Year-End Lists

The Guardian: The 50 Best Films of 2021, drawing from films released in the US in 2021

[see also 2023 • 2017 • 2015]

1. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
2. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
3. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
4. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
5. Flee
   Jonas Poher Rasmussen
6. Dune
   Denis Villeneuve
7. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
8. The Humans
   Stephen Karam
9. Azor
   Andreas Fontana
10. The Lost Daughter
    Maggie Gyllenhaal
11. Belfast
    Kenneth Branagh
11. West Side Story
    Steven Spielberg
12. Mass
    Fran Kranz
13. The Souvenir Part II
    Joanna Hogg
14. The French Dispatch
    Wes Anderson
16. Quo Vadis, Aida?
    Jasmila Žbanić
15. No Time to Die
    Cary Joji Fukunaga
17. Getting Away with Murder(s)
    David Wilkinson
18. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
    Questlove
19. Limbo
    Ben Sharrock
20. Red Rocket
    Sean Baker
21. A Cop Movie
    Alonso Ruizpalacios
22. Passing
    Rebecca Hall
23. Identifying Features
    Fernanda Valadez
24. Bergman Island
    Mia Hansen-Løve
25. The Worst Person in the World
    Joachim Trier
26. The Killing of Two Lovers
    Robert Machoian
27. The World to Come
    Mona Fastvold
28. tick, tick... BOOM!
    Lin-Manuel Miranda
29. Procession
    Robert Greene
30. Rose Plays Julie
    Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor
31. The Tragedy of Macbeth
    Joel Coen
32. I Care a Lot
    J Blakeson
33. House of Gucci
    Ridley Scott
34. The Velvet Underground
    Todd Haynes
35. About Endlessness
    Roy Andersson
36. Never Gonna Snow Again
    Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert
37. Censor
    Prano Bailey-Bond
38. Annette
    Leos Carax
39. Pig
    Michael Sarnoski
40. New Order
    Michel Franco
41. The Reason I Jump
    Jerry Rothwell
42. C'mon C'mon
    Mike Mills
43. Shiva Baby
    Emma Seligman
44. State Funeral
    Sergei Loznitsa
45. Titane
    Julia Ducournau
46. Last Night in Soho
    Edgar Wright
47. Boiling Point
    Philip Barantini
48. Worth
    Sara Colangelo
49. Sabaya
    Hogir Hirori
50. The First Wave
    Matthew Heineman

Ryan Gilbey: The Best Films of 2021, as published by New Statesman

[see also 2012]

• Quo Vadis, Aida?
  Jasmila Žbanić
• First Cow
  Kelly Reichardt
• The Filmmaker's House
  Marc Isaacs
• Drive My Car
  Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
• Ham on Rye
  Tyler Taormina
• Dear Comrades!
  Andrei Konchalovsky
• The Father
  Florian Zeller
• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  Questlove
• The Killing of Two Lovers
  Robert Machoian
• Spencer
  Pablo Larraín

Susannah Gruder: Best Films of 2021, as posted to Letterboxd

[see also 2020 • 2010s • 2019]

1. The Worst Person in the World
   Joachim Trier
2. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
3. Listening to Kenny G
   Penny Lane
4. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
   Radu Jude
5. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
6. Titane
   Julia Ducournau
7. Benedetta
   Paul Verhoeven
8. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
9. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
10. El Planeta
    Amalia Ulman
11. France
    Bruno Dumont
12. In the Same Breath
    Nanfu Wang
13. Parallel Mothers
    Pedro Almodóvar
14. Acasa, My Home
    Radu Ciorniciuc
15. Zola
    Janicza Bravo
16. Anne at 13,000 ft
    Kazik Radwanski
17. Beginning
    Déa Kulumbegashvili
18. All Light, Everywhere
    Theo Anthony
19. The Salt of Tears
    Philippe Garrel
20. President
    Camilla Nielsson
21. Pig
    Michael Sarnoski

The A.V. Club: The Best Films of 2021

[see also 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. The French Dispatch
   Wes Anderson
2. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
3. Red Rocket
   Sean Baker
4. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
5. A Hero
   Asghar Farhadi
6. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
7. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
8. West Side Story
   Steven Spielberg
9. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
10. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
    Questlove
11. Pig
    Michael Sarnoski
12. The Worst Person in the World
    Joachim Trier
13. The Card Counter
    Paul Schrader
14. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
    Radu Jude
15. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
    Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
16. Titane
    Julia Ducournau
17. Annette
    Leos Carax
18. About Endlessness
    Roy Andersson
19. The Souvenir Part II
    Joanna Hogg
20. Drive My Car
    Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
21. Bergman Island
    Mia Hansen-Løve
22. The Tragedy of Macbeth
    Joel Coen
23. Flee
    Jonas Poher Rasmussen
24. Days
    Tsai Ming-liang
25. Zola
    Janicza Bravo

