The best movies and TV shows of 2021 (in our opinion)
A completely subjective appreciation
Hello!
On this week’s ~year-end special~ episode of Criticism Is Dead, we each present our top 5 picks for film and TV, respectively, from 2021. Plus, some honorable mentions!
(Obligatory disclosures: We haven’t watched everything, these are not really in any particular ranking, we have some overlapping picks, etc.)
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03:10 Movies!
The Lost Daughter (in theaters; Netflix on Dec. 31)
Pelin: “This completely blew me away. These are themes that speak to my soul.”
The Green Knight (VOD) (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “I still can’t get those images or the atmosphere of sheer wonder and perplexity at the mysteries of the world out of my head, even now.”
Dune (VOD, probably eventually HBO Max again) (previously discussed on CID here)
Pelin: “The height of cinema, dude. Just everything was firing on all cylinders.”
Jenny: “The performances, the story, the pacing, the direction and especially the cinematography … it cemented it in my mind was one of my favorites of the year.”
The Tragedy of Macbeth (in theaters on Dec. 25; Apple TV+ on Jan. 14)
Pelin: “If you are a Shakespeare fan, it’s such a delight … Every famous director should do their own Shakespeare adaptation as homework.”
Nomadland (Hulu) (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “A lot has been said about Nomadland, both good and bad … at the end of the day, I still think this is a good, well-made, ponderous, lonely, very bittersweet film.”
C’mon C’mon (in theaters)
Pelin: “I came away from it extremely teary-eyed … It’s a very heartwarming film.”
The White Tiger (Netflix) (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “A relentless thrill ride.”
A Hero (Prime Video Jan. 21)
Pelin: “It’s masterful … One of my favorite films of all time.”
The French Dispatch (in theaters; VOD) (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “It’s charming, it’s quaint, it has magazine/literary love weaved into the fabric of its being. It’s a nice little Wes Anderson pick.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Pelin:
Bo Burnham: Inside (previously discussed on CID here)
The Power of the Dog
Licorice Pizza
The Card Counter
No Sudden Move
The Souvenir Part II
Bergman Island
Jenny:
Bo Burnham: Inside
Dead Pigs (previously discussed on CID here)
16:39 TV!
The Underground Railroad (Prime Video) (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “An incredible feat of cinema and storytelling … I think this will go down as one of the all-time greats. It’s truly earth-shattering.”
Pelin: “The TV world should be honored by its existence.”
Succession season 3 (HBO Max) (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “One of the finest, most exciting season finales in recent TV history. I’ve never felt so giddy.”
Pelin: “This is my favorite TV show of the year … You know it’s good when you’re like, ‘I cannot wait to rewatch this and savor it in a different way.’”
The Other Two season 2 (HBO Max) (season 1 previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “A really slyly funny, sharp, perfect contemporary critique on everything that makes up the trappings of fame nowadays.”
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock) (previously discussed on CID here)
Pelin: “The humor is super dry and witty, it does not take itself too seriously, it is not corny … It’s very special to me, this one.”
The White Lotus (HBO Max) (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “A sun-drenched parable for our times.”
Station Eleven (HBO Max)
Pelin: “I just feel it in my bones that this is going to be one of my favorites of the year.”
Maid (Netflix) (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny: “There are some shows that you know you’re going to come back to time and time again, and some that you watch once and it’s enough on multiple levels: it’s enough because you don’t want to revisit it, but also it’s enough because it did literally everything and more that it promised to do. Maid, for me, falls into that latter category.”
Pelin: “A fantastic limited series … Huge shoutout to Margaret Qualley, this is a star-making performance.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Pelin:
Pen15 season 2 part 2
The Chair (previously discussed on CID here)
Reservation Dogs (previously discussed on CID here)
Only Murders in the Building (previously discussed on CID here)
Hacks (previously discussed on CID here)
It’s a Sin (previously discussed on CID here)
Scenes From a Marriage (previously discussed on CID here)
Mare of Easttown (previously discussed on CID here)
Squid Game (previously discussed on CID here)
Jenny:
Squid Game
Mare of Easttown
31:11 Bonus: Books!
We’ll have you know that we READ, too! Here is one recommendation each:
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Jenny: “This novel is what got me back into reading again.”
Second Place by Rachel Cusk
Pelin: “She is one of my favorite writers of all time … As long as Rachel Cusk releases a book, I’m going to say it’s my favorite one.”
P.S. If you are a library member and don’t mind reading on your phone/tablet/electronically, I highly recommend the Libby app. I’m reading a lot more because of it!
And that’s all for now. We’re OFF next week, so consider this our final dispatch from 2021. Thank you so much for sticking with us, and see you next year!!!
— Jenny
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Have inquiries, complaints, and/or recs for what to watch? We’re at criticismisdead@gmail.com.
Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu