2021 comes to a close this weekend, so we’re highlighting some of the best movies from the past 12 months. Of course, plenty of genres and preferences will differentiate lists, but the goal was to go with mostly mainstream films that most people have heard of or watched.
10. CODA
Popular and heavily advertised films such as Nightmare Alley, House of Gucci, Don’t Look Up, and Eternals are among those that should get an honorable mention for the top ten, but Apple’s CODA deserves to make the list of 2021’s best given its high ratings from both viewers and critics. In a time where massive budgets and action get a lot of the love, CODA (which stands for “child of deaf adults”) is a grounded drama and a good showcase for Apple TV’s ability to produce content.
9. Last Night in Soho
These psychological types of thrillers feel like they have become more popular over the past few years, and Last Night in Soho was a solid offering in the category. Fresh off super-popular Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit toward the end of last year, Last Night in Soho star Anya Taylor-Joy continues her breakout into one of Hollywood’s biggest names.
8. King Richard
The first thought from many when King Richard started to be promoted with trailers and commercials might have been that Will Smith had a good shot at winning an Academy Award for Best Actor. The mainstay actor certainly delivered as “King Richard”, the father of tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams, and the movie—which released on HBO Max as well as in theaters—was probably the best sports film of the year.
7. No Time to Die
Daniel Craig’s highly anticipated final go as the iconic James Bond was delayed multiple times, and Craig himself maybe didn’t get the public farewell he should have (thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic), but No Time to Die still performed well both in terms of reviews and at the box office (earning nearly three quarters of a billion dollars). No Time to Die ensures that the latest Bond will always be held in extremely high regard.
6. The Last Duel
It was the case with the Bond series and really all films from the past couple of years, but The Last Duel was among the most impacted by COVID—the Ridley Scott film completely bombed at the box office, earning much less than its budget. (Scott blamed millennials for the poor performance.) Still, the action and drama are superb, and a cast led by Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck unsurprisingly made The Last Duel one of the best when it comes to quality.
5. The Tragedy of Macbeth
Many are familiar with William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Joel Coen took a unique approach to the story, filming it in black and white for The Tragedy of Macbeth. Starring the great Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth hit theaters on Christmas Day; but you can also watch at home on Apple TV+ starting on January 14.
4. The Many Saints of Newark
It seems The Many Saints of Newark is a film you either love or hate, but The Sopranos sequel delivered for many hardcore fans of the classic HBO television series. The cast was tremendous, Dickie Moltisanti was introduced as a strong character, and the movie successfully brought you into the time period decades before The Sopranos—while touching on race relations and having callbacks to the series.
3. Dune
Director Denis Villeneuve did a very good job of introducing the characters and setting in Dune, which is based on the highly acclaimed 1965 epic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert and necessarily had to include a deep and talented ensemble cast. Less than a week after Dune was released in October, the second part (as was hoped when this first one was made) was officially greenlit and announced—that’s an indication of how good this film is.
2. Spider-Man: No Way Home
The most anticipated movie of the year already earned over one billion dollars at the box office despite its recent release earlier this month—Spider-Man: No Way Home is a major success in every way.
1. Zack Snyder’s Justice League
However, Zack Snyder’s Justice League gets the top spot among the best films of 2021. In an unprecedented turn of events, fans of Zack Snyder’s first two DC films—Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice—relentlessly campaigned and pushed for Warner Bros. to release his vision of Justice League, which he was unable to complete in 2017. Warner Bros. finally listened, and fans got an awesome four-hour cut—split into six parts—featuring the iconic heroes and the first film appearance of the supervillain Darkseid. The movie gave enough for people to be happy, while also leaving room to keep Snyder’s vision going in the future, however unlikely.
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