Alpha1Media launches A1Film Top 10 Movies of 2021
London, UK (27 December 2021): Global media and entertainment firm Alpha1Media on December 21 launched its annual list of the top 10 best films from around the world which global cinema audiences enjoyed in 2021, as vaccinations for the global COVID-19 pandemic increased and major blockbusters returned to the cinemas.
The A1Film Top 10 Movies of 2021 surveys and highlights films from Hollywood, Bollywood, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Far East, which are reflective of the best of global popular cinema in 2021, Alpha1Media said.
“2021 is the Year of the Resilience of Cinema,” said Talal Malik, Chairman and CEO of Alpha1Media. “Whilst 2020 was the year of the disruption of cinema, 2021 has clearly demonstrated the resilience of cinema with blockbusters setting pre-pandemic and pandemic records as audiences choose to watch must-see films in cinema theatres.”
Global box offices revenues have risen from $12 billion in 2020 to over $21 billion in 2021, with a projection of $33 billion in 2022, as the cinema recovery continues from 2019’s revenues at $42.5 billion.
Only one major film selected by Alpha1Media for its A1Film Preview List for 2021, being Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ had its theatrical cinema release postponed to 2022, whilst Marvel ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ had not been included at the start of 2021 as that stage the blockbuster did not even have a title or teaser poster, let alone release date.
From a global cinema perspective, there has been an increasing decoupling of China’s box office from the rest of the world, for as it grows, its revenues and distribution seem overwhelmingly focused on China’s domestic box office films.
China was 2021’s largest box office territory, making $7 billion, representing 39% of the world’s box office, but those revenues are overwhelmingly made in China, citing for example, its two highest box office movies for 2021, ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’, which was featured in the A1Film Preview List for 2021, made $902.5 million in China, but only $341,742 overseas, whilst ‘Hi Mom!’ made $822 million and nothing overseas.
“China seems currently focused purely on content creation and local distribution in its domestic market, which means that films such as ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ and ‘Hi, Mom’, which could be subtitled, translated and distributed internationally, are currently not being done so, which means no films from China can be featured on the A1Film Top 10 List for 2021,” said Ms. Maria Felce, Alpha1Media’s official spokesperson.
“We hope this situation will improve, with China choosing to scale its distribution of its film internationally, perhaps starting with Asia and the Middle East as per its New Silk Road and Belt Initiative, whilst allowing Chinese audiences to view global blockbusters that they may genuinely want to see in cinemas, as would have been the case with Marvel films such as as ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’”
Many questions have been raised about the theatrical cinema industry, and its long-term viability as streaming services diversify with a greater proliferation of content creation and alternative entertainment options on-screen like gaming and mobile-led social media.
“Whilst it is clear that 2021 is a year of the resilience of cinema, it is clear that that in the long-term and like any industry, that that resilience needs to be fortified,” said Talal Malik. “The way to do is innovation, a topic which I look forward to elaborating on in 2022.”
The A1Film Top 10 Movies of 2021 List in order:
- ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ IMDB: 9 ((‘The Franchise – Superheroes’ / ‘The Intelligent Blockbuster’)
@SpiderManMovie : NO WAY HOME – It’s a culmination not only of the Home trilogy but ultimate spin as a quantum leap meta course correction over 2 decades for @SpiderMan fans – movie of year, absolutely made for cinema run #Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media #A1Film @marvel @marvelstudios https://t.co/SIEKRrG79b
- ‘Dune’ IMDB: 8.2 (‘The Intelligent Blockbuster’)
DUNE – Auteur Denis Villeneuve demonstrates epic mastery of first half of Frank Herbert’s Islamo-inspired sci fi, closest to 70s Star Wars & Tatooine cinematic sci fi this century, made for IMAX experience #Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media#A1Film #DuneMovie @dunemovie https://t.co/ydXMjUoGrZ
- ‘Rocky IV: The Ultimate Director’s Cut’ IMDB: 8 (Est.) (‘The Franchise’) /
‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ IMDB: 8.1 (‘The Franchise – Superheroes’)
@RockyMovie IV: ROCKY VS DRAGO – @TheSlyStallone transforms iconic 1985 smash hit into a refined drama with repurposed characters & ability to change, ahead fight on December 25, released in 30th year end of Soviet Union @Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media #A1Film @TheCarlWeathers @Dolph_Lundgren https://bit.ly/3pBcBgl
@ZackSnyder‘s JUSTICE LEAGUE – #ZLJS does his signature dark blockbusters with streaming 10 hour trilogy of @DCSuperman arc as Christ-like = #ManOfSteel (Birth, Mission), @BatmanvSuperman Ultimate Edition (Set-up, Death) & @snydercut (Resurrection, Saviour) #A1Film #MOS #BVSUE https://t.co/heMX370DX2
- ‘King Richard’ IMDB: 7.6 (‘The Biopic’)
@KingRichardFilm – Straight sets outta Compton, Fresh Prince #WillSmith becomes dad with 78-page plan King Richard in incredible crowd-pleaser biopic on tenacity which will make new fans of @Venuseswilliams & @serenawilliams@TheAcademy #Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media #A1Film https://t.co/HF6k8fDrq3
5.‘The Mauritanian’ IMDB: 7.5 (‘The Biopic’) /
‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ IMDB: 7.5 (‘The Biopic’)
