Year-End Lists

Ty Burr: The Best Movies of 2021, the first 20 of which are organized into pairings of complementary films on his Substack

[see also 2022 • 2020 • 2010s • 2014 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
3. Quo Vadis, Aida?
   Jasmila Žbanić
4. Parallel Mothers
   Pedro Almodóvar
5. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
   Questlove
6. The Beatles: Get Back
   Peter Jackson
7. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
8. The Lost Daughter
   Maggie Gyllenhaal
9. Spencer
   Pablo Larraín
10. The Card Counter
    Paul Schrader
11. West Side Story
    Steven Spielberg
12. In the Heights
    Jon M. Chu
13. The Velvet Underground
    Todd Haynes
14. The Sparks Brothers
    Edgar Wright
15. Flee
    Jonas Poher Rasmussen
16. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
    Mike Rianda
17. The Worst Person in the World
    Joachim Trier
18. The Souvenir Part II
    Joanna Hogg
19. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
    Radu Jude
20. Red Rocket
    Sean Baker

Alphabetical order from here

• Annette
  Leos Carax
• Bergman Island
  Mia Hansen-Løve
• Bo Burnham: Inside
  Bo Burnham
• The Last Duel
  Ridley Scott
• Licorice Pizza
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Nine Days
  Edson Oda
• No Sudden Move
  Steven Soderbergh
• Passing
  Rebecca Hall
• Pig
  Michael Sarnoski
• The Power of the Dog
  Jane Campion
• Procession
  Robert Greene
• Riders of Justice
  Anders Thomas Jensen
• Shiva Baby
  Emma Seligman
• The Tender Bar
  George Clooney
• The Tragedy of Macbeth
  Joel Coen

Noel Murray: The 10 (or 11) Best Documentaries of 2021, as published by Polygon

[see also The 10 Best Documentaries of 2022 • The Best Films of 2021 • The Best Films of 2020 • The Best Films of 2019 • Top 15 Films of 2018 • Best Films of 2017 • The Best Films of 2016 • The Best Films of 2015 • Top 15 Films of 2014 • 15 Best Films of 2012 • Best Films of 2011]

• All Light, Everywhere
  Theo Anthony
• Attica
  Stanley Nelson and Traci Curry
• Flee
  Jonas Poher Rasmussen
• Operation Varsity Blues
  Chris Smith
• A Cop Movie
  Alonso Ruizpalacios
• Procession
  Robert Greene
• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  Questlove
• The Truffle Hunters
  Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw
• Val
  Leo Scott and Ting Poo
• The Velvet Underground
  Todd Haynes
• The Viewing Booth
  Ra’anan Alexandrowicz

An honorable mention to these music documentaries

• Tina
  Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin
• The Sparks Brothers
  Edgar Wright
• Under the Volcano
  Gracie Otto
• Listening to Kenny G
  Penny Lane
• The Beatles: Get Back
  Peter Jackson

Polygon: The Best Movies of 2021

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2019]

• Annette
  Leos Carax
• Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  Josh Greenbaum
• Bo Burnham: Inside
  Bo Burnham
• CODA
  Sian Heder
• Drive My Car
  Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
• Encanto
  Jared Bush and Byron Howard
• Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time
  various directors
• The French Dispatch
  Wes Anderson
• The Green Knight
  David Lowery
• Identifying Features
  Fernanda Valadez
• In the Heights
  Jon M. Chu
• Judas and the Black Messiah
  Shaka King
• Nine Days
  Edson Oda
• No Sudden Move
  Steven Soderbergh
• Parallel Mothers
  Pedro Almodóvar
• Petite Maman
  Céline Sciamma
• Pig
  Michael Sarnoski
• The Power of the Dog
  Jane Campion
• Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
  Lili Horvát
• Shiva Baby
  Emma Seligman
• Spencer
  Pablo Larraín
• The Worst Person in the World
  Joachim Trier
• This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
• tick, tick... BOOM!
  Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Titane
  Julia Ducournau
• Zola
  Janicza Bravo

Brian Truitt: The 10 Best Movies of 2021, as published by USA Today

[see also 2023]

1. Spencer
   Pablo Larraín
2. The Father
   Florian Zeller
3. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
4. tick, tick... BOOM!
   Lin-Manuel Miranda
5. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
6. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
7. CODA
   Sian Heder
8. West Side Story
   Steven Spielberg
9. Spider-Man: No Way Home
   Jon Watts
10. Licorice Pizza
    Paul Thomas Anderson

