If 2021 felt a little, well, off at the movies, there's a good reason why.
Aside from Hollywood doing its best to recover from the disastrous effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, blowing the dust off all the 2020 blockbusters that never got the chance to bust any blocks, this was also the first year since 1997 where Adam Sandler didn't appear in any movies. That vacancy you felt tugging at you all year? That was the Sandman, nowhere to be seen.
In all seriousness, 2021 was a recovery year for the movies, as theaters struggled to get back on their feet and Hollywood looked to get back to business as usual.
That didn't quite happen, at least not this year, and the box office may never return to its pre-pandemic heights.
But there were still lots of great movies, spread out across a number of platforms, which is the lesson going forward: the movies are no longer just at the movies, they're on Netflix and Apple TV+, Disney+ and HBO Max. There's no dividing line anymore: The movies are wherever you watch movies.
And those movies continue to inspire, enthrall and wow us, regardless of the delivery system. Here's a look at the 21 best movies of 2021, with a few extra thrown in for good measure, along with a handful of the year's worst movies as well. Because life in a pandemic is nothing if not a mixture of highs and lows.
The best movies of 2021
21. "Psycho Goreman" — A loving homage to VHS-era late night cheese, writer-director Steven Kostanski's gut-busting horror-comedy is about an intergalactic warrior of death, sent to Earth to destroy mankind, who must follow the word of a preteen suburban girl. It plays like it was made in 1986 and has been sitting on a shelf ever since, waiting to be discovered, which is precisely its intent. (Available for rental)
20. "Antlers" — The human horror of director/ co-writer Scott Cooper's supernatural thriller takes precedence over monster theatrics, and its gloomy Oregon setting provides plenty of nightmare fuel. Keri Russell plays a schoolteacher concerned about one of her students, and she ends up unlocking a mystery that is almost as disturbing as the pain that every character in the film is trying to escape. Grim, great stuff. (On DVD Jan. 4)
19. "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" — An ordinary Michigan family goes on a road trip and winds up waging war against a robot army in the year's best animated movie, a bright, smart, hip take on family dynamics in the age of smartphones. (On Netflix)
18. "Cruella" — Can Disney be punk rock? This comes awfully close, with Emma Stone taking on the role of "101 Dalmatians" villainess Cruella de Vil and director Craig Gillespie weaving a rock and roll tapestry that features an audacious sequence centered around a a performance of the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog." It's a fresh take on a classic character that gets things right, and has attitude and bite to spare. (On Disney+)
17. "In the Heights" — Lin-Manuel Miranda, who will also appear later in this list, sees his pre-"Hamilton" musical come alive in this bright, vivid, lively adaptation from "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon M. Chu. He highlights the hustle and bustle, the pride and the culture of Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood and makes the entire film feel like a boiling hot summer day on the block. This is a movie that sweats. (On HBO Max)
16. "The Green Knight" — An epic quest, with Dev Patel as a low-level member of King Arthur's court who embarks on a journey to fulfill his destiny. David Lowery's adaptation of the 14th century poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" plays as a spiritual cousin to classic adventure tales "The Princess Bride" and "The NeverEnding Story," and features a striking performance from Alicia Vikander. (Available for rental)
15. "17 Blocks" — Ann Arbor filmmaker Davy Rothbart spent 20 years filming the Sanford family in Washington, D.C., and his camera became a part of their family. Here he tells the story of their struggle with drugs, violence and the realities of inner-city life, with his camera becoming an unblinking eye to their highs and lows. It's just one story of many, but the project's intimacy makes it a knockout. (On Paramount+)
14. "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" — Two Midwestern friends head to Florida for a wild weekend in this deliciously fun comedy, written by and starring "Bridesmaids'" Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo. Their weirdo ode to friendship, sun-kissed vacation spots and culottes has the off-the-wall energy of a 12:50 "SNL" sketch, so it makes sense when Morgan Freeman shows up voicing a crab. Because why not? (On Hulu)
13. "Red Rocket" — Ladies and gentlemen, Simon Rex. The washed up ex-MTV personality is perfect, almost too perfect, as a former porn star who returns home to Texas City, Texas, to try to put his life back together in writer-director Sean Baker's ("The Florida Project") vivid, fearless comedy. Baker has a feel for down-and-out characters, and he finds humor and heart in this tale of a loser trying to win. (In theaters Christmas)
12. "Some Kind of Heaven" — Florida's the Villages — the world's largest senior community, home to some 130,000 retirees — is heaven on Earth, or at least that's what the pamphlets would have you believe. Lance Oppenheim's sharp look at old age and retirement through the lens of the idyllic destination spot reiterates the old "Magnolia" adage: You may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with you. (On Hulu)
11. "Spencer" — Kristen Stewart delivers a career-best performance as Princess Di, playing the people's Princess as a caged bird desperately looking for an escape from the constraints of the Royal Family in director Pablo Larrain's surrealistic nightmare. This fantasy envisions Christmas 1991 as a breaking point for her, and Stewart's empathetic, dazzling portrayal brings Diana fully back to life. (Available for rental)
10. "Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" — He was the most interesting man alive until he took his own life. How does that happen? Director Morgan Neville seeks to answer that still-nagging question in this cathartic documentary, which looks at the life of chef-turned-wanderer Anthony Bourdain through those who knew him best. Bourdain's death still stings, this made it sting a little less. (Available for rental)
9. "No Sudden Move" — Detroit looks gritty and gorgeous in this '50s-set heist flick from crackerjack director Steven Soderbergh, using lenses so wide you can practically see both the city's east and west sides in his frames. An average thief (Don Cheadle) falls upward into a conspiracy involving the Big 3 in a story that touches on Detroit's racial divide and the removal of Black neighborhoods. A quiet stunner. (On HBO Max)
8. "Don't Look Up" — It's the end of the world as we know it, and everyone feels fine. A comet is hurtling toward Earth and is six months away from ending all life on the planet, and we can barely look up from our phones to take notice. Writer-director Adam McKay's apocalypse comedy is an indictment on the stupidity of our culture and a hilarious one at that, with the laughs making the truth bombs go down a little easier. (In theaters Friday)
7. "The Many Saints of Newark" — There's an argument that this "Sopranos" prequel should have been a series, not a two-hour movie. OK, fine. But that speaks to the richness of both the original series and what is laid out here, the origin of Tony Soprano (played by Michael Gandolfini) and his relationship to the New Jersey streets and his family-slash-rivals, the Moltisantis. Either way, it's a welcome feast. (On HBO Max)
6. "The French Dispatch" — Wes Anderson, who never met a frame of film he couldn't twist into his own living diorama, is at his whimsical best in this wildly creative ode to journalism and the journalistic voices he admires. In an across-the-board excellent cast, Jeffery Wright stands out as a James Baldwin-type writer with a "typographic memory" who can recall every word he ever wrote. He's a marvel, the movie is, too. (In theaters, on DVD Dec. 28)
5. "Belfast" — Kenneth Branagh looks back at his youth in this portrait of his hometown and the violence that disrupted his boyhood years. This isn't a hard-nosed study of the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants that left Northern Ireland in tumult for decades, but rather an affectionate account of childhood and family, and the difficulties of leaving behind everything you know. Personal, warm and deeply poetic. (In theaters)
4. "King Richard" — Did people misunderstand the title? Or is it too early to tell the Williams sisters' story? Either way, the box office whiff of this would-be smash, even beyond pandemic limitations, is one of 2021's biggest mysteries. Hopefully audiences eventually find this inspirational tale of family, hard work and success, anchored by a phenomenal Will Smith and a strong supporting cast. (In theaters and on HBO Max)
3. "Tick, Tick... Boom!" — Lin-Manuel Miranda brings Jonathan Larson's pre-"Rent" musical to life in this stirring tribute to creativity and the aching desire to make some noise in the world. Andrew Garfield plays Larson, experiencing a midlife crisis at 30, agonizing over not already hitting the big time. He didn't know what lied ahead, and "Tick, Tick... Boom!" captures the essence of creative frustration. (On Netflix)
2. "C'mon C'mon" — Joaquin Phoenix has never been more relatable than he is in this quiet little drama about human connection and finding one's place in the world. He plays a radio journalist who takes care of his nephew (Woody Norman, outstanding) for a few weeks, and they both learn a lot about love, patience, understanding and the world around them. An absolute gem from writer-director Mike Mills. (In theaters)
1. "CODA" — After a year where there were no hugs, "CODA" delivered a huge hug of a movie, a heartwarming story of a deaf family and their hearing daughter (Emilia Jones in a breakout performance) who dreams of pursuing a life in music. "CODA" is recognizable in its beats but delivers them with warmth and heart, and it works the way a great song does: You've heard the notes before, but not in this order. (On Apple TV+)
Nine more with feeling ...
You don't have to know anything about "The Sparks Brothers" to enjoy Edgar Wright's celebratory documentary about the duo; David Oyelowo's "The Water Man" is a children's adventure that respects the adventure of childhood; the twists and turns just keep coming in Pedro Almodovar's soulful, stirring "Parallel Mothers"; Alana Haim is a joy to watch in Paul Thomas Anderson's giddy, punch drunk love story "Licorice Pizza"; Bob Odenkirk somehow pulled off an action hero makeover as a suburban John Wick in "Nobody"; "Slalom" is a provocative look at sexual abuse in sports, centered on the world of competitive skiing; one of the weirdest movies you'll see in this or any other year, "Lamb" is tough to shake; "Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry" is an insightful look at the teenage pop sensation; and a particularly hectic week on the set of "I Love Lucy" sets the scene for Aaron Sorkin's sharp, funny "Being the Ricardos."
... and the worst
5. "Spiral" — Chris Rock, one of the world's greatest comedic talents, is in way over his head in this lowly "Saw" spinoff, which he treats like he's in "The Godfather" in one of the year's most labored performances. Jigsaw, put this guy out of his misery.
4. "Dear Evan Hansen" — A manipulative, creepy, gross musical about an overgrown teenage stalker (Ben Platt) who lies his way into his crush's heart by pretending he was friends with her dead brother, "Dear Evan Hansen" is the feel-bad movie of the year.
3. "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" — A loud, clanging mishmash of cheap looking special effects and idiotic fight scenes, the sequel to 2018's "Venom" marked the nadir of our superhero movie culture. Naturally, it was one of the year's biggest hits.
2. "Space Jam: A New Legacy" — The sequel (spinoff? reimagining? who cares) to "Space Jam" played like a corporate clearing house, featuring just about every character in the Warner Brothers library for no reason other than to do it. Numbingly dumb.
1. "Bad Trip" — Provocateur Eric Andre will do anything for a laugh, but there's nothing insightful in this hidden camera comedy, which shows him doing dumb things just to capture people's reactions. Mostly they pull out their phones. Nothing to see here, folks.
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