RD Harrison’s Top 10 Films & TV Shows Discovered During 2021

Blow the Man Down (2019, Dir. Bridget Savage Cole – Danielle Krudy)

In a small fishing village in Maine, two sisters disagree on what to do about the house they inherited. While they debate the future over the course of days, one sister runs into an unsavory local character and a fatal accident occurs, propelling the sisters into the deep, dark secrets of the village as they try to hide their own. Cleverly punctuated by sea shanties sung by local fisherman as a Greek Chorus to the story, the real backbone of the village is revealed in its local women, firmly entrenched in a soft, round middle to senior age that belies the still-fiercely  sardonic wit of the once young and feisty “pillars” of the community.   In the final scene, the town’s women sing the last shanty and the sisters come to understand the true nature of the sisterhood that supports them.

Midnight Special (2016, Dir. Jeff Nichols)

Opening scenes of Midnight Special imply it is a fast-paced action-thriller but, as the tale unfolds, the pathos of a father trying to protect his son, the unfailing loyalty of a best friend willing to go to any lengths to do the right thing, and a boy who is so special the government wants to explore and employ his special talents.   Protecting the boy is only part of the men’s mission; there is a place of safety they need to reach.

Roadblocks are at almost every turn, with the goal becoming more and more unattainable. While car chases, shootouts and escapes in the night ensue, the close relationships between father, mother, son and friend are revealed as important as seeing the protagonists reach safety. Watching Michael Shannon’s Roy worry about his son’s welfare has a visceral impact that transcends whether one is old, young, has children or doesn’t. It’s an immensely engrossing journey and although the ending may seem anticlimactic, it is a most satisfying ending,  knowing a parents’ role is to do what is best for their child.

The Good Neighbor (2016, Dir. Kasra Farahani)

A cautionary tale about assuming we “know” our neighbors through observation and filling in the narrative of what we think is going on.  A treatise on the subversive nature of social media and the further corruption of corrupt youth that believe a picture has only one explanation. That an assumption or opinion is the truth.  Two boys set out to find evidence that their older neighbor, grumpy and distant, has killed his wife.  They break into his house and set up cameras to watch his actions, ultimately leading to the boys getting trapped in the house with him.  What happens next is a shocking twist but, to the laser-focused observer, the clues have been there all along.

Mystery Road (2013, Dir. Ivan Sen)

An aboriginal detective resolutely stays the course in solving the death of a young aboriginal girl, a classmate of his estranged daughter’s. Clearly a man of principles in a dusty town of criminals, with or without a badge, that only care about the next high or the next paycheck and will go to great lengths to protect that status quo. Reminiscent of Gary Cooper in High Noon, Aaron Pederson’s Jay Swan methodically performs his duties, asking questions, investigating crime scenes and enduring the indifference of whites and aboriginals alike. A shootout with the town’s bad guys highlights his lone status as the seeker of truth and justice, even when no one else cares. In the end, all that matters is integrity.

A Dark Place (2018, Dir. Simon Fellows)

A sanitation worker, who appears to be on the spectrum, is the unconventional hero of this story.  He intelligently and doggedly puts facts together while not getting support from the town’s authorities or the missing boy’s family. Andrew Scott is terrific as Donald Devlin, embodying all the quirks and strengths of a man who is aware of himself, his town and his place in that town.  Undeterred, he remembers the little boy in the window, waving to him every week, and is appalled by the lack of urgency and care about the boy’s disappearance.  He asks the questions police should ask, ponders the odd responses from the boy’s mother and slaps them all in the face by stating, “You didn’t care about him…because it was easier not to!” Donald does not give up, and the ending, like Andrew Scott’s  wonderful acting, is a revelation.

Leave your thoughts on RD Harrison’s Top 10 Films and TV Shows Discovered During 2021 below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons.

Want up-to-the-minute notifications of new top ten films? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.