I’ve been writing this column for 12 or so years now and a whole lot has changed in the film industry during that time. Clearly.

Marvel killed diversity. COVID (almost, but kinda) killed theaters.Netflix killed video stores. Social media killed criticism. And Woke Culture killed a whole lot of careers. It’s a pretty uncool/joyless time in the film world these days but, despite it all, there are far more movies being made than ever before.

The biggest change for me personally is that I used to be one of those people who sees everything. Everything. I’d keep a list all year long of all the new releases I would see each year and by December the tally was always well over 200.

Not anymore.

Why not? Well, for starters, there’s a whole lot more of everything these days. More TV series, more movies, more content on YouTube and Instagram, more sports games televised, more access to music. More noise in general. More distractions.

Also, there are just so, so, so, so many movies to choose from, and so many different ways to see them. I’m not saying that none of them feels special any more, but I am saying that it’s rare that any of them feel as special as, say, The Tree of Life did when it was released. That was a cultural event that actually felt like it meant something (as opposed to the release of a Marvel film, which we’re told is a cultural event, but is very much not).

So this is all just my way of saying that I no longer see everything. I see a lot, but so does everyone these days. And as we approach the end of another year, I’ve been looking back at all the 2021 releases I saw with the intent of filling in as many of the blanks as possible before the Oscar Bait Season really kicks in.

A few weeks ago I shared a list of the 15 films from 2021 that I’ve liked so far. That list is already up to 30 or so, and growing fast.

That being said, here are the “important” movies I haven’t seen: The Harder They Fall; Free Guy; Last Night in Soho; Shang-Chi; Jungle Cruise; Dune; The Card Counter; No Sudden Move, 76 Days; The Worst Person in the World; Summer of Soul; Coda; I’m Your Man; The Amusement Park; Mass; Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn; The Power of the Dog; Val; Swan Song; Only the Animals; Saint Maud; No Sudden Move; Days of the Bagnold Summer; C’mon C’mon; Passing; Belfast; Titane; Oxygen; Homeroom; The Last Duel; No Time to Die; Spencer; Violet; Cliff Walkers; Malignant; Cruella; About Endlessness; All Light Everywhere.

So, dear cinephile readers, where do I begin? What from that list should I see immediately? What movie that’s coming out in the next few weeks would you suggest I anticipate most? Hit me up with your thoughts at gregwlocke@gmail.com