Best of 2021: Film Critic Top Ten Lists

  • by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor
  • Publish Date: December 7, 2021
  • Comments: ↓ 0 user comments

Below, we collect every year-end Top Ten list published by major film critics and publications. This page will be updated throughout December and January whenever new lists are published; be sure to check back frequently.

Critics pick the best movies of 2021

Recent updates:
Added Dec. 15: Hidden Remote, Nerdist, RogerEbert.com, Vox, WBUR
Added Dec. 14: The Hollywood Reporter, People, Stuff, The Times, Total Film, Vulture, Yahoo! Movies
Added Dec. 13: Blast, Hyperallergic, Mashable
Added Dec. 11: Irish Independent, RTE, The Skinny, Slant (replacing consensus list with individual critic lists)
Added Dec. 10: Detroit News, The Globe and Mail, Slant
Added Dec. 9: AP, Chicago Tribune, Consequence, NME, The Ringer, ScreenCrush, Top 10 Films, Washington Post
Added Dec. 8: Entertainment Weekly, Exclaim!, IGN, The Playlist, Rolling Stone, Us Weekly, Wall Street Journal
Added Dec. 7: Scorecard launched with 19 lists

Best of 2021Below is our updated running tally of the films most frequently mentioned by individual critics on the year-end Top Ten lists. Note that if a critic ranks more than the standard 10 films, we will not include films ranked 11th or worse. (We do include unranked lists of 11-20 titles, though each film gets just one-half of a point.) In case of a tie for first or second, each film will receive the full points for that position. Our points system works as follows:

  • 3 points for each 1st place ranking
  • 2 points for each 2nd place ranking
  • 1 point for being ranked 3rd - 10th, or for being included on an unranked list of 10 or fewer titles
  • 0.5 points for being included on an unranked list of 11-20 titles
Films Mentioned on Most Critic Top 10 Lists - 2021
Movie and Metascore # 1st Place # 2nd Place # Other Points
1▣ The Power of the Dog91336.589.5
2▣ Drive My Car11733.580.5
3▣ Licorice Pizza7625.558.5
4▣ Summer of Soul5222.541.5
5▣ The Worst Person in the World451840
6▣ The Green Knight2319.531.5
7▣ West Side Story431331
8▣ Memoria53930
9▣ The Lost Daughter301726
10▣ Petite Maman221525
11▣ Dune1315.524.5
12▣ Titane1116.521.5
13▣ The Souvenir Part II011719
▣ Annette32619
15▣ The French Dispatch1113.518.5
16▣ Parallel Mothers011618
▣ Red Rocket011618
▣ Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy211018
▣ Pig001818
20▣ Passing0017.517.5
21▣ CODA21917
22▣ C'mon C'mon021115
▣ Bergman Island101215
▣ All Light, Everywhere111015
25▣ Spencer1010.513.5
▣ The Card Counter0013.513.5

Because we include some foreign publications, it is possible for a few titles to repeat from last year's list due to differences in USA and overseas release dates.

Individual critic top ten lists

Below are the 108 individual top ten lists published by the film critics regularly included in Metacritic's score calculations, as well as a few extra lists from additional prominent film sources. Some critics merely list films without ranking them in order; such lists are displayed below, without numbers, in alphabetical order.

AP
Lindsey Bahr View full list
  1. The Lost Daughter
  2. Licorice Pizza
  3. Dune
  4. The Souvenir Part II
  5. Drive My Car
  6. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  7. Luca
  8. The Power of the Dog
  9. The Hand of God
  10. El Planeta
Jake Coyle View full list
  1. The Worst Person in the World
  2. The Beatles: Get Back
  3. Licorice Pizza
  4. The Souvenir Part II
  5. The Truffle Hunters
  6. Drive My Car
  7. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
  8. Petite Maman
  9. The Humans
  10. The Hand of God
Arizona Republic
Bill Goodykoontz View full list
  • Belfast
  • The Card Counter
  • C'mon C'mon
  • CODA
  • The Harder They Fall
  • In the Heights
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Mass
  • Passing
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Spencer
  • Summer of Soul
  • tick, tick...BOOM!
Artforum
Cassie da Costa View full list
  1. The Lost Daughter
  2. Drive My Car
  3. All Light, Everywhere
  4. Working Girls
  5. Zola
  6. Working for the Knife
  7. The Card Counter
  8. Respect
  9. The Inheritance
  10. Annette
J. Hoberman View full list
  1. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  2. Memoria
  3. Exterminate All the Brutes
  4. On the Royal Road: The Burgher King
  5. Undine
  6. Paris Calligrammes
  7. Lower East Side Trilogy
  8. Paths of Fire II
  9. The Velvet Underground
  10. Fire Music: The Story of Free Jazz
James Quandt View full list
  1. (tie) In Front of Your Face
  2. (tie) Introduction
  3. The Round-Up
  4. Ahed's Knee
  5. Il Buco
  6. Intregalde
  7. Flee
  8. Returning to Reims
  9. Unclenching the Fists
  10. Dog Star Descending
Amy Taubin View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. Ken Jacobs Collection, Vol. 1
  3. The Velvet Underground
  4. Summer of Soul
  5. Memoria
  6. Petite Maman
  7. Mr. Bachmann and His Class
  8. Azor
  9. The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet
  10. Souad
  11. Cryptozoo
  12. The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
  13. The Bureau
John Waters View full list
  1. Annette
  2. Summer of Soul
  3. Vortex
  4. France
  5. The Most Beautiful Boy in the World
  6. Mandibles
  7. Red Rocket
  8. The Tragedy of Macbeth
  9. Saint-Narcisse
  10. The Onania Club [unreleased]
The Atlantic
David Sims View full list
  1. The Worst Person in the World
  2. Licorice Pizza
  3. Memoria
  4. The Power of the Dog
  5. The Green Knight
  6. The Card Counter
  7. Dune
  8. Red Rocket
  9. The Lost Daughter
  10. The Souvenir Part II
Blast Magazine
Randy Steinberg View full list
  1. There Is No Evil
  2. Mass
  3. Red Rocket
  4. Passing
  5. No Sudden Move
  6. The Worst Person in the World
  7. Belfast
  8. Drive My Car
  9. Pig
  10. Being the Ricardos
Cahiers du cinéma
Staff consensus [December 2021 print edition]
  1. First Cow
  2. Annette
  3. Memoria
  4. Drive My Car
  5. France
  6. The French Dispatch
  7. All Hands on Deck
  8. The Girl & The Spider
  9. The Card Counter
  10. Benedetta
Chicago Tribune
Michael Phillips View full list
  1. A Knight of Knowing Nothing
  2. The Underground Railroad
  3. Drive My Car
  4. Passing
  5. West Side Story
  6. The Lost Daughter
  7. Licorice Pizza
  8. Summer of Soul
  9. It's a Sin
  10. The Green Knight
  11. The Tragedy of Macbeth
CNET
Staff picks View full list
  • Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  • CODA
  • Dune
  • Fear Street trilogy
  • Gunpowder Milkshake
  • I Care a Lot
  • In the Heights
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • King Richard
  • The Little Things
  • Minari
  • The Mitchells vs. The Machines
  • No Sudden Move
  • No Time to Die
  • Nomadland
  • A Quiet Place Part II
Consequence
Staff consensus View full list
  1. Zola
  2. The Green Knight
  3. Annette
  4. Dune
  5. The French Dispatch
  6. The Last Duel
  7. Licorice Pizza
  8. The Power of the Dog
  9. Pig
  10. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Decider
Staff consensus View full list
  1. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  2. CODA
  3. Nomadland
  4. In the Heights
  5. The Power of the Dog
  6. Dune
  7. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  8. Titane
  9. Raya and the Last Dragon
  10. The Green Knight
The Detroit News
Adam Graham View full list
  1. CODA
  2. C'mon C'mon
  3. tick, tick...BOOM!
  4. King Richard
  5. Belfast
  6. The French Dispatch
  7. The Many Saints of Newark
  8. Don't Look Up
  9. No Sudden Move
  10. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
The Economist
(uncredited) View full list
  • Another Round
  • Drive My Car
  • Dune
  • The Father
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Green Knight
  • Limbo
  • Minari
  • No Time to Die
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Riders of Justice
  • Summer of Soul
  • Supernova
  • Titane
Entertainment Weekly
Leah Greenblatt View full list
  1. Licorice Pizza
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. Flee
  4. The Lost Daughter
  5. Drive My Car
  6. Spencer
  7. Riders of Justice
  8. C'mon C'mon
  9. Parallel Mothers
  10. Red Rocket
Exclaim!
Staff consensus View full list
  1. Summer of Soul
  2. Dune
  3. Shiva Baby
  4. Titane
  5. Flee
  6. Belfast
  7. The Power of the Dog
  8. Fear Street trilogy
  9. Spencer
  10. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
The Globe and Mail
Barry Hertz View full list
  1. Licorice Pizza
  2. West Side Story
  3. Dune
  4. The French Dispatch
  5. Drive My Car
  6. Nightmare Alley
  7. Benedetta
  8. The Green Knight
  9. Red Rocket
  10. Zola
  11. Psycho Goreman
  12. The Suicide Squad
Hidden Remote
Ricky Valero View full list
  • Belfast
  • C'mon C'mon
  • Don't Look Up
  • Funny Face
  • The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
  • King Richard
  • Mass
  • Nine Days
  • No Man of God
  • Old Henry
  • Spencer
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
The Hollywood Reporter
Jon Frosch View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. Drive My Car
  3. West Side Story
  4. The Souvenir Part II
  5. CODA
  6. Spencer
  7. Annette
  8. The Lost Daughter
  9. Bergman Island
  10. Summer of Soul
Lovia Gyarkye View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. Faya Dayi
  4. Passing
  5. Summer of Soul
  6. Parallel Mothers
  7. Ailey
  8. The Humans
  9. Spencer
  10. The Green Knight
Sheri Linden View full list
  1. Summer of Soul
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. Drive My Car
  4. Passing
  5. Compartment No. 6
  6. The Lost Daughter
  7. West Side Story
  8. All Light, Everywhere
  9. I'm Your Man
  10. The Humans
David Rooney View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. The Worst Person in the World
  4. Parallel Mothers
  5. The Lost Daughter
  6. The Souvenir Part II
  7. West Side Story
  8. Petite Maman
  9. Passing
  10. The Tragedy of Macbeth
Hyperallergic
Staff consensus View full list
  1. Memoria
  2. Drive My Car
  3. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  4. Annette
  5. Days
  6. Procession
  7. All Light, Everywhere
  8. Bergman Island
  9. Licorice Pizza
  10. Faya Dayi
  11. Summer of Soul
IGN
Staff consensus View full list
  • Candyman
  • Dune
  • The Green Knight
  • In the Heights
  • The Mitchells vs. The Machines
  • Pig
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  • The Suicide Squad
  • Titane
  • West Side Story
IndieWire
Staff consensus View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. Licorice Pizza
  3. Drive My Car
  4. Flee
  5. Titane
  6. Summer of Soul
  7. Memoria
  8. The Card Counter
  9. The Green Knight
  10. Parallel Mothers
Irish Independent (Independent.ie)
Paul Whitington View full list
  • Another Round
  • Azor
  • Black Bear
  • Dear Comrades!
  • Dune
  • The Father
  • The Hand of God
  • The Last Duel
  • Minari
  • The Nest
  • No Time to Die
  • Nomadland
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Promising Young Woman
  • Rose Plays Julie
  • Sound of Metal
  • Spencer
  • Summer of Soul
  • Supernova
  • The Truffle Hunters
Mashable
Kristy Puchko View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. West Side Story
  3. Titane
  4. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  5. Swan Song [Todd Stephens film]
  6. The Last Duel
  7. Shiva Baby
  8. Fear Street trilogy
  9. In the Heights
  10. tick, tick...BOOM!
Nerdist
Kyle Anderson View full list
  • Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
  • Dune
  • The Green Knight
  • In the Earth
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Nightmare Alley
  • No Time to Die
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • The Suicide Squad
  • Titane
The New York Times
Manohla Dargis View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. The Velvet Underground
  4. Summer of Soul
  5. Passing
  6. Azor
  7. The Card Counter
  8. The Disciple
  9. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  10. Spencer
A.O. Scott View full list
  1. Summer of Soul
  2. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. Petite Maman
  5. Bring Your Own Brigade
  6. Bergman Island
  7. Drive My Car
  8. Memoria
  9. West Side Story
  10. The Velvet Underground
The New Yorker
Richard Brody View full list
  1. The French Dispatch
  2. Licorice Pizza
  3. Zola
  4. I Was a Simple Man
  5. In the Same Breath
  6. C'mon C'mon
  7. Passing
  8. Pebbles
  9. Petite Maman
  10. Procession
NME
Staff consensus View full list
  1. Sound of Metal
  2. Dune
  3. Palm Springs
