16 Delayed 2021 Movies That Were Actually Worth Waiting For
Good things come to those who wait...
2021 was an exceptionally satisfying year for film fans, as cinemas reopened and all those delayed films from 2020 finally arrived.
Perhaps that didn't quite make up for the horrors of 2020, but it was a start nonetheless. Of course, not all of the films that were delayed thanks to the coronavirus pandemic were worth the wait - Fast and Furious 9, Eternals, Black Widow and The Conjuring 3 are some of the most egregious examples - but many of them really have been and there were some absolutely terrific releases across this last year.
Namely, these following 16 films were all delayed by COVID-19, but all of them ultimately emerged as successful works.
Unfortunately, quite a few of them have underperformed - and even the ones that didn't haven't made as much money as they otherwise would've - but regardless of this, they were good enough to be worth the lengthy wait and that counts for so much.
So, if you're looking for something to watch, check out any of these. They are most definitely worth your time.
16. Old
M. Night Shyamalan, the talented but inconsistent writer/director behind greats like The Sixth Sense and turkeys like The Happening, released his latest film a year after he was originally meant to... and delivered his best film in almost 20 years.
Old has been divisive and it's got its issues, but if you can look past the plot holes and terrible dialogue, it's likely that you'll get plenty out of it nonetheless.
It's a thoroughly disturbing and unsettling supernatural thriller that really gets under your skin and realizes the full potential of its thoroughly unnerving premise, while it sees Shyamalan himself on excellent form.
Not only does he direct the hell out of the movie, but he also stays away from the over-cooked complexity of films like The Village and Lady in the Water, instead keeping things nice and simple. This benefits the film so much, especially in regards to the inevitable twist ending, which is easily one of Shyamalan's best.
As well as this, the performances are mostly solid, the set-pieces are chilling and the film's PG-13 rating doesn't actually harm it too much, since the film's most horrific events being left to the imagination often make them even more haunting.
Old isn't a great film, but it is a good one, and given how many of Shyamalan's films have gone horribly wrong, that makes Old a thoroughly satisfying experience and one that was worth waiting for overall.