THE MAURITANIAN – Tahar Rahim returns after ‘A Prophet’ but now hellhole of Guantanamo, torture and lack of due process as @MohamedouOuld forgives his oppressors – congrats to @STXfilms and @greatpoint_UK on a global story which needs to be told, told well #Alpha1Media #A1Film https://t.co/M0qwINT6sE
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH – @stayMACRO @BronStudios #RyanCooger via #ShakaKing deliver real life @theblackpanther combo ‘ ‘Chicago 7’ ‘The Departed’ ‘The Day Shall Come’ with standout @lakeithlakeith supported by #DanielKaluuya #Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media #A1Film @JATBMFilm https://t.co/MRSQvHKuFV
- ‘Reminiscence’ IMDB: 5.9 (‘The Intelligent Blockbuster’)
@Reminiscence – A remarkably valiant feature directorial debut by auteur & producer @lisajoynolan innovating a high concept original reminiscent film in sub-genre of tech noir with @RealHughJackman ably helming as lead memories private eye #Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media #A1Film https://t.co/RpSjg6svdU
- ‘No Time to Die’ IMDB: 7.4 (‘The Franchise’)
NO TIME TO DIE – Daniel Craig’s swansong 14 years as Blond #JamesBond @007 is 2 hr 43 anomaly, prep for reboot with refs to nanobots & added Act 3, mid tenure -Skyfall, Casino Royale & depart Oscar winners Danny Boyle & Sam Mendes #Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media #A1Film #NoTimeToDie https://t.co/zHzSwHGsmP
- ‘Chehre’ (‘Faces’) IMDB: 6.6 (‘World Cinema – The Thriller’)
#CHEHRE – Icon @SrBachchan conquers with courtroom thriller trilogy after Pink & Badla (‘Revenge’) in competent adaptation of the Play genre/ Chamber film of novel ‘A Dangerous Game’ from Durrenmatt inspired by Maupassant and or Edgar Wallace’s 4 Just Men #Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media #A1Film https://t.co/VpBS28YUzE
- ‘House of Gucci’ IMDB: 6.9 (‘The Biopic’ / ‘The Thriller’)
@HouseOfGucciMov – @RidleyScottCG on form delivers fun but absurdly true story biopic of iconic fashion label @gucci with key ying yang performances by @ladygaga & #AdamDriver with A-List ensemble cast with #AlPacino#JeremyIrons @JaredLeto @Alpha1Media #A1Film @BronStudios https://t.co/nJDHslVv3f
- ‘Don’t Look Up’ IMDB: 7.4 (‘The Satire’)
@dontlookupfilm – Incisive valiant allegorical satire by #AdamMcKay on climate change and US political climate tragic comedy with ensemble cast & hilarious moments but divisively also hit n miss #Alpha1Media @Alpha1Media #A1Film #dontlookup @LeoDiCaprio #JenniferLawrence https://t.co/bBMUo8k3gB
“‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ leads our list for a plethora of reasons,” said Ms. Felce about the top movie in the A1Film Top 10 Movie List for 2021. “The first of these is, as defined by Alpha1Media CEO, Talal Malik, as being a ‘Global Cinema Serotonin Surge’, as worldwide audiences flocked to cinemas upon its release to watch it, rather than watch it on-streaming, smashing pandemic and pre-pandemic box office records, and interacting with the film and with other audience members with clapping and cheers on an unprecedented scale in recent memory, a pop-cultural phenomenon even provoking the ire of a few; it is already listed in the top 10 best films ever on IMDB within two weeks of its release, by members of the global film audience; it was not even promoted in the A1Film Preview of 2021at the start of the year, as it did not have a title or poster let alone release date; it defines the resilience of cinema, when compared to 2019 being the ‘Year of Defining Cinema’ and 2020 as the ‘Year of the Disruption of Cinema’, as worldwide audiences preferred to watch it in cinemas than wait for streaming; that it is the first Hollywood blockbuster to cross $1 billion at the global box office since 2019, and did so being not being allowed for cinema release in China, the world’s biggest box office market; that it is the main global cinema blockbuster of the year, enjoyed by audiences worldwide, whilst Chinese mega-hit blockbusters are overwhelmingly-focused on local distribution to domestic Chinese audiences; that, is as the A1Film Analysis states, a culmination of nearly two decades of Spider-Man films, and therefore successfully cross-generational, a feat many other franchises have struggled to accomplish; it is the first genuinely meta-blockbuster, as in being self-referential not only about the other Spider-Man films but their reception and even actors’ attitudes about their respective films; and it has helped boost the global film production industry and the film cinema theatre industry for a brighter 2022.”
Only three of the top 10 films selected by Alpha1Media have been recognised in the official A1Film Preview List of2021, namely ‘Dune’, ‘No Time to Die’ and ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’.
There have been many films in 2021 which cannot be included in the A1Film Top 10 List, either due to limited theatrical releases globally and or being primarily released on streaming platforms, such as ‘Belfast’, ‘Nightmare Alley’, ‘CODA’, ‘The Power of the Dog’, ‘Licorice Pizza’, ‘Being the Ricardos’, ‘The Tender Bar’, ‘The Battle at Lake Chanjin’ and ‘Hi,Mom’.
Alpha1Media will release the A1Film Awards 2021, celebrating the achievements of global popular cinema in 2021, andthe A1Film Preview for 2022.
Alpha1Media (Media. ENHANCED) is a global media and entertainment firm. Alpha1Media produces and advises onmedia creation using 10×10 types of media including phone, print, TV, radio, billboard, computer, cinema and futuristicmedia based on scale, motion and holograms.
In the film sector, Alpha1Media focuses on film development, production, financing and cultural advisory services. Itcurrently has six film projects in development with production value estimated at over USD $500 million.