Instability benefits art and there is no other place than the Chinese language world that this axiom is more evident, as the all the sociopolitical issues that are tormenting China, Taiwan and Hong Kong have actually have released the creative forces of local filmmakers in superlative fashion, even among the main voices regarding censorship. In that fashion, the quality of Taiwanese productions remained in the high levels it has gotten during the last few years, China added a number of rather interesting documentaries along the plethora of festival-appealing, European style movies and blockbusters, and Hong Kong ended up with a film that is truly worthy of the Golden Age of local cinema, even if as a whole, the industry took another step back.
Without further ado, here are the best Chinese Language films of 2021, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2020, but since they mostly circulated in 2021, we decided to include them.
20. Writer's Odyssey (Lu Wang, China)
Where the movie truly thrives though, is the action, which, essentially, is the main focus here. The combination of having a “real-life” storyline where people with superpowers fight each other, and a fantasy one which seems to have jumped straight from a J-RPG, works exceptionally well for the movie, as it allows for completely different styles of action. Granted, the fantasy one is the most impressive, but the combination of martial arts/superpowers of the main one, is also quite entertaining. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Buy This Title
on Amazon
19. The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (Guo Jingming, China)
“The Ying Yang Master” is impressive to look at. The combination of SFX with CGI is one of the best we have seen in the latest years, the coloring is exceptional, including the antithesis between the blacks and whites that dominate the characters' equally imposing costumes, the actions scenes are majestic, particularly the ones involving the snake, and the sets are a joy to look at. Furthermore, the exceptional make-up and the SFX involved in the protagonists' face also make them appear gorgeous, with the casting also helping the most in that regard, since Mark Chao, Allen Deng, Jessie Li and Duo Wang are all rather good-looking. Randy Che's cinematography captures all the aforementioned in the best fashion, intensifying the fantasy element in all its aspects, while the combination with Kenji Kawai's music (which shares many similarities with the soundtrack of “Ghost in the Shell”) results in an audiovisual extravaganza. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
18. Classmates Minus (Huang Hsi-yao, Taiwan)
There were two narrative elements that made “The Great Buddha+” stand particularly out, and that was the “breaking the 4th wall” approach, with the director frequently addressing the viewer, occasionally even to talk about the actual production of the film, and secondly, the deadpan, ironic and quite intelligent sense of humor. Both of these elements are present once more, and in more abundance this time, resulting in a series of episodes, dialogues, and in general reactions, that can be only described as hilarious. Particularly the finale, brings them both together in the best way, in probably the most memorable scene in the movie, along with the one the director mocks himself for having the same actor play multiple roles in the movie. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
17. Shadows (Glenn Chan, Hong Kong)
Technically, “Shadows” is on the top level. The set design, in combination with the coloring and the overall cinematography is top notch, with particularly the scenes Dr Tsui delves into the subconscious of various characters being a true wonder to look at, while emitting a sense of mystery and angst at the same time, that occasionally even touches the borders of the noir. The editing is also top notch, with the rather fast pace working excellently for the overall narrative, while a number of montages, as the one with the brutally realistic operations, being rather memorable. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
16. Gatao The Last Stray (Chiang Jui-chich, Taiwan)
That romance is the main element here allows Chiang Jui-chich to explore the whole concept of the gatao through another perspective, that of the women of the criminals, and the ways “the life” actually affects their lives. In that fashion, one of the most interesting aspects of the narrative is the choice Qing has to make daily, between dedication to his boss and taking care of Chi, with the two clashing significantly, since working as a criminal does not include any rules about not bothering the “employees” after hours. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
15. Wrath of Desire (Zero Chou, Taiwan)
It's interesting that this is supposed to be the first of six LGBTQ+ related films by Zero Chou, all taking place in different Asian cities. By starting out with “Wrath of Desire”, Zero Chou definitely shows an inherent amount of ambition for this series of films, which will be worth keeping an eye on. Despite at times being lost in its direction, “Wrath of Desire” feels like an emotional journey. With a high-quality production, stories worth telling, and some great imagery, it tries to do something unique. In that, it was successful. (Reinier Brands)
14. The Sadness (Rob Jabbaz, Taiwan)
An unrepentant gore-fest filled with plenty of carnage and a topical story written around it all, “The Sadness” is an immensely fun zombie film that does have some minor issues filling out genre qualities that might not even matter anyway. Gorehounds, lovers of Asian horror cinema, or grindhouse film aficionados are going to really enjoy this one the most. (Don Anelli)
13. Keep Running (Geting Sun, China)
Essentially, “Keep Running” is a genuine drama/coming-of-age film, which shows, once more, that real-life stories can be much more imaginative and dramatic than fiction, as much as an ode to the youthful spirit that can overcome all obstacles, particularly under intense pressure. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
12. Bipolar (Queena Li, China)
This is a film that seems to want everything: experiment, shock, immerse, make you high. At times, it might seem like a goodbye letter, a nostalgic tribute to mentors, from a student who, through a testament, praises all the cinematic miracles of our worlds. Like a wild challenge to make only one film in your life. There you go. With all the slowness hitting in the little reality of ours these days, one might find it problematic to follow up with the pedal-to-the-metal tempo of Queena Li's debut. However, on the contrary, it might be in a sense, a comforting experience with a much-needed resonance. (Lukasz Mankowski)
11. My Name is Bai Sanming (Du Kangwei, China)
It would be very easy for the message of the film to fall into an extreme, showing Bai as a poor farmer who plays in a make believe, so he can feel powerful and rich for an hour or two or a schemer who does it only for money. Luckily, Du Kangwei manages to show his subject in a very nuanced way, shining a light on the contradictory aspects of his practice and beliefs. (Martin Lukanov)
The article continues on the next page
