10 Best 2021 Films You Probably Haven't Seen

4. Censor

An unforgettable directorial debut from Prano Bailey-Bond, Censor is a meta-horror film with a difference.

Far away from the cynical snark that defines most self-aware horror flicks, Censor looks back over the UK's infamous "video nasties" era to tell a deeply disconcerting, atmospheric tale of a meticulous film censor (a superb Niamh Algar) who is assigned to review a film which appears to have a link to her own troubled past.

First off, Bailey-Bond does a fantastic job capturing the mood and aesthetic of the era, having clearly put a wealth of effort into matching the texture of scuzzy exploitation films.

Yet this is far from a simplistic anti-censorship screed, but rather an oppressive, cerebral character study that owes more to David Lynch than anyone else.

Its reality-distorting aspirations won't work for everyone, but adventurous genre fans should appreciate its keen sense of style and Algar's mesmerising central performance.