In the background, a storyline about the brutality under Francisco Franco’s fascist regime plays out. The women are bonded by motherhood and tragedy, developing a relationship that fluctuates between maternal, platonic and sexual. Written and directed by the Spanish auteur, “Parallel Mothers” is about two women, Janis (Penélope Cruz) and Ana (Milena Smit), who meet in the hospital while giving birth. 'Parallel Mothers' Penélope Cruz, left, and Milena Smit in a scene from “Parallel Mothers." Iglesias Más / Sony Pictures ClassicsĮven in a particularly good year for cinema, a new Pedro Almodóvar film is a noteworthy event. This month, it made the Academy Awards shortlist for both documentary and international feature, with nominations for animated feature and, even, best picture still anyone’s game. After winning a Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and a host of other accolades, it’s become one of the buzziest Oscar contenders of the year. “Flee” is co-written by Nawabi and his close friend and the film’s director, Jonas Poher Rasmussen. The animated documentary "Flee" centers on a man identified as Amin Nawabi, a refugee from Afghanistan who left his country for a new life in Denmark, as he shares a painful hidden past ahead of marrying his soon-to-be husband. 'Flee' Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated documentary “Flee.” Neon
“ The Power of the Dog ” is available on Netflix. But it’s newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee who gives perhaps the year’s best performance as Peter, the beguiling object of Phil’s interest. “The Power of the Dog” is an acting tour de force: Dunst is nuanced and affecting, and Cumberbatch disappears into his tortured character. As the film dives into issues around race and identity, the two women see their love for each other grow in new ways. The two Black women find themselves living on opposite sides of the color line: Irene moves in the upper echelon of Black society, and Clare, playing with fire, passes for white in her marriage to a wealthy racist. After 12 years apart, Clare (Ruth Negga) and Irene (Tessa Thompson) reunite in 1920s New York at the height of the Harlem Renaissance. Inspired by Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel, the black-and-white film follows two childhood friends who choose two very different paths. 'Passing' Ruth Negga, left, and Tessa Thompson in "Passing." Edu Grau / Netflix “ Titane ” is available on various video-on-demand platforms. Simultaneously ruthless and tender, the film delivers a strong hit of catharsis that will linger well beyond 2021. Alexia is a gender-bending psychopath with a dangerous attraction to motor vehicles and an apathetic view on human life. While “Titane” boasts an abundance of body horror - pregnant breasts engorged with motor oil, metal tearing through skin, cranial fluid frothing out of a punctured ear - it’s the lead character, Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), who is the most unsettling part of the film.
Unabashedly violent and full of big ideas, this year’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, directed by Julia Ducournau (“Raw”), has stunned its way into becoming one of 2021’s most notable films. 'Titane' A still from "Titane." Carole Bethuel / NEON
“ Swan Song ” is available on Hulu and various video-on-demand platforms. Pat was the perfect style icon during a year when fashion was summed up as: anything goes. Kier’s eccentrically dressed and charismatic Mr. Along the way, he mourns his loved ones lost to the AIDS epidemic and celebrates the life that’s left to live. Pat, as he’s affectionately known to everyone in the small town, escapes his nursing home for one last big adventure: styling local celebrity and ex-client Rita for her funeral. Set in Stephens’ hometown of Sandusky, the film is a love letter to the real-life hairdresser Pat Pitsenbarger, played by Kier, and the flamboyance of yesteryear’s gay culture. 'Swan Song'The final film in director Todd Stephens’ Ohio trilogy, “Swan Song” features the inspired combination of Udo Kier and small town USA. Udo Kier in "Swan Song." Chris Stephens / Magnolia Pictures “ The World to Come ” is available on Hulu and various video-on-demand platforms. When the film arrived around the one-year mark of the pandemic, it gave viewers a much-needed reason to weep - unrelated to lockdown. But nothing comes easy on the frontier: The two contend with Tallie’s cruel, controlling husband, played by Christopher Abbott, and the harsh, though beautiful, landscape that surrounds them. Based on a short story by Jim Shepard, who also co-wrote the screenplay, the film follows neighbors Abigail (Katherine Waterston) and Tallie (Vanessa Kirby) as they discover a romance unimaginable within the confines of their marriages.