the biographical drama intricately captures the 50s in its darkness as well as glory. The old-world charm created by the costumes and sets is stunning, while Kidman generates goosebumps in a role not many could've imagined her in. Her accent is on point and expressions off the charts as she seamlessly juggles between Lucy's inner turmoil and anguish along with her outer disposition as the charming lead of a comedy.
Premiered internationally at the Toronto International Film Festival, the captivating drama thriller stars Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada. What starts off as a rescue mission of his two young children by a concerned father – also a decorated Marine – soon turns into something murkier and darker. As the truth starts peeling out and the danger grows, one question remains: will the family save one another? Riz Ahmed is as fierce and dependable as ever as Malik, the troubled Marine who wants to save his children from the unknown. He expresses a sense of vulnerability in his performance and the tender moments he has with the children stand out. Watch out for the terrific background score by Jed Kurzel.
Chris McKay's sci-fi action film had it all – an ensemble cast comprising Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, Sam Richardson and Betty Gilpin, to name a few, time travel, some eye-catching CGI and thrilling action sequences. The film follows a group of present-day soldiers and civilians who are sent off to the future to fight an alien invasion that threatens to destroy humanity. While an earnest performance by Pratt is one of its biggest highlights, what also clicks is the way the emotions run deep in the film. Not only does it present war and its effects from different lenses across time zones, it also delves into the gravity of trauma that many survivors face and the way it tends to impact the relationships they share with their loved ones.
What do you do when you are stuck in a time loop, living the same day over and over – and over – again? Do you keep going or try to find a way out? That seems like an easy enough question, but for Margaret (Kathyn Newton) and Mark (Kyle Allen), it could be life-altering. Stuck in a world that forgets each day as it comes, only to repeat like clockwork, the two of them are the only ones who remember. As they find each other, they embark on a journey of easy banter, friendship and love. They have a choice – either live the same day infinitely or try and break the loop and suffer its consequences. Newton is enthralling as Margaret, and the chemistry of the leads sparkles through the breezy romance.
It's very empowering to watch powerful women. Rosamund Pike as Moiraine and Zoe Robins as Nynaeve are two (of many) such compelling characters in the epic fantasy series. Set against the backdrop of a mystical world, the series follows the journey of Moiraine – a member of Aes Sedai – an elusive organization of women who can channel magic – as she partakes the long, hard journey of finding the Dragon reborn, who can either save the world or end it. The narrative and performances are gripping, but what uplifts the series is its visual appeal and cinematography – the lush greens and wintry whites adding to its beauty, especially when the irony of incessant bloodshed in the scenes adjacent highlight its surrealism.
A modern-day retelling of a classic story, Cinderella is a burst of colours, music and emotions that run deep in the storytelling. The effervescent Camila Cabello stars as Ella, an ambitious but deprived woman striving day in and out to make her dreams come true. Cabello shines as a talented young woman trying to make her own living by following her dreams. The story is no more about fancy chariots and balls leading to a royal wedding, it's about being – and loving – one's own self first. There's a sweet romance developing too, of course, but at its core, the film celebrates individuality and shuns patriarchy – a welcome discourse in the archetypal fairy-tale world.
Set around the dark world of the drug mafia in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian web series, at its core, is about the relationship between a father and son. On one hand, there's Victor – a policeman who has forever fought the good fight against drugs, and on the other, there's his son, Pedro Dom, his polar opposite. While good at heart, his drug addiction veers him to a dangerous path, invariably making him what his father had always hunted. With haunting performances from Gabriel Leone and Flavio Tolezani, the gripping series portrays a complex but heart-tugging relationship between two layered characters in a series of arcs that intricately blends the past with the present.
Matthew Heineman's biographical documentary on Colombian singer and rapper J Balvin is honest, courageous and raw. Chronicling the time the pop star prepares for his homecoming concert as his country goes through intense political turmoil, the film gives a peek into the mind of Balvin – right from the anxiety and pressure of both situations that loom large upon him, to a reflection of his past life and tumultuous journey to stardom. Balvin also opens up about his mental health and his struggle with clinical depression, making the gaze of the documentary introspective, sensitive and important.
Who doesn't like love stories? And the anthology series, with its second season, and an ensemble cast including Kit Harington, Lucy Boynton, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Tom Burke, Zoë Chao, Minnie Driver and Grace Edwards, among others, continued to generate the warmth that comes with the feeling of love. Dabbling into different tales and forms of love, the John Carney series, inspired by true events, tends to stay with you long after you finish it. Episodes like On A Serpentine Road, With The Top Down and Strangers On A (Dublin) Train, with searing dialogues and effortless charm, strike all the right chords, making you want to revisit them time and again.
Based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Tom Clancy [the author behind the creation of the popular fictional character, Jack Ryan], the action thriller keeps the viewers hooked throughout its 1 hour, 50 minutes runtime. Starring an intense Michael B Jordan as a Navy SEAL officer looking to avenge the death of his beloved family, the film is sleek, pacy and stands out for its well-choreographed action sequences. Jordan captures your attention in a role that's heavily demanding, both physically and emotionally, with a solid performance.
Recommendations in collaboration with Amazon Prime Video