20 Best Films Of 2021
7. CODA
When a film is well-crafted and brilliantly acted enough, it really doesn't matter that it's a predictable "crowd-pleaser" at the end of the day, as is no more true this past year than with Sian Heder's new coming-of-age drama CODA.
Though centered around the young hearing girl (Emilia Jones) in a deaf family, CODA (meaning Child of Deaf Adults) doesn't merely use the deaf family as a crutch to prop up their hearing daughter's story, but deals with the entire family as relatable, complex human beings.
Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, and Marlee Matlin give terrific performances in a full-hearted drama that doesn't do anything particularly unexpected, but seeing a typical tale about personal growth shone through such a unique experiential lens is what gives it such singular power.