Here We Are Now, Entertain Us
While 2021 has been an extremely challenging year in many ways, it has also been a year that has brought out the resilience and problem-solving ability in many industries. For example, while live entertainment has taken a hit over the last two years, the last half of 2021 has seen some truly incredible entertainment experiences come to the fore. While we’ve been staying at home and keeping safe, the entertainment industry has not left us stranded. Yes, filming may have had to halt for a while, and attending live entertainment events has been tricky, but the industry has bounced back and come through in a huge way. We have access to some of the best films and television series ever made from the comfort of our couches. We can watch our favorite bands play live but still stay at home and stay safe. We can play live casino games without ever even having to put on a single shoe! Things are changing again now that safety restrictions have relaxed, and the entertainment industry is still on the ball. Let’s take a look at some of the very best entertainment that this year has offered us, from films to series to live experiences.
Best Films of 2021:
The Woman in the Window
Amy Adams stars as Dr. Anna Fox, a woman with severe agoraphobia. Through her window one night, Dr Fox sees something awful happen in the house across the street. What follows is a jarring thriller, full of twists and potential villains and a star who can’t entirely be sure that she can trust what she thinks she saw. The film features a stellar performance by Gary Oldman as well. The setting of Dr Fox’s home gives the film a claustrophobic quality that only enhances the tension.
Malignant
Horror fans the world over waited with bated breath for Malignant to release in cinemas, and they were not disappointed. This psychological thriller/horror comes to us from James Wan, director of many of the films in The Conjuring franchise. The protagonist in the film is a woman (Annabell Wallis) who is haunted by horrifying nightmares of a killer carrying out his dastardly deeds. She soon realizes that there is much more to these nightmares than she thought, and she delves into her dark and patchy past to find out what is really going on.
Luca
Disney has done it again, to no one’s surprise. Luca is set in a picture-perfect town on the Italian riviera. It is the coming of age story (like most Disney films, in some way) of a young boy, Luca. For Luca, it’s a summer full of all the Italian goodness that we know and love: gelato, scooter rides in the hot sun, delicious pasta. Luca meets a new friend during his summer, who is really more than he seems: a sea monster in a human disguise.
Best Series of 2021:
You
Joe Goldberg is back, and he’s found a new obsession, or two. You, had incredible success in 2019 and 2020, with its first two seasons, and season three did not disappoint fans who were eagerly awaiting its release. Now “settled down” with Love and baby Henry, Joe tries his best to embrace suburbia and his new one-woman family life. Of course, Joe’s nature gets the best of him in more ways than one. The new season of You is filled with exciting new characters and plot twists that left us asking how quickly they could produce a season four.
Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass has to be the dark horse of 2021. The show was barely promoted before its release, but when it came out on Netflix, people were immediately swept up. Featuring many of the cast and crew from the Haunting Of Hill House and Bly Manor, the show is set in a tiny American island community. A lost son returns home, and a new priest comes to shepherd the island’s flock. All is not how it seems, however, with unlikely villains in unlikely places and a plot that takes a well-known trope and turns it on its head while it breaks your heart.
Locke and Key
Season two of Locke and Key was just as entertaining as season one, no question. The Locke family is back. They have relaxed into their new life at Key House, thinking they are safe from last season’s villain, Dodge. Unfortunately for them, Dodge is sneaky, slippery and not quickly taken down. They now face a few new problems as well, in the form of the “demons” that came out of the abyss behind the Omega door and have taken up residence in some of the kids’ school friends.
ADVERTISEMENT
Best Live Entertainment:
Backstreet Boys’ DNA Tour
The minds of mid 30’s women all over the world completely exploded last year when they learned that The Backstreet Boys would once again be out on tour. 2020 was still too touch and go for the Boys in terms of health and safety regulations, so the tour was rescheduled to start this year in June at the Hollywood Bowl. The Boys are rocking fans with all of their old hits, so if you feel the need to scream “Cos I want it that way” really loudly in public, this is the show for you.
Greenday, Weezer, and Fallout Boy’s Hella Mega Tour
Pop-punk icons Greenday, Weezer and Fallout Boy, hit the road this year (after the tour being placed on hold) for an assault on the ears of the world. Unfortunately, the tour was sold out long before it ever began, so many fans were left devastated. We are sure you’ll be able to catch a live stream or recording of it later on in the year. Kicking off in Australia in early June, the tour ran through August and wound to a close in the States.
Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball Tour
Mother Monster is back on tour this year! The tour will take Gaga all over the world, including locations in the US, Paris, and London. Gaga fans are hoping to see more of her this year, as the scheduled tour dates were relatively few.
Wrap Up:
Entertainment has done us proud this year; there’s no doubt about that. There’s still time to check out all of the options on the list!