C. Redmond’s Top Films of 2021

By Christopher Redmond

Mailed on December 31, 2021

Dear Readers,

Movies are back! TV is better than ever! You’re allowed to get excited.

Last year was a low point for entertainment (and society), but things bounced back with a vengeance in 2021 - omicron included, unfortunately. But it’s worth bookmarking this list if you’re looking to get out of the dumps. Most of these movies are already available to stream and rent, but so many of these films deserve the emotional boost they get on the big screen. I saw 46 movies in a theatre in 2021, every one of them probably earning an extra half star for the experience.

In terms of TV, it’s once again a gluttony of options from the major streamers (Netflix/Amazon Prime/Apple+/Disney+). But the highest batting average and bang-for-your-buck remains to be HBO/Crave. So keep that in mind when you’re allocating your entertainment dollars.

These lists are pulled from my seeing 235 films this year, and 58 full seasons of television (521 episodes). The Oscar eligibility window leaked into 2021 last year, so save for a few late releases, these are all fresh 2021 picks.

TOP 10 FILMS of 2021

  1. West Side Story
  2. Escape from Mogadishu
  3. Quo Vadis, Aida?
  4. Dune
  5. The Last Duel
  6. The Forgotten Battle
  7. Red Rocket
  8. Benedetta
  9. CODA
  10. Riders of Justice

Didn’t Disappoint
Licorice Pizza
Belfast
Judas and the Black Messiah

Better Than Necessary
Old
The Tomorrow War
Cruella

Overrated By Everyone Else
Titane
The Power of the Dog
C’mon C’mon

Inexplicably Underseen
In the Heights
Spencer
King Richard

Satisfying Sequels
Sing 2
The Souvenir Part II
The Matrix: Resurrections

Foreign But Not Forgotten
A Cop Movie
Azor
The White Tiger

Extra Special Indies
Zola
Pig
The Card Counter

Unapologetically Awesome
No Time to Die
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The Green Knight

Big Swing (and a Miss)
Don't Look Up
Last Night in Soho
House of Gucci

Best of the B-Movies
Unhinged
The Marksman
Boss Level

Top-Notch Animation
The Mitchells vs the Machines
Luca
Raya and the Last Dragon

Kick-Ass Canadian Films
Psycho Goreman
Shiva Baby
The Exchange

Funny Enough
Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
Bad Trip
Bill & Ted Face the Music

Docs to Watch Now
The Rescue
The First Wave
Jagged

Diamonds in the Rough Stuff
Saint Maude
The Rental
Till Death

A Year Late to the Party (but Wow!)
Promising Young Woman
Minari
Nomadland
Collective
The Father
The Empty Man
Another Round
Dick Johnson is Dead
The Tunnel
Bacurau

Wasted My Time Watching
Coming 2 America
Those Who Wish Me Dead
Space Jam: A New Legacy
The Little Things
Jolt
The Harder They Fall
Finch
Being the Ricardos
Beckett
The Woman in the Window
Halloween Kills

This Year I Finally Saw (and Loved)
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018)
The Wall (2017)
Enchanted (2007)
The Host (2006)
Memories of Murder (2003)
Without Limits (1998)
Drunken Master 2 (1994)
The Program (1994)
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
The Exorcist 3 (1990)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Hoosiers (1986)
Come and See (1985)
Vision Quest (1985)
Victory (1981)
Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972)
The Candidate (1972)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
The War of the Worlds (1953)

TOP 10 TV Shows of 2021

  1. Money Heist (Season 5) - Netflix
  2. Beartown - HBO/Crave
  3. Mare of Easttown - HBO/Crave
  4. Succession (Season 3) - HBO/Crave
  5. Squid Game - Netflix
  6. The Investigation - HBO/Crave
  7. Ted Lasso (Season 2) - Apple+
  8. For All Mankind_ (Season 2) Apple+
  9. Hacks - HBO/Crave
  10. How to with John Wilson (Season 2) - HBO/Crave

The Next 10 Best TV Shows of 2021

  1. Mythic Quest (Season 2) - Apple+
  2. White Lotus - HBO/Crave
  3. Narcos: Mexico (Season 3) - Netflix
  4. Reservation Dogs - Disney+
  5. Only Murders in the Building - Disney+
  6. The Underground Railroad - Amazon Prime
  7. Insecure (Season 5) - HBO/Crave
  8. Dopesick - Disney+
  9. Cobra Kai (Season 3) - Netflix
  10. It’s a Sin - Amazon Prime

Top 5 Doc Series

  1. 100 Foot Wave - HBO/Crave
  2. Watch the Sound - Apple+
  3. Voir - Netflix
  4. Heist - Netflix
  5. The Movies That Made Us (Season 2) - Netflix

Don't Regret, but Don’t Really Recommend
American Crime Story: Impeachment - FX Channel
Physical - Apple+
Sweet Tooth - Netflix
Mr. Corman - Apple+
Scenes from a Marriage - HBO/Crave

Finished but Forgettable
The Boys (Season 2) - Amazon Prime
Loki - Disney+
Falcon and the Winter Soldier> - Disney+
Modern Love (Season 2) - Amazon Prime
Made for Love - Amazon Prime

Why Can't I Quit You?
Billions (Season 7) - HBO/Crave
The Morning Show (Season 2) - Apple+
Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 11) - HBO/Crave

One-Episode-and-Done (I Did Quit You!)
The Serpent - Netflix
Heels - Disney+
The Shrink Next Door - Apple+
Stuck in the Middle with You (Struggling to Get Through)
What We Do in the Shadows (Season 3) - FX Channel
Y: The Last Man - FX Channel
Never Have I Ever (Season 2) - Netflix
Yellowstone - Amazon Prime

Too Early to Tell
Station Eleven - HBO/Crave
Landscaper - HBO/Crave

Good Husband Award for Also Watching
Nine Perfect Strangers - Amazon Prime

Best TV Series I Finally Watched
The Sopranos (Seasons 1-3) - HBO/Crave

Best TV Series I Discovered
The Bureau, aka le bureau des légendes (Seasons 1-5) - Sundance TV

Sincerely,

Christopher

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