  4. Minari
  5. Nomadland
  6. Summer of Soul
  7. Shiva Baby
  8. The Sparks Brothers
  9. No Time to Die
  10. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
People
Tom Gliatto View full list
  1. West Side Story
  2. King Richard
  3. Licorice Pizza
  4. The Power of the Dog
  5. Passing
  6. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  7. CODA
  8. Nightmare Alley
  9. Belfast
  10. Summer of Soul
The Playlist
Staff consensus View full list
  1. Licorice Pizza
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. The Green Knight
  4. Titane
  5. Dune
  6. The French Dispatch
  7. Pig
  8. Spencer
  9. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  10. The Card Counter
The Ringer
Sean Fennessey View full list
  1. Licorice Pizza
  2. The Worst Person in the World
  3. Dune
  4. Can't Get You Out of My Head
  5. The Card Counter
  6. The Beatles: Get Back
  7. The Velvet Underground
  8. Bergman Island
  9. Red Rocket
  10. Drive My Car
  11. C'mon C'mon
  12. The Lost Daughter
Adam Nayman View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  3. Licorice Pizza
  4. Azor
  5. Benedetta
  6. The Inheritance
  7. Annette
  8. Old
  9. Wife of a Spy
  10. The Power of the Dog
  11. Saint Maud
RogerEbert.com
Simon Abrams View full list
  1. Just Don't Think I'll Scream
  2. State Funeral
  3. Wojnarowicz: F--- You F-ggot F---er
  4. The Disciple
  5. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  6. Days
  7. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  8. The French Dispatch
  9. Film About a Father Who
  10. A Shape of Things to Come
Carlos Aguilar View full list
  1. Identifying Features
  2. The Souvenir Part II
  3. Flee
  4. Drive My Car
  5. Petite Maman
  6. The Worst Person in the World
  7. A Hero
  8. Parallel Mothers
  9. Limbo
  10. Luca
Nick Allen View full list
  1. All Light, Everywhere
  2. The Disciple
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. In the Same Breath
  5. Titane
  6. Bad Trip
  7. Summer of Soul
  8. C'mon C'mon
  9. The Sparks Brothers
  10. Test Pattern
Monica Castillo View full list
  1. The Worst Person in the World
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. The Souvenir Part II
  4. Licorice Pizza
  5. Drive My Car
  6. C'mon C'mon
  7. Identifying Features
  8. Procession
  9. The Inheritance
  10. Shiva Baby
Godfrey Cheshire View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. Chess of the Wind
  3. The Father
  4. The Worst Person in the World
  5. The Tragedy of Macbeth
  6. Licorice Pizza
  7. Gunda
  8. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  9. Hope
  10. The Rescue
Seongyong Cho View full list
  1. The Disciple
  2. The Green Knight
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. Drive My Car
  5. Pig
  6. Petite Maman
  7. Limbo
  8. Quo Vadis, Aida?
  9. Riders of Justice
  10. Nine Days
Robert Daniels View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  3. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
  4. Parallel Mothers
  5. Titane
  6. Spencer
  7. The Gaze
  8. Petite Maman
  9. Drive My Car
  10. Pig
Mark Dujsik View full list
  1. Nine Days
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. Summer of Soul
  4. Procession
  5. Judas and the Black Messiah
  6. Quo Vadis, Aida?
  7. The Green Knight
  8. Identifying Features
  9. In the Heights
  10. Silent Night
Matt Fagerholm View full list
  • Clara Sola
  • CODA
  • Drive My Car
  • In & Of Itself
  • In the Same Breath
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Mass
  • North by Current
  • Quo Vadis, Aida?
  • Shiva Baby
Isaac Feldberg View full list
  1. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  2. Annette
  3. The Green Knight
  4. Drive My Car
  5. Test Pattern
  6. The Worst Person in the World
  7. Passing
  8. The Power of the Dog
  9. Zola
  10. The French Dispatch
Marya E. Gates View full list
  1. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. Shiva Baby
  4. Parallel Mothers
  5. Passing
  6. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  7. Spencer
  8. True Mothers
  9. Titane
  10. Pig
Jason Gorber View full list
  1. Summer of Soul
  2. Mass
  3. Benedetta
  4. The French Dispatch
  5. Dune
  6. The Last Duel
  7. Red Rocket
  8. West Side Story
  9. Luzzu
  10. Passing
Roxana Hadadi View full list
  1. The Green Knight
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. A Hero
  4. Parallel Mothers
  5. Petite Maman
  6. The Lost Daughter
  7. Bergman Island
  8. 7 Prisoners
  9. Sun Children
  10. The Last Duel
Odie Henderson View full list
  1. Summer of Soul
  2. Summertime
  3. In the Heights
  4. The Harder They Fall
  5. Procession
  6. Passing
  7. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  8. Flee
  9. Parallel Mothers
  10. MLK/FBI
Ben Kenigsberg View full list
  1. Memoria
  2. Drive My Car
  3. Malmkrog
  4. Red Rocket
  5. Annette
  6. Licorice Pizza
  7. The Power of the Dog
  8. Pig
  9. Lost Course
  10. West Side Story
Glenn Kenny View full list
  • Days
  • Drive My Car
  • Fire Music
  • France
  • Memoria
  • The Salt of Tears
  • State Funeral
  • This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  • Undine
  • The Village Detective
Jonah Koslofsky View full list
  1. Licorice Pizza
  2. The Worst Person in the World
  3. Red Rocket
  4. The Souvenir Part II
  5. Judas and the Black Messiah
  6. The Last Duel
  7. The Green Knight
  8. Dune
  9. Bad Trip
  10. The Suicide Squad
Tomris Laffly View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. The Lost Daughter
  4. Summer of Soul
  5. Judas and the Black Messiah
  6. Licorice Pizza
  7. Stray
  8. Bergman Island
  9. Red Rocket
  10. Nightmare Alley
Christy Lemire View full list
  1. Licorice Pizza
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. The Green Knight
  4. Spencer
  5. Summer of Soul
  6. Titane
  7. Bo Burnham: Inside
  8. Pig
  9. Riders of Justice
  10. Saint Maud
;
Mary Beth McAndrews View full list
  1. Violation
  2. The Wanting Mare
  3. Titane
  4. Pig
  5. The Medium
  6. The Feast
  7. We're All Going to the World's Fair
  8. Sator
  9. Shiva Baby
  10. Censor
Sergio Mims View full list
  1. West Side Story
  2. Nightmare Alley
  3. Red Rocket
  4. No Time to Die
  5. The Harder They Fall
  6. Licorice Pizza
  7. Benedetta
  8. Attica
  9. The Card Counter
  10. King Richard
Nell Minow View full list
  • Belfast
  • The Card Counter
  • Cyrano
  • C'mon C'mon
  • Don't Look Up
  • Nine Days
  • The Outside Story
  • Passing
  • Summer of Soul
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
Jana Monji View full list
  1. Belfast
  2. Drive My Car
  3. Flee
  4. Free Guy
  5. I'm Your Man
  6. In the Same Breath
  7. The First Wave
  8. Lily Topples the World
  9. The Power of the Dog
  10. tick, tick...BOOM!
  11. Writing With Fire
Sheila O'Malley View full list
  • Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  • The Card Counter
  • Drive My Car
  • Licorice Pizza
  • The Lost Daughter
  • Parallel Mothers
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Procession
  • The Souvenir Part II
  • The Velvet Underground
Abby Olcese View full list
  1. West Side Story
  2. Petite Maman
  3. The Tragedy of Macbeth
  4. The Power of the Dog
  5. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  6. F9: The Fast Saga
  7. Pig
  8. The Worst Person in the World
  9. Procession
  10. Candyman
Michal Oleszczyk View full list
  1. Saint Maud
  2. The Dig
  3. King Richard
  4. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  5. Nomadland
  6. The Power of the Dog
  7. The White Lotus
  8. Passing
  9. Titane
  10. One Night in Miami
Matt Zoller Seitz View full list
  1. The Velvet Underground
  2. Summer of Soul
  3. Procession
  4. Drive My Car
  5. The French Dispatch
  6. The Power of the Dog
  7. Titane
  8. The Harder They Fall
  9. The Last Duel
  10. Holler
Peter Sobczynski View full list
  1. Annette
  2. Licorice Pizza
  3. Petite Maman
  4. The Souvenir Part II
  5. The Scary of Sixty-First
  6. The Card Counter
  7. Pig
  8. Titane
  9. Drive My Car
  10. Shiva Baby
Collin Souter View full list
  1. The Green Knight
  2. Petite Maman
  3. Belle
  4. West Side Story
  5. Licorice Pizza
  6. Drive My Car
  7. The Harder They Fall
  8. The Lost Daughter
  9. The Worst Person in the World
  10. Red Rocket
Scout Tafoya View full list
  1. The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)
  2. Old
  3. Procession
  4. Zeros and Ones
  5. The Village Detective
  6. The World to Come
  7. Oxygen
  8. El Planeta
  9. All Light, Everywhere
  10. A Crime on the Bayou
Brian Tallerico View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. A Hero
  3. Memoria
  4. Licorice Pizza
  5. Flee
  6. The Green Knight
  7. Petite Maman
  8. The Wor
  9. The Lost Daughter
  10. Pig
Kyle Turner View full list
  1. The Woman in the Window
  2. The Voyeurs
  3. Zola
  4. This American Wife
  5. Memoria
  6. The Power of the Dog
  7. Listening to Kenny G
  8. Days
  9. House of Gucci
  10. Cryptozoo
Susan Wloszczyna View full list
  1. Licorice Pizza
  2. tick, tick...BOOM!
  3. West Side Story
  4. CODA
  5. The Power of the Dog
  6. The Sparks Brothers
  7. Mass
  8. Summer of Soul
  9. The Humans
  10. Passing
Rolling Stone
David Fear View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. The Human Voice
  3. Beginning
  4. The Viewing Booth
  5. The Souvenir Part II
  6. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  7. Shiva Baby
  8. The Velvet Underground
  9. Quo Vadis, Aida?
  10. Licorice Pizza
RTE (Ireland)
Aedín Gormley View full list
  1. West Side Story
  2. Another Round
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. King Richard
  5. Supernova
  6. Promising Young Woman
  7. A Quiet Place Part II
  8. No Time to Die
  9. The Father
  10. Arracht
ScreenCrush
Matt Singer View full list
  1. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
  2. Dune
  3. Pig
  4. The Worst Person in the World
  5. The Last Duel
  6. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
  7. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  8. Bad Trip
  9. West Side Story
  10. The Power of the Dog
The Skinny
Staff consensus View full list
  1. Petite Maman
  2. Limbo
  3. First Cow
  4. Titane
  5. The Green Knight
  6. Drive My Car
  7. Minari
  8. Summer of Soul
  9. The French Dispatch
  10. Shiva Baby
Slant
Chris Barsanti View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. The Velvet Underground
  3. Ema
  4. Red Rocket
  5. Ascension
  6. The Green Knight
  7. Flee
  8. Zola
  9. Final Account
  10. Quo Vadis, Aida?
Chuck Bowen View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. Parallel Mothers
  3. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  4. Licorice Pizza
  5. All Light, Everywhere
  6. Zola
  7. In the Same Breath
  8. The Power of the Dog
  9. Procession
  10. Come True
Pat Brown View full list
  1. Memoria
  2. Drive My Car
  3. The Worst Person in the World
  4. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  5. Red Rocket
  6. The Souvenir Part II
  7. Parallel Mothers
  8. Bergman Island
  9. Petite Maman
  10. All Light, Everywhere
Jake Cole View full list
  1. Days
  2. Labyrinth of Cinema
  3. Memoria
  4. Drive My Car
  5. The Worst Person in the World
  6. The Power of the Dog
  7. Siberia
  8. The Woman Who Ran
  9. Petite Maman
  10. Licorice Pizza
Ed Gonzalez View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. All Light, Everywhere
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. Licorice Pizza
  5. Two Lottery Tickets
  6. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  7. Identifying Features
  8. In the Same Breath
  9. Bergman Island
  10. Parallel Mothers
Christopher Gray View full list
  1. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  2. Memoria
  3. Procession
  4. The Power of the Dog
  5. The Worst Person in the World
  6. Days
  7. Undine
  8. Just Don't Think I'll Scream
  9. El Planeta
  10. Azor
Wes Greene View full list
  1. Petite Maman
  2. The Power of the Dog
  3. Shiva Baby
  4. Bergman Island
  5. The Worst Person in the World
  6. The Velvet Underground
  7. Red Rocket
  8. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  9. There Is No Evil
  10. All Light, Everywhere
Mark Hanson View full list
  1. Memoria
  2. Red Rocket
  3. The Worst Person in the World
  4. The Scary of Sixty-First
  5. The Fever
  6. All Light, Everywhere
  7. What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?
  8. The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)
  9. The Card Counter
  10. Heard She Got Married
Carson Lund View full list
  1. The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)
  2. Memoria
  3. Licorice Pizza
  4. Drive My Car
  5. About Endlessness
  6. All Light, Everywhere
  7. Her Socialist Smile
  8. The Souvenir Part II
  9. Two Lottery Tickets
  10. The Card Counter
William Repass View full list
  1. Never Gonna Snow Again
  2. Titane
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. I'm Your Man
  5. The Green Knight
  6. Bad Tales
  7. Lost Course
  8. Judas and the Black Messiah
  9. Come True
  10. Memory House
Steven Scaife View full list
  1. Titane
  2. Identifying Features
  3. Pig
  4. Drive My Car
  5. Agnes
  6. Zola
  7. Test Pattern
  8. Red Rocket
  9. The Power of the Dog
  10. Bad Trip
Diego Semerene View full list
  1. The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)
  2. State Funeral
  3. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  4. There Is No Evil
  5. Drive My Car
  6. Just Don't Think I'll Scream
  7. Faya Dayi
  8. About Endlessness
  9. Flee
  10. Benedetta
Derek Smith View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  2. The Disciple
  3. Licorice Pizza
  4. What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?
  5. All Light, Everywhere
  6. The Power of the Dog
  7. Parallel Mothers
  8. I'm Your Man
  9. A Shape of Things to Come
  10. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
Keith Watson View full list
  1. Memoria
  2. What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. The French Dispatch
  5. Just Don't Think I'll Scream
  6. Benedetta
  7. The Souvenir Part II
  8. Licorice Pizza
  9. The Two Sights
  10. El Planeta
Stuff [New Zealand]
