According to ABC News, box office revenue was down 60 percent in 2021. However, this didn’t stop students at Flour Bluff High School from enjoying some of the new movies that sprouted up this year. After surveying 202 students, the top five favorite movies of 2021 were determined.

5. Ghostbusters: Afterlife 

This movie had a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 95% and a cast including Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace and Carrie Coon. The movie takes place in a small town 30 years after the events of Ghostbusters II. A single mother, Carrie, and her two children, Trevor and Phoebe, discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters. “I liked the movie because it brought back memories from the original movies and showed how one little thing can bring people back together,” says sophomore Izabella Perez.

4. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

This movie had a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 84% and a cast including Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson and Michelle Williams. The movie takes place in San Francisco, California about a year and a half after the first movie. Serial killer Cletus Kasady has also bonded with a symbiote and protagonist Eddie Brock and Venom must stop him. “It was great to watch with friends because it was funny. I liked the attention to detail,” says junior Loreto Tobias.

3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

This movie had a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 98% and a cast including Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Michelle Yeon and Meng’er Zhang. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings takes place in San Francisco and various other places. The protagonist, Shang-Chi, travels to confront the past that he left behind years ago. Junior Loraly Swank explains her favorite quote from the movie: “‘Lead with your breath. Look into your heart, the light, and the dark. To know yourself, you must face them both.’ The quote stood out to me because no one is perfect, no one can escape what they have done in the past. It’s only up to the person as to how they deal with it,” 

2. Free Guy

This movie has a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 94% and a cast including Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery and Taika Waititi. The movie takes place in a  video game city called Free City. A bank teller finds out he is an NPC (non-player character) and decides to pave his own journey. “I just thought the way they filmed the movie was fantastic. And all the jokes were funny. Just all around I loved it and I could watch it over and over,” says sophomore Anastasia Jewell.

Some honorable mentions: Dune, Cruella, Spiderman: No Way Home, Encanto and Black Widow.

1. Red Notice

Starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, this movie had a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 92%. The movie setting takes place around the world. In the movie, an Interpol agent tries to track down a wanted art thief . “I watched the movie when I was sick in my bed. I really enjoyed the movie up until the plot twist,” says senior Grace Vagedes.

Even though COVID19 hit everybody hard, it’s clear that people still found ways to enjoy movies and discover new favorites.