Year-End Lists

This year’s installment of David Ehrlich’s video countdown: The 25 Best Films of 2021

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

1. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
2. Bergman Island
   Mia Hansen-Løve
3. The Souvenir Part II
   Joanna Hogg
4. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
5. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
6. Petite Maman
   Céline Sciamma
7. Pig
   Michael Sarnoski
8. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
9. Saint Maud
   Rose Glass
10. Red Rocket
    Sean Baker
11. The Lost Daughter
    Maggie Gyllenhaal
12. In the Heights
    Jon M. Chu
13. The World to Come
    Mona Fastvold
14. Procession
    Robert Greene
15. The Matrix Resurrections
    Lana Wachowski
16. Titane
    Julia Ducournau
17. Flee
    Jonas Poher Rasmussen
18. All Light, Everywhere
    Theo Anthony
19. Undine
    Christian Petzold
20. The Green Knight
    David Lowery
21. West Side Story
    Steven Spielberg
22. The Worst Person in the World
    Joachim Trier
23. The Tragedy of Macbeth
    Joel Coen
24. The Card Counter
    Paul Schrader
25. Zola
    Janicza Bravo

Scout Tafoya: The Best Television Shows of 2021

1. Yellowjackets
2. Black Summer
3. What We Do in the Shadows
4. Succession
4. Pretend It's a City
5. The Other Two
6. Painting with John
7. Reservation Dogs
8. Servant
9. The Expanse
10. 30 Coins
11. Superstore
12. Dr. Brain
13. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
14. The Mosquito Coast
15. Swagger
16. Mare of Easttown
17. A.P. Bio
17. Mythic Quest
18. Philly D.A.
19. Chapelwaite
20. Foundation

Under the Radar: Top 100 Albums of 2021

[see also 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2011]

1. Jubilee
   Japanese Breakfast
2. Blue Weekend
   Wolf Alice
3. Hey What
   Low
4. New Long Leg
   Dry Cleaning
5. An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
   Cassandra Jenkins
6. I Don’t Live Here Anymore
   The War on Drugs
7. Collapsed in Sunbeams
   Arlo Parks
8. Home Video
   Lucy Dacus
9. Ignorance
   The Weather Station
10. Animal
    Lump
11. A Way Forward
    Nation of Language
12. Mercurial World
    Magdalena Bay
13. Human Safari
    Ora The Molecule
14. Little Oblivions
    Julien Baker
15. Love Drips & Gathers
    Piroshka
16. The Golden Casket
    Modest Mouse
17. Carnage
    Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
18. Valentine
    Snail Mail
19. Screen Violence
    Chvrches
20. Bright Green Field
    Squid
21. Things Take Time, Take Time
    Courtney Barnett
22. Which Way To Happy
    Penelope Isles
23. Boy from Michigan
    John Grant
24. As Days Get Dark
    Arab Strap
25. Disco
    Geese
26. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
    Little Simz
27. Let Me Do One More
    illuminati hotties
28. A Beginner's Mind
    Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
29. The Last Exit
    Still Corners
30. Head of Roses
    Flock of Dimes
31. Prioritise Pleasure
    Self Esteem
32. The Turning Wheel
    Spellling
33. Afrique Victime
    Mdou Moctar
34. Mirror II
    The Goon Sax
35. For the First Time
    Black Country, New Road
36. True Love
    Hovvdy
37. I Know I'm Funny haha
    Faye Webster
38. Daddy's Home
    St. Vincent
39. Flock
    Jane Weaver
40. Seek Shelter
    Iceage
41. Flying Dream 1
    Elbow
42. Spare Ribs
    Sleaford Mods
43. Promises
    Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / London Symphony Orchestra
44. WINK
    CHAI
45. Crawler
    Idles
46. Seeking New Gods
    Gruff Rhys
47. As The Love Continues
    Mogwai
48. Structure
    Water From Your Eyes
49. Thirstier
    Torres
50. Modern Fiction
    Ducks Ltd.
51. Life, and Another
    Mega Bog
52. Flat White Moon
    Field Music
53. The Art of Losing
    The Anchoress
54. Vanities
    W.H. Lung
55. Time To Melt
    Sam Evian
56. Death of a Cheerleader
    Pom Pom Squad
57. Infinite Granite
    Deafheaven
58. Sympathy for Life
    Parquet Courts
59. Twin Plagues
    Wednesday
60. Any Shape You Take
    Indigo De Souza
61. Deacon
    serpentwithfeet
62. Observatory
    Aeon Station
63. Drunk Tank Pink
    Shame
64. Fever Dreams
    Villagers
65. Glow On
    Turnstile
66. Doomin' Sun
    Bachelor
67. G_d's Pee at State's End!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
68. Utopian Ashes
    Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth
69. Welcome Break
    Pip Blom
70. Welfare Jazz
    Viagra Boys
71. Acquainted with Night
    Lael Neale
72. Butterfly 3000
    King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
73. Menneskekollektivet
    Lost Girls
74. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows
    Damon Albarn
75. On All Fours
    Goat Girl
76. Beachy Head
    Beachy Head
77. Modern Tricks for Living
    Low Hummer
78. För Allting
    Makthaverskan
79. I've Been Trying To Tell You
    Saint Etienne
80. Painting the Roses
    Midnight Sister
81. Dead Hand Control
    Baio
82. The Ultra Vivid Lament
    Manic Street Preachers
83. Maximum Sorrow!
    Desperate Journalist
84. Into The Blue
    Joy Formidable
85. Always Something
    UV-TV
86. Cooler Returns
    Kiwi jr
87. Bright Magic
    Public Service Broadcasting
88. Fantasy Island
    Clinic
89. Cavalcade
    black midi
90. Moonlit and Devious
    Allie Crow Buckley
91. Moondust For My Diamond
    Hayden Thorpe
92. The Wide, Wide River
    James Yorkston and The Second Hand Orchestra
93. Today We're the Greatest
    Middle Kids
94. Cool
    Colleen Green
95. In Quiet Moments
    Lost Horizons
96. Like a Stone
    Remember Sports
97. Course In Fable
    Ryley Walker
98. Other You
    Steve Gunn
99. History Of A Feeling
    Madi Diaz
100. K Bay
     Matthew E. White