James Croot View full list
  • Another Round
  • Becoming Cousteau
  • CODA
  • Don't Look Up
  • The Father
  • I Care a Lot
  • Passing
  • Promising Young Woman
  • Shadow in the Cloud
  • Summer of Soul
Time
Stephanie Zacharek View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. The Worst Person in the World
  3. Summer of Soul
  4. The Souvenir Part II
  5. Parallel Mothers
  6. Passing
  7. The Disciple
  8. C'mon C'mon
  9. The Tragedy of Macbeth
  10. Drive My Car
The Times [UK]
Kevin Maher and Ed Potton View full list
  • The Father
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Green Knight
  • Mothering Sunday
  • No Time to Die
  • Nomadland
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Raya and the Last Dragon
  • The Rescue
  • tick, tick...BOOM!
Top 10 Films [UK]
Rory Fish View full list
  1. The Father
  2. C'mon C'mon
  3. CODA
  4. Pig
  5. The Worst Person in the World
  6. Judas and the Black Messiah
  7. The French Dispatch
  8. Shiva Baby
  9. Last Night in Soho
  10. I Care a Lot
Total Film
Staff consensus View full list
  1. Dune
  2. The Green Knight
  3. Nomadland
  4. Sound of Metal
  5. Promising Young Woman
  6. The Father
  7. The Nest
  8. Minari
  9. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
  10. Bo Burnham: Inside
Us Weekly
Mara Reinstein View full list
  1. CODA
  2. West Side Story
  3. King Richard
  4. Belfast
  5. House of Gucci
  6. Don't Look Up
  7. The Last Duel
  8. Last Night in Soho
  9. Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry
  10. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Vanity Fair
Richard Lawson View full list
  1. The Worst Person in the World
  2. Drive My Car
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. C'mon C'mon
  5. Flee
  6. The Souvenir Part II
  7. The Humans
  8. Mass
  9. The Green Knight
  10. Bergman Island
Variety
Peter Debruge View full list
  1. Jockey
  2. The French Dispatch
  3. Dune
  4. The Lost Daughter
  5. Nightmare Alley
  6. The Worst Person in the World
  7. Cyrano
  8. Judas and the Black Messiah
  9. Licorice Pizza
  10. The Killing of Two Lovers
Owen Gleiberman View full list
  1. Spencer
  2. House of Gucci
  3. The Beatles: Get Back
  4. Drive My Car
  5. Cruella
  6. Zola
  7. King Richard
  8. Zack Snyder's Justice League
  9. CODA
  10. Parallel Mothers
Vox
Alissa Wilkinson View full list
  1. Bergman Island
  2. The Worst Person in the World
  3. The Lost Daughter
  4. Procession
  5. The Power of the Dog
  6. The Viewing Booth
  7. The Souvenir Part II
  8. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  9. Licorice Pizza
  10. West Side Story
Vulture
Angelica Jade Bastién View full list
  1. Faya Dayi
  2. The Worst Person in the World
  3. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
  4. The Gaze
  5. Drive My Car
  6. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  7. The Lost Daughter
  8. C'mon C'mon
  9. Bergman Island
  10. Petite Maman
Bilge Ebiri View full list
  1. Annette
  2. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  3. The Power of the Dog
  4. Drive My Car
  5. Flee
  6. Pig
  7. Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters
  8. Holler
  9. The Worst Person in the World
  10. In the Heights
Alison Willmore View full list
  1. The Lost Daughter
  2. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  3. The Worst Person in the World
  4. West Side Story
  5. Petite Maman
  6. Drive My Car
  7. Pig
  8. Dune
  9. The Disciple
  10. Bad Trip
The Wall Street Journal
Joe Morgenstern View full list
  1. Drive My Car
  • all others in alphabetical order:
  • Belfast
  • Bergman Island
  • C'mon C'mon
  • The Dig
  • King Richard
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Riders of Justice
  • Roadrunner
  • The Souvenir Part II
  • Summer of Soul
The Washington Post
Ann Hornaday View full list
  • Candyman
  • CODA
  • Cyrano
  • I Carry You With Me
  • Mass
  • Parallel Mothers
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Summer of Soul
  • The Water Man
  • Zola
WBUR
Sean Burns View full list
  • Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  • Benedetta
  • Licorice Pizza
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Siberia
  • This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • Wojnarowicz: F--- You F-ggot F---er
  • The Worst Person in the World
Erin Trahan View full list
  • Drive My Car
  • Flee
  • Hive
  • The Lost Daughter
  • Missing in Brooks County
  • Quo Vadis, Aida?
  • Summer of Soul
  • Waikiki
Yahoo! Movies
Staff consensus View full list
  1. The Power of the Dog
  2. Sound of Metal
  3. Dune
  4. The Father
  5. No Time to Die
  6. Minari
  7. Promising Young Woman
  8. Another Round
  9. Nomadland
  10. The Lost Daughter

