Cinema News: Movies Update: The Best Movies of 2021

December 10, 2021

By Mekado Murphy

Movies Editor

Hey, movie fans!

It's been another roller-coaster year for the movies. It was one in which many film lovers returned to theaters, even as streaming options built more momentum. Our co-chief film critics, A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis, looked back on the year that was and shared their thoughts on its finest offerings (with Dargis arguing that the best film was any film playing in a theater.)

One movie that made Scott's list was "West Side Story," Steven Spielberg's take on the Broadway musical classic that last had a big-screen adaptation in 1961. While Scott writes that the film "can't be called flawless," he praises it as "a dazzling display of filmmaking craft that also feels raw, unsettled and alive."

Also out this week is Aaron Sorkin's biopic on Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, "Being the Ricardos," starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. In her review, Manohla Dargis calls the film "lively, chatty, somewhat odd and insistently depoliticized."

As end-of-the-year movie accolades continue to roll out and Academy Awards predictions begin to emerge, the Projectionist, Kyle Buchanan, writes about how to fix a broken Oscars ceremony.

For home viewing, Elisabeth Vincentelli recommends five new holiday movies to stream, and, if you're not in the mood for cheer, Erik Piepenburg has some horror picks.

Enjoy the movies!

From left: Kirsty Griffin/Netflix; Pablo Larrain/Neon; Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios

Best Movies of 2021

Even when a film wasn't great, filmgoing was. But there were some truly wonderful releases, ranging from music docs and musicals to westerns and the just plain weird.

By A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis

Ruven Afanador for The New York Times

The Great Performers Issue

The Best Actors of 2021

Our annual celebration of the performances that stayed with us — including Kristen Stewart, Will Smith, Ruth Negga and Benedict Cumberbatch.

By A.O. Scott

Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios

Critic's Pick

'West Side Story' Review: In Love and War, 1957 Might Be Tonight

Steven Spielberg rediscovers the breathing, troubling essence of a classic, building a bold and current screen musical with no pretense to perfection.

By A.O. Scott

Glen Wilson/ Amazon Original

'Being the Ricardos' Review: Kiss, Fight, Rinse, Repeat

Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Aaron Sorkin's drama about one very bad week.

By Manohla Dargis

Continue reading the main story

MOVIE REVIEWS

A24	'Red Rocket' Review: All My XXX's Live in Texas A porn star returns to his hometown in Sean Baker's latest slice of hard-luck Americana. By A.O. Scott

R. Arpajou/Kino Lorber

'France' Review: When the Journalist Becomes the Story

Léa Seydoux plays a star television anchor whose life comes unraveled in Bruno Dumont's new film.

By A.O. Scott

ArtMattan Films

'A Son (Un Fils)' Review: The Pain of Others

In this Tunisian drama, a terrorist attack sends a husband and wife into a spiraling crisis, opening a world of hurt and understanding.

By Manohla Dargis

Kimberley French/Netflix

'The Unforgivable' Review: Mirthless in Seattle

Sandra Bullock plays a woman on parole in this Netflix film adaptation of a British mini-series.

By Amy Nicholson

Netflix

'Back to the Outback' Review: Pest in Show

A group of reptile house critters escape from an Australian zoo in this endearing animated adventure.

By Natalia Winkelman

Morgan Cooper Productions

'Fatal Distraction' Review: Parents Go Through the Unthinkable

In the documentary by Susan Morgan Cooper, a father is on trial after his baby dies in the back seat of a hot car.

By Teo Bugbee

Amazon Studios

'Encounter' Review: The Scenic Route

A volatile veteran attempts to rescue his sons from a perceived alien threat in this confused cross between sci-fi thriller and family drama.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Showtime

'The Real Charlie Chaplin' Review: Not Enough Funny Business

The documentary attempts to restore a sense of mystery to Chaplin's life and work, but the filmmakers mostly run through a well-trodden timeline.

By Nicolas Rapold

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CRITICS' PICKS

Critic's Pick

'The Power of the Dog' Review: Wild Hearts on a Closed Frontier

In Jane Campion's staggering take on the western, her first movie in more than a decade, a cruel cowboy meets his surprising match.

By Manohla Dargis

Critic's Pick

'Drive My Car' Review: A Director Takes Your Heart for a Spin

In this quiet masterpiece, Ryusuke Hamaguchi considers grief, love, work and the soul-sustaining, life-shaping power of art.

By Manohla Dargis

NEWS & FEATURES

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The Projectionist

The Oscars Are Broken. Here's How to Fix Them.

The ratings flop that was the last ceremony provided useful lessons in what not to do. But there are steps the academy can take for an actually enjoyable evening.

By Kyle Buchanan