Year-End Lists

Michael Phillips: Top 10 Best Movies of 2021, as published by The Chicago Tribune

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. A Night of Knowing Nothing
   Payal Kapadia
2. The Underground Railroad
   Barry Jenkins
3. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
4. Passing
   Rebecca Hall
5. West Side Story
   Steven Spielberg
6. The Lost Daughter
   Maggie Gyllenhaal
7. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
8. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
   Questlove
9. It's a Sin
10. The Green Knight
    David Lowery
10. The Tragedy of Macbeth
    Joel Coen

Runners-up, best of 2021

• Judas and the Black Messiah
  Shaka King
• tick, tick... BOOM!
  Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  Destin Daniel Cretton
• Lamb
  Valdimar Jóhannsson
• The Power of the Dog
  Jane Campion

Ann Hornaday: Best Movies of 2021, as published by The Washington Post

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

• Parallel Mothers
  Pedro Almodóvar
• I Carry You with Me
  Heidi Ewing
• Zola
  Janicza Bravo
• The Water Man
  David Oyelowo
• CODA
  Sian Heder
• Candyman
  Nia DaCosta
• Mass
  Fran Kranz
• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  Questlove
• The Power of the Dog
  Jane Campion
• Cyrano
  Joe Wright

Adam Nayman: The Best Movies of 2021, as published by The Ringer where it is presented head-to-head with a list by Sean Fennessey. See the source for the dialogue between the two.

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2015]

1. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
1. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
3. Azor
   Andreas Fontana
4. Benedetta
   Paul Verhoeven
5. The Inheritance
   Ephraim Asili
6. Annette
   Leos Carax
7. Old
   M. Night Shyamalan
8. Wife of a Spy
   Kiyoshi Kurosawa
9. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
10. Saint Maud
    Rose Glass

Sean Fennessey: The Best Movies of 2021, as published by The Ringer where it is presented head-to-head with a list by Adam Nayman. See the source for the dialogue between the two.

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2010s]

1. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The Worst Person in the World
   Joachim Trier
3. Dune
   Denis Villeneuve
4. Can't Get You Out of My Head
   Adam Curtis
5. The Card Counter
   Paul Schrader
6. The Velvet Underground
   Todd Haynes
6. The Beatles: Get Back
   Peter Jackson
7. Bergman Island
   Mia Hansen-Løve
8. Red Rocket
   Sean Baker
9. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
10. The Lost Daughter
    Maggie Gyllenhaal
10. C'mon C'mon
    Mike Mills

Entertainment Weekly: The 10 Best Movies of 2021

[see also 2023]

1. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
3. Flee
   Jonas Poher Rasmussen
4. The Lost Daughter
   Maggie Gyllenhaal
5. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
6. Spencer
   Pablo Larraín
7. Riders of Justice
   Anders Thomas Jensen
8. C'mon C'mon
   Mike Mills
9. Parallel Mothers
   Pedro Almodóvar
10. Red Rocket
    Sean Baker

And if you want to keep watching, also check out

• Val
  Aaron Fradkin
• Zola
  Janicza Bravo
• Titane
  Julia Ducournau
• King Richard
  Reinaldo Marcus Green
• CODA
  Sian Heder
• Moffie
  Oliver Hermanus
• I'm Your Man
  Maria Schrader
• Lamb
  Valdimar Jóhannsson
• The Hand of God
  Paolo Sorrentino
• The Souvenir Part II
  Joanna Hogg
• Luca
  Enrico Casarosa
• The Last Duel
  Ridley Scott
• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  Questlove
• No Sudden Move
  Steven Soderbergh

The Playlist: The 25 Best Films Of 2021

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018]

1. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
3. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
4. Titane
   Julia Ducournau
5. Dune
   Denis Villeneuve
6. The French Dispatch
   Wes Anderson
7. Pig
   Michael Sarnoski
8. Spencer
   Pablo Larraín
9. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
   Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
10. The Card Counter
    Paul Schrader
11. Parallel Mothers
    Pedro Almodóvar
12. The Worst Person in the World
    Joachim Trier
13. Shiva Baby
    Emma Seligman
14. Annette
    Leos Carax
15. Petite Maman
    Céline Sciamma
16. Bergman Island
    Mia Hansen-Løve
17. Flee
    Jonas Poher Rasmussen
18. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
    Mike Rianda
19. Limbo
    Ben Sharrock
20. tick, tick... BOOM!
    Lin-Manuel Miranda
21. A Hero
    Asghar Farhadi
22. Drive My Car
    Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
23. The Lost Daughter
    Maggie Gyllenhaal
24. Memoria
    Apichatpong Weerasethakul
25. Nightmare Alley
    Guillermo del Toro

David Fear: 20 Best Movies of 2021, as published by Rolling Stone

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2. The Human Voice
   Pedro Almodóvar
3. Beginning
   Déa Kulumbegashvili
4. The Viewing Booth
   Ra’anan Alexandrowicz
5. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
6. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
   Radu Jude
7. Shiva Baby
   Emma Seligman
8. The Velvet Underground
   Todd Haynes
9. Quo Vadis, Aida?
   Jasmila Žbanić
10. Licorice Pizza
    Paul Thomas Anderson
11. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
    Questlove
12. Saint Maud
    Rose Glass
13. The Power of the Dog
    Jane Campion
14. The Green Knight
    David Lowery
15. Flee
    Jonas Poher Rasmussen
16. The Disciple
    Chaitanya Tamhane
17. Nightmare Alley
    Guillermo del Toro
18. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
    Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
19. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
    Mike Rianda
20. Dune
    Denis Villeneuve

Peter Debruge: The Best Films of 2021, as published by Variety

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017]

1. Jockey
   Clint Bentley
2. The French Dispatch
   Wes Anderson
3. Dune
   Denis Villeneuve
4. The Lost Daughter
   Maggie Gyllenhaal
5. Nightmare Alley
   Guillermo del Toro
6. The Worst Person in the World
   Joachim Trier
7. Cyrano
   Joe Wright
8. Judas and the Black Messiah
   Shaka King
9. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
10. The Killing of Two Lovers
    Robert Machoian

Owen Gleiberman: The Best Films of 2021, as published by Variety

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2012]

1. Spencer
   Pablo Larraín
2. House of Gucci
   Ridley Scott
3. The Beatles: Get Back
   Peter Jackson
4. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
5. Cruella
   Craig Gillespie
6. Zola
   Janicza Bravo
7. King Richard
   Reinaldo Marcus Green
8. Zack Snyder's Justice League
   Zack Snyder
9. CODA
   Sian Heder
10. Parallel Mothers
    Pedro Almodóvar

Mara Reinstein: Best Movies of 2021, as published by Us Weekly

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013]

1. CODA
   Sian Heder
2. West Side Story
   Steven Spielberg
3. King Richard
   Reinaldo Marcus Green
4. Belfast
   Kenneth Branagh
5. House of Gucci
   Ridley Scott
6. Don't Look Up
   Adam McKay
7. The Last Duel
   Ridley Scott
8. Last Night in Soho
   Edgar Wright
9. Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry
   R.J. Cutler
10. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
    Josh Greenbaum