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.
An unofficial companion to the popular 2017 documentary Kedi (which focused on Turkey's street cats), Stray follows a few members of the stray dog population in Istanbul—and the locals who interact with and near them. The result is an intriguing slice of everyday life that offers a different perspective on local culture than you would get from a more conventional, human-focused approach—or a vacation in Istanbul.
“There’s something strangely beautiful about short filmmaker Elizabeth Lo’s concise, allegorical debut feature documentary, which starts off as a fly-on-the-fur exploration of Istanbul’s stray dog epidemic and becomes a lament about the difficulties of finding somewhere to belong in an increasingly fractured, and fractious, world.” —Nikki Baughan, Screen Daily
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