The 20 Best Movies of 2021 So Far
Which films have impressed critics the most during the first half of the year? Above, we rank the best-reviewed movies first released in North American theaters (or debuting directly on digital/VOD/streaming outlets) between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021. Films are ranked by Metascore and must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible.
Additional content by Keith Kimbell.
The well-reviewed debut film from director Rose Glass was perhaps the buzziest horror film of 2020, though the pandemic denied American moviegoers a chance to see it when its March 2020 theatrical release was abruptly canceled. But a belated January 2021 release simply makes it one of the best-reviewed films of 2021 instead. Morfydd Clark stars as a pious hospice nurse who becomes obsessed with saving the soul of her new patient, a cancer-stricken dancer played by Jennifer Ehle.
“With elements of psychological terror, spiritual warfare, and even a dash of repressed sexual urges, Saint Maud is the kind of complicated, slippery horror that fans will talk about for years to come. This is the horror film most A24 titles wish they could be.” —Matthew Monagle, The Austin Chronicle