The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

2021 was a great year for cinema, especially considering that it followed the year when the Coronavirus pandemic was at its peak and essentially disrupted many important activities necessary for filmmaking. With the awards season in full swing, many amazing films are coming under the spotlight, but here are fifteen films I personally don’t see getting as much recognition as others but are definitely deserving of it. The list is numbered for convenience and not a ranking. You’ll see each film is independently rated under its short review. Keep scrolling to find names that should become part of your watchlist!

Coming from Iceland, Lamb is definitely a must-watch and not just for the horror enthusiast. It’s understated in its execution, meandering its way through plot points as if afflicted with the same foggy sluggishness that its setting is. It’s about a couple on a seemingly-deserted island, at least without any life as far as the eye can see except the sheep they breed. A cathartic journey for them in dealing with past trauma, the story is also a euphemism for a currently relevant issue. Remarkably restrained despite the potential to turn into a scarring watch, the film seems to gain from its restraint since the lack of antics, which suggests a self-awareness about itself, drives the message home, and with the slow camera motion, the visuals seem to write a poem themselves, culminating in a memorable climax that leaves just about enough hints to catch the euphemism.

Every year- and especially in times like these- we rely on three main things to really get us into the holiday spirit: family, music, and film. This year, in light of the pandemic and the inability to gather with our loved ones, a few of our staff members reviewed their favorite holiday films with the hope of recreating some of the sentimentality that reminds us of home.