 

Want more of 2021's best?

View our updated 2021 Film Awards Scorecard for the latest awards and nominations from 65 different film critic groups and industry organizations.

We are also tracking best of 2021 critic top 10 lists in TV and music.

And don't forget to submit your picks for the best movies (and TV shows, albums, and games) of 2021 in our Best of 2021 User Poll.

 

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What Our Users Are Talking About

  1. /feature/vote-for-the-best-of-2021 Image
    Metacritic User Poll: Vote for the Best of 2021!
    December 10, 2021 - 1 comment
    1. ticks : BEST MUSIC OF 2021 01.22 - Rhye «Home» 01.29 - Steven Wilson «The Future Bites» 02.05 - Cult Of Luna «The Raging... Read »
  2. /feature/music-critics-pick-top-10-best-albums-of-2021 Image
    Best of 2021: Music Critic Top Ten Lists
    December 1, 2021 - 19 comments
    1. markjamie20 : Reuben, I would argue that those who predominantly listen to mainstream music are those that are "trapped" in a... Read »
    2. Reuben-Aust : I recommend music critics and website users should read the following New York Times opinion article by Jane Coaston,... Read »
    3. entitet : Honestly, putting grades on albums/artist and making these lists kinda says nothing. Music isn't like movies. A good... Read »
    4. artbarbarian : Always a fun read. Surprised to see LS coming out on top, though I'm not sure what I really expected #1 to be. I... Read »
    5. ticks : Like wine, great music is done with skill and fine music is done with art. Timeless sound improves with age. Best of... Read »
    6. dmuzik : Yeah, to be fair I'm not sure I understand the argument that the user score doesn't reflect the critics' list. It's... Read »
    7. markjamie20 : Reuben-Aust: User reviews are MUCH more closely aligned to the Metacritic list than yours. And Metacritic is just... Read »
    8. Reuben-Aust : Thanks markjamie20 for your reply, as a fellow Australian. I grew up in Victoria, though now live in the Northern... Read »
    9. markjamie20 : Reuben-Aust, I am also Australian - from Melbourne. Professional music critics tend to listen to WAY more music... Read »