Honorable Mentions

• one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
  Ada Lea
• Comfort To Me
  Amyl and The Sniffers
• Change
  Anika
• Eau De Bonjourno
  bernice
• The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings
  The Besnard Lakes
• Underneath
  Calicoco
• Sling
  Clairo
• Coco
  Coco
• Spiral
  Darkside
• No Gods No Masters
  Garbage
• Gone to Color
  Gone to Color
• Hard Feelings
  Hard Feelings
• Far In
  Helado Negro
• Cool Dry Place
  Katy Kirby
• place is
  koleżanka
• La Luz
  La Luz
• Dark in Here
  The Mountain Goats
• My Morning Jacket
  My Morning Jacket
• The Path of the Clouds
  Marissa Nadler
• An Evening with Silk Sonic
  Silk Sonic
• In Heaven
  Strand of Oaks
• Petunia
  Tonstartssbandht
• Enjoy the View
  We Were Promised Jetpacks
• A Billion Little Lights
  Wild Pink
• Illusory Walls
  The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die

Jim DeRogatis: The Best Albums of 2021, as aired on Sound Opinions

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

1. Comfort To Me
   Amyl and The Sniffers
2. New Long Leg
   Dry Cleaning
3. Welfare Jazz
   Viagra Boys
4. All Bets Are Off
   Tamar Aphek
5. Paradigmes
   La Femme
6. Crawler
   Idles
7. On All Fours
   Goat Girl
8. Cyclorama
   Polo & Pan
9. Drunk Tank Pink
   Shame
10. Things Take Time, Take Time
    Courtney Barnett
11. A Southern Gothic
    Adia Victoria
12. Over The Overlords
    Naked Raygun
13. Raise The Roof
    Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
14. There Is No End
    Tony Allen
15. Doomin' Sun
    Bachelor
16. In Standard Definition
    Art d'Ecco
17. Access Denied
    Ray BLK
18. Home Video
    Lucy Dacus
19. sketchy.
    Tune-Yards
20. Nine
    Sault

Greg Kot: The Best Albums of 2021, as aired on Sound Opinions

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

1. On All Fours
   Goat Girl
2. Crawler
   Idles
3. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
   Little Simz
4. There Is No End
   Tony Allen
5. New Long Leg
   Dry Cleaning
6. Sharecropper's Son
   Robert Finley
7. Always Something
   UV-TV
8. All Bets Are Off
   Tamar Aphek
9. Wary + Strange
   Amythyst Kiah
10. Since Grazed
    Eleventh Dream Day
11. sketchy.
    Tune-Yards
12. Hey What
    Low
13. Haram
    Armand Hammer & The Alchemist
14. A Southern Gothic
    Adia Victoria
15. Raise The Roof
    Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
16. Deciphering The Message
    Makaya McCraven
17. Second Line
    Dawn Richard
18. NOW
    Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble
19. Stand For Myself
    Yola
20. A Martyr’s Reward
    Ka

Benoit Rouilly (aka Harry Tuttle): Top 10 Films of 2021, as posted to Twitter

• About Endlessness
  Roy Andersson
• Memoria
  Apichatpong Weerasethakul
• Drive My Car
  Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
• Days
  Tsai Ming-liang
• A Hero
  Asghar Farhadi
• Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
• A River Runs, Turns, Erases, Replaces
  Zhu Shengze
• In Front of Your Face
  Hong Sang-soo
• Annette
  Leos Carax
• Pedro
  Natesh Hegde

runners up

• The French Dispatch
  Wes Anderson
• Malcolm & Marie
  Sam Levinson
• Dune
  Denis Villeneuve
• A New Old Play
  Qiu Jiongjiong
• There Is No Evil
  Mohammad Rasoulof
• First Cow
  Kelly Reichardt
• Minari
  Lee Isaac Chung
• Tug
  Jon Lazam
• The Great Movement
  Kiro Russo

Jordan Ruimy: The 10 Best Movies of 2021, as published by World of Reel

[see also 2020 • 2010s • 2019]

1. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
2. Red Rocket
   Sean Baker
3. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
4. Annette
   Leos Carax
5. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
6. France
   Bruno Dumont
7. Benedetta
   Paul Verhoeven
8. The Killing of Two Lovers
   Robert Machoian
9. Titane
   Julia Ducournau
10. Passing
    Rebecca Hall
10. The Lost Daughter
    Maggie Gyllenhaal
12. Bad Trip
    Kitao Sakurai
13. Petite Maman
    Céline Sciamma
14. The Last Duel
    Ridley Scott
15. Beginning
    Déa Kulumbegashvili
16. Quo Vadis, Aida?
    Jasmila Žbanić
17. PVT Chat
    Ben Hozie
18. In the Same Breath
    Nanfu Wang
19. The Souvenir Part II
    Joanna Hogg
20. Bergman Island
    Mia Hansen-Løve

Keith Phipps: The Best Films of 2021, as posted at The Reveal where it appears alongside fun selections like "Reason for Hope," "Reason for Despair," "Most Annoying Discourse," and "Most Anticipated Film of 2022"

[see also 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2012 • 2011]

The Top 15

1. The Power of the Dog
   Jane Campion
2. Pig
   Michael Sarnoski
3. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
4. West Side Story
   Steven Spielberg
5. Parallel Mothers
   Pedro Almodóvar
6. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
7. A Hero
   Asghar Farhadi
8. Bergman Island
   Mia Hansen-Løve
9. The Green Knight
   David Lowery
10. Passing
    Rebecca Hall
11. The Lost Daughter
    Maggie Gyllenhaal
12. Flee
    Jonas Poher Rasmussen
13. The Worst Person in the World
    Joachim Trier
14. Dune
    Denis Villeneuve
15. The Disciple
    Chaitanya Tamhane

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order)

• Annette
  Leos Carax
• Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  Josh Greenbaum
• Benedetta
  Paul Verhoeven
• The Card Counter
  Paul Schrader
• C'mon C'mon
  Mike Mills
• The French Dispatch
  Wes Anderson
• Lamb
  Valdimar Jóhannsson
• The Last Duel
  Ridley Scott
• Last Night in Soho
  Edgar Wright
• Malignant
  James Wan
• Nightmare Alley
  Guillermo del Toro
• Red Rocket
  Sean Baker
• Saint Maud
  Rose Glass
• Shiva Baby
  Emma Seligman
• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  Questlove
• The Velvet Underground
  Todd Haynes

Lest We Forget

• Judas and the Black Messiah
  Shaka King
• The Father
  Florian Zeller

Scott Tobias: The Best Films of 2021, as posted at The Reveal where it appears alongside fun selections like "Reason for Hope," "Reason for Despair," "Most Annoying Discourse," and "Most Anticipated Film of 2022"

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

The Top 15

1. Drive My Car
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2. A Hero
   Asghar Farhadi
3. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
   Radu Jude
4. Memoria
   Apichatpong Weerasethakul
5. Pig
   Michael Sarnoski
6. Red Rocket
   Sean Baker
7. Licorice Pizza
   Paul Thomas Anderson
8. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
   Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
9. The Viewing Booth
   Ra’anan Alexandrowicz
10. The Card Counter
    Paul Schrader
11. Days
    Tsai Ming-liang
12. The Power of the Dog
    Jane Campion
13. Quo Vadis, Aida?
    Jasmila Žbanić
14. Bergman Island
    Mia Hansen-Løve
15. Dune
    Denis Villeneuve

Honorable Mention (alphabetical order)

• Annette
  Leos Carax
• Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  Josh Greenbaum
• The French Dispatch
  Wes Anderson
• The Green Knight
  David Lowery
• The Last Duel
  Ridley Scott
• The Lost Daughter
  Maggie Gyllenhaal
• Passing
  Rebecca Hall
• Petite Maman
  Céline Sciamma
• Procession
  Robert Greene
• Shiva Baby
  Emma Seligman
• This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
• West Side Story
  Steven Spielberg
• The Velvet Underground
  Todd Haynes
• Wojnarowicz
  Chris McKim

Nicole Brenez: Best Films of 2021, as submitted to La Internacional Cinéfila Poll

[see also 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2012]

• Omar Blondin Diop, a rebel
  Djeydi Djigo
• Topology of an Absence
  Rami El Sabbagh
• Jean Genet, Our Father Of Flowers
  Dalila Ennadre
• Our Memory Belongs to Us
  Rami Farah
• Moune Ô
  Maxime Jean-Baptiste
• Masters of the Land
  Jan Locus
• Just a Movement
  Vincent Meessen
• filmatruc à verres n°2, Oiseaux
  Silvi Simon
• Brothers
  Ugo Simon
• En Corps +
  Lionel Soukaz and Stéphane Gérard
• The Visit
  Kristi Tethong
• Train Again
  Peter Tscherkassky

2 wonderful essays from 2020 I saw only this year

• IWOW: I Walk on Water
  Khalik Allah
• Fiertés, inc.
  Thibault Jacquin

This list contributes to:

• La Internacional Cinéfila Poll: Best movies of 2021