This list summarizes other lists, including these:

• A.V. Club: A.A. Dowd: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Carlos Aguilar: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Caroline Siede: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Charles Bramesco: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Jesse Hassenger: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Katie Rife: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Leila Latif: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Mike D’Angelo: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Noel Murray: The Best Films of 2021
• A.V. Club: Vikram Murthi: The Best Films of 2021

Girish Shambu: 2021 Faves, posted with a link to an essay or interview for each

[see also 2018 • 2017]

• Rose Plays Julie
  Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor
• Reservation Dogs
• A Night of Knowing Nothing
  Payal Kapadia
• Shared Resources
  Jordan Lord
• The Power of the Dog
  Jane Campion
• Terra Femme
  Courtney Stephens
• Beans
  Tracey Deer
• Hacks
• Mariner of the Mountains
  Karim Aïnouz
• Sort Of
• The DocYard, a film series with a virtual component, curated by Abby Sun

Little White Lies: The 30 Best Films of 2021

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

1. Titane
   Julia Ducournau
2. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
3. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
4. Parallel Mothers
   Pedro Almodóvar
5. The Card Counter
   Paul Schrader
6. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
7. Minari
   Lee Isaac Chung
8. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
   Questlove
9. Annette
   Leos Carax
10. Dune
    Denis Villeneuve
11. Memoria
    Apichatpong Weerasethakul
12. Petite Maman
    Céline Sciamma
13. Days
    Tsai Ming-liang
14. The Lost Daughter
    Maggie Gyllenhaal
15. The Power of the Dog
    Jane Campion
16. C'mon C'mon
    Mike Mills
17. Censor
    Prano Bailey-Bond
18. Rose Plays Julie
    Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor
19. Ear for Eye
    debbie tucker green
20. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
    Radu Jude
21. The Green Knight
    David Lowery
22. Limbo
    Ben Sharrock
23. It Must Be Heaven
    Elia Suleiman
24. Sound of Metal
    Darius Marder
25. Pig
    Michael Sarnoski
26. The Tragedy of Macbeth
    Joel Coen
27. The Last Duel
    Ridley Scott
28. The Velvet Underground
    Todd Haynes
29. Shiva Baby
    Emma Seligman
30. Azor
    Andreas Fontana

Jake Coyle: Best Films of 2021, as published by Associated Press

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

1. The Worst Person in the World
   Joachim Trier
2. The Beatles: Get Back
   Peter Jackson
3. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
4. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
5. The Truffle Hunters
   Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw
6. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
7. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
   Mike Rianda
8. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
9. The Humans
   Stephen Karam
10. The Hand of God
    Paolo Sorrentino

Also

• Red Rocket
  Sean Baker
• The Power of the Dog
  Jane Campion
• The Lost Daughter
  Maggie Gyllenhaal
• A Hero
  Asghar Farhadi
• CODA
  Sian Heder
• Titane
  Julia Ducournau
• Flee
  Jonas Poher Rasmussen
• Dune
  Denis Villeneuve
• Annette
  Leos Carax
• Riders of Justice
  Anders Thomas Jensen

Lindsey Bahr: Best Films of 2021, as published by Associated Press

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

1. The Lost Daughter
   Maggie Gyllenhaal
2. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
3. Dune
   Denis Villeneuve
4. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
5. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
6. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
   Josh Greenbaum
7. Luca
   Enrico Casarosa
8. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
9. The Hand of God
   Paolo Sorrentino
10. El Planeta
    Amalia Ulman

Also of note

• The Rescue
  Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
• Bergman Island
  Mia Hansen-Løve
• Flee
  Jonas Poher Rasmussen
• The World to Come
  Mona Fastvold
• The Green Knight
  David Lowery
• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  Questlove

Clarisse Loughrey: The 10 Best Films of 2021, as published by The Independent

[see also 2023 • 2022]

1. First Cow
   Kelly Reichardt
2. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
3. Nomadland
   Chloé Zhao
4. Minari
   Lee Isaac Chung
5. Dune
   Denis Villeneuve
6. C'mon C'mon
   Mike Mills
7. Gunda
   Viktor Kosakovskiy
8. Night of the Kings
   Philippe Lacôte
9. Promising Young Woman
   Emerald Fennell
10. Zola
    Janicza Bravo

Uproxx: The Best Movies Of 2021

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

1. Dune
   Denis Villeneuve
2. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
3. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
4. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
5. Red Rocket
   Sean Baker
6. The Beatles: Get Back
   Peter Jackson
7. Titane
   Julia Ducournau
8. The Worst Person in the World
   Joachim Trier
9. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
   Josh Greenbaum
10. A Quiet Place Part II
    John Krasinski
10. Pig
    Michael Sarnoski
10. F9: The Fast Saga
    Justin Lin