Year-End Lists

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

Kelly Lawler: Best TV Shows of 2021, as published by USA Today

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

1. For All Mankind
2. The Underground Railroad
3. It's a Sin
4. Hacks
5. We Are Lady Parts
6. The White Lotus
7. Ted Lasso
8. Squid Game
9. Mare of Easttown
10. Maid
11. Reservation Dogs
12. Only Murders in the Building
13. Evil
14. What We Do in the Shadows
15. Girls5eva
16. Shrill
17. Everything's Gonna Be Okay
18. The Wonder Years
19. Top Chef

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 Music Critics Poll: Best Albums of 2021, a survey of "more than 200 music critics from across the industry"

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

1. Jubilee
   Japanese Breakfast
2. Sour
   Olivia Rodrigo
3. Call Me If You Get Lost
   Tyler, The Creator
4. Glow On
   Turnstile
5. Heaux Tales
   Jazmine Sullivan
6. Home Video
   Lucy Dacus
7. I Don’t Live Here Anymore
   The War on Drugs
8. Promises
   Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / London Symphony Orchestra
9. Hey What
   Low
10. New Long Leg
    Dry Cleaning
11. If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
    Halsey
12. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
    Little Simz
13. Happier Than Ever
    Billie Eilish
14. Valentine
    Snail Mail
15. Ignorance
    The Weather Station
16. An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
    Cassandra Jenkins
17. Donda
    Kanye West
18. I Know I'm Funny haha
    Faye Webster
19. An Evening with Silk Sonic
    Silk Sonic
20. Little Oblivions
    Julien Baker
21. Planet Her
    Doja Cat
22. 30
    Adele
23. Collapsed in Sunbeams
    Arlo Parks
24. A Billion Little Lights
    Wild Pink
25. Evermore
    Taylor Swift
26. The House Is Burning
    Isaiah Rashad
27. Nine
    Sault
28. Draw Down The Moon
    Foxing
29. Montero
    Lil Nas X
30. Nurture
    Porter Robinson
31. Screen Violence
    Chvrches
32. Death of a Cheerleader
    Pom Pom Squad
33. Any Shape You Take
    Indigo De Souza
34. Entertainment, Death
    The Spirit Of The Beehive
35. Chemtrails over the Country Club
    Lana Del Rey
36. Stand For Myself
    Yola
37. Vince Staples
    Vince Staples
38. Red (Taylor's Version)
    Taylor Swift
39. Daddy's Home
    St. Vincent
40. Haram
    Armand Hammer & The Alchemist
41. Certified Lover Boy
    Drake
42. Pray For Haiti
    Mach-Hommy
43. For the First Time
    Black Country, New Road
44. Things Take Time, Take Time
    Courtney Barnett
45. Outside Child
    Allison Russell
46. memoryland
    CFCF
47. Star-Crossed
    Kacey Musgraves
48. Fatigue
    L'Rain
49. Sound Ancestors
    Madlib
50. Afrique Victime
    Mdou Moctar

Dazed: The Best Albums of 2021

[see also 2023 • 2022]

1. Montero
   Lil Nas X
2. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
   Little Simz
3. im hole
   aya
4. Planet Her
   Doja Cat
5. Still Over It
   Summer Walker
6. When Smoke Rises
   Mustafa
7. Harlecore
   Danny L Harle
8. Quivering In Time
   Eris Drew
9. Heaux Tales
   Jazmine Sullivan
10. Afrique Victime
    Mdou Moctar
11. KICK ii
    Arca
12. Sour
    Olivia Rodrigo
13. Lately I Feel Everything
    Willow
14. The Fool
    Bladee
15. We're All Alone in This Together
    Dave
16. El Madrileño
    C. Tangana
17. Happier Than Ever
    Billie Eilish
18. drive-by lullabies
    osquinn
19. Sensational
    Erika de Casier
20. Black Metal 2
    Dean Blunt

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

Justin Chang: The Best Movies of 2021, presented at The Los Angeles Times as a series of themed pairings and, in one case, a trio

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

1. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
3. Procession
   Robert Greene
4. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
5. Days
   Tsai Ming-liang
6. Parallel Mothers
   Pedro Almodóvar
7. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
8. The Disciple
   Chaitanya Tamhane
9. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
10. The Power of the Dog
    Jane Campion
11. Passing
    Rebecca Hall

15 honorable mentions

• Annette
  Leos Carax
• West Side Story
  Steven Spielberg
• Azor
  Andreas Fontana
• The Tragedy of Macbeth
  Joel Coen
• Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  Radu Jude
• The Last Duel
  Ridley Scott
• Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
• Dear Comrades!
  Andrei Konchalovsky
• Quo Vadis, Aida?
  Jasmila Žbanić
• The Killing of Two Lovers
  Robert Machoian
• Spencer
  Pablo Larraín
• Licorice Pizza
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• The Worst Person in the World
  Joachim Trier
• The Velvet Underground
  Todd Haynes
• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  Questlove

20 more close to my heart

• All Light, Everywhere
  Theo Anthony
• Bergman Island
  Mia Hansen-Løve
• The Card Counter
  Paul Schrader
• C'mon C'mon
  Mike Mills
• Flee
  Jonas Poher Rasmussen
• In the Same Breath
  Nanfu Wang
• The Lost Daughter
  Maggie Gyllenhaal
• Mass
  Fran Kranz
• The Mitchells vs. the Machines
  Mike Rianda
• MLK/FBI
  Sam Pollard
• Nightmare Alley
  Guillermo del Toro
• Pig
  Michael Sarnoski
• Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
  Lili Horvát
• President
  Camilla Nielsson
• Raya and the Last Dragon
  Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada
• The Suicide Squad
  James Gunn
• Test Pattern
  Shatara Michelle Ford
• tick, tick... BOOM!
  Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Titane
  Julia Ducournau
• Undine
  Christian Petzold

DIY Magazine: Best Albums of 2021

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2020 • 2016 • 2011]

1. Blue Weekend
   Wolf Alice
2. Prioritise Pleasure
   Self Esteem
3. New Long Leg
   Dry Cleaning
4. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
   Little Simz
5. For the First Time
   Black Country, New Road
6. Collapsed in Sunbeams
   Arlo Parks
7. Glow On
   Turnstile
8. Sour
   Olivia Rodrigo
9. For Those I Love
   For Those I Love
10. Bright Green Field
    Squid
11. Solar Power
    Lorde
12. Jubilee
    Japanese Breakfast
13. Smiling with No Teeth
    Genesis Owusu
14. Flowers for Vases / Descansos
    Hayley Williams
15. Seventeen Going Under
    Sam Fender
16. Valentine
    Snail Mail
17. If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
    Halsey
18. Juno
    Remi Wolf
19. Daddy's Home
    St. Vincent
20. Montero
    Lil Nas X

Bethanne Patrick: The 5 Best Novels of 2021, as published by The Los Angeles Times

[see also 2023 • 2022]

• Early Morning Riser
  Katherine Heiny
• Bolla
  Pajtim Statovci
• Libertie
  Kaitlyn Greenidge
• The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
  Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
• Great Circle
  Maggie Shipstead