The year 2021 at the movies offered audiences a wide range of projects from acclaimed and popular filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson to name but a few. However, it also saw the debut of a lot of very exciting new filmmaking talents.
The community at Letterboxd highlighted some of the top-rated directorial debuts of 2021 and it is a very eclectic list. These movies vary in of their genre and country of origin, but they all share the common thread of helping to introduce new voices to the movie world that audiences will want to watch for in years to come.
Gagarine (3.70)
The French movie Gagarine tells the story of a young man with big ideas of being a hero but dreams that might be too much for him to achieve. Yuri is a young man living in a housing project in the south of Paris who seeks to save his community when it is scheduled for demolition.
Directing duo Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh expanded their own short film of the same name while still telling a small and personal story of those looking to escape a certain life and others who want to save it.
Pig (3.81)
Michael Sarnoski delivered one of the most surprising movies of the year with Pig. Nicolas Cage stars as a reclusive truffle hunter whose beloved pig is taken from him. Venturing out into the city for the first time in years, he confronts his past as he searches for his pet.
While the premise might sound comical, another fascinating character for his amazing career.
Nine Days (3.82)
Fans likely know Winston Duke from Black Panther where he played the powerful and intimidating warrior, M'Baku. Nine Days offered him a chance to show his considerable range in a much smaller and intimate story that nonetheless deals with big ideas.
Directed by Edson Oda, Nine Days finds Duke playing a man living in isolation where he interviews human souls to see if they will have the chance to be born. Along with Duke, the inventive drama also stars Benedict Wong, Zazie Beetz, and Bill Skarsgard.
History Of The Occult (3.83)
The Argentinian movie History of the Occult delivered one of the most unique horror movies of 2021. From writer-director Cristian Ponce, the movie follows the final broadcast of a popular journalism news program as they seek to expose a conspiracy involving a satanic cult.
There have been several memorable movies about witches and warlocks, but none have been done in quite the same way as this one. The grounded approach intrigued many viewers while still delivering a creepy horror story.
Shiva Baby (3.87)
Along with marking an impressive directorial debut from writer-director Emma Seligman, Shiva Baby was also one of the most acclaimed comedies of the year. It follows a young woman who attends a Jewish funeral service with her parents where she also runs into the married man she's having an affair with.
It is difficult for a comedy to balance humor and discomfort in an effective way, but many viewers found that Shiva Baby pulled it off wonderfully. The awkwardness of the movie was seen as nearly unbearable yet hilarious.
Tick, Tick… Boom! (3.91)
The multi-talented Lin Manuel Miranda added even more to his ever-growing resume by directing his first feature movie. a Broadway musical icon with Rent.
Andrew Garfield surprised many with his musical skills in the role of Larson, delivering a performance many called the best of his career. In a year with other big musicals like West Side Story and In the Heights, Tick, Tick… Boom! stood out as something special.
Prayers For The Stolen (3.94)
Along with being the well-received debut of director Tatiana Huezo, Prayers for the Stolen was also one of 2021's most acclaimed international movies. The Mexican movie follows the lives of young girls as they grow up in a town overcome with the drug trade and human trafficking.
The movie is based on a novel of the same name and is seen as a powerful look at a harrowing coming-of-age story from a perspective not seen in many movies.
My First Summer (3.99)
My First Summer is another coming-of-age story that explores the feeling of a first love. The movie centers around a young woman who has lived in isolation for her entire life. after unexpectedly meeting another girl in the forest, the two form a bond while trying to avoid the outside influences that would tear them apart.
First-time writer-director Katie Found was praised for her tender and thoughtful take on female adolescence and this moving love story.
Mass (4.04)
Writer-director Fran Kranz boldly took on some difficult subject matter and a very intimate story for his directorial debut. Following a violent tragedy, two couples agree to meet in the hopes of healing while coming from very different positions.
With four actors carrying most of the movie, Mass could have seemed like a dull and simple approach to such a story. However, many found that the writing and acting of the movie made it one of the year's most powerful and underrated projects.
Cleaners (4.16)
Cleaners, from rookie filmmaker Glenn Barit, is another international debut as well as a comedy that has transcended language and culture for many viewers. The movie follows a group of young boys and girls in a school cleaning program who all have their own various adventures of making sense of their youth.
Barit shot the movie in a unique and eye-catching way that helped it to stand out as something special from this new filmmaking voice.