Michael J. Anderson: Ten Best Films of 2021

[see also 2022 • 2020 • 2010s • 2017]

1. What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?
   Aleksandre Koberidze
2. In Front of Your Face
   Hong Sang-soo
3. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
4. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
5. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
6. The Girl and the Spider
   Ramon Zürcher and Silvan Zürcher
7. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
8. Ahed's Knee
   Nadav Lapid
9. The Tsugua Diaries
   Maureen Fazendeiro and Miguel Gomes
10. Mr. Bachmann and His Class
    Maria Speth

Ross Bonaime: Top 10 Films of 2021, as published by Collider

1. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The Worst Person in the World
   Joachim Trier
3. C'mon C'mon
   Mike Mills
4. Judas and the Black Messiah
   Shaka King
5. Pig
   Michael Sarnoski
6. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
7. The French Dispatch
   Wes Anderson
8. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
   Questlove
9. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
   Josh Greenbaum
10. The Souvenir Part II
    Joanna Hogg

Runners-Up, in alphabetical order

• CODA
  Sian Heder
• Cyrano
  Joe Wright
• Drive My Car
  Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
• The Last Duel
  Ridley Scott
• The Mitchells vs. the Machines
  Mike Rianda
• The Power of the Dog
  Jane Campion
• Titane
  Julia Ducournau
• West Side Story
  Steven Spielberg

Vikram Murthi: The Best Films of 2021, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2020 • 2019 • 2018]

1. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
3. The Velvet Underground
   Todd Haynes
4. The French Dispatch
   Wes Anderson
5. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
6. Red Rocket
   Sean Baker
7. Slow Machine
   Joe DeNardo and Paul Felten
8. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
9. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
   Radu Jude
10. Pig
    Michael Sarnoski
11. French Exit
    Azazel Jacobs
12. El Planeta
    Amalia Ulman
13. Days
    Tsai Ming-liang
14. Annette
    Leos Carax
15. The Worst Person in the World
    Joachim Trier

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: The Best Films of 2021

Noel Murray: The Best Films of 2021, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also The 10 Best Documentaries of 2022 • The 10 (or 11) Best Documentaries of 2021 • The Best Films of 2020 • The Best Films of 2019 • Top 15 Films of 2018 • Best Films of 2017 • The Best Films of 2016 • The Best Films of 2015 • Top 15 Films of 2014 • 15 Best Films of 2012 • Best Films of 2011]

1. The French Dispatch
   Wes Anderson
2. Red Rocket
   Sean Baker
3. Pig
   Michael Sarnoski
4. West Side Story
   Steven Spielberg
5. A Hero
   Asghar Farhadi
6. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
   Radu Jude
7. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
8. The Card Counter
   Paul Schrader
9. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
10. Nightmare Alley
    Guillermo del Toro
11. The Viewing Booth
    Ra’anan Alexandrowicz
12. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
    Mike Rianda
13. The Tragedy of Macbeth
    Joel Coen
14. Last Night in Soho
    Edgar Wright
15. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
    Questlove

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: The Best Films of 2021

Leila Latif: The Best Films of 2021, as published by The A.V. Club

1. Titane
   Julia Ducournau
2. Judas and the Black Messiah
   Shaka King
3. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
4. The French Dispatch
   Wes Anderson
5. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
   Questlove
6. Night of the Kings
   Philippe Lacôte
7. The Card Counter
   Paul Schrader
8. Dune
   Denis Villeneuve
9. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
10. Bergman Island
    Mia Hansen-Løve
11. Shiva Baby
    Emma Seligman
12. The Power of the Dog
    Jane Campion
13. Parallel Mothers
    Pedro Almodóvar
14. West Side Story
    Steven Spielberg
15. Flee
    Jonas Poher Rasmussen

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: The Best Films of 2021

Jesse Hassenger: The Best Films of 2021, as published by The A.V. Club

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

1. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The French Dispatch
   Wes Anderson
3. West Side Story
   Steven Spielberg
4. Red Rocket
   Sean Baker
5. Titane
   Julia Ducournau
6. The Worst Person in the World
   Joachim Trier
7. In the Heights
   Jon M. Chu
8. No Sudden Move
   Steven Soderbergh
9. Spencer
   Pablo Larraín
10. The Green Knight
    David Lowery
11. Pig
    Michael Sarnoski
12. The Tragedy of Macbeth
    Joel Coen
13. Luca
    Enrico Casarosa
14. Werewolves Within
    Josh Ruben
15. Riders of Justice
    Anders Thomas Jensen

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: The Best Films of 2021