The 50 Best Movies of 2021

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – January 5, 2022

Here is Metacritic's final list of the 50 best-reviewed movies of 2021, ranked by Metascore. This list only includes films receiving at least 7 reviews from professional critics.

All films released between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 in at least one U.S. theater or directly to streaming or VOD/digital services were eligible for inclusion. Short films and reissues are excluded, and so are any eight-hour Beatles movies that were screened as a TV miniseries. Titles are ranked by Metascore (a weighted average of scores from top professional critics) prior to rounding based on scores as of January 3, 2022.

Additional content by Keith Kimbell.

4 of 25 photo by Kino Lorber

87 Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters

(#20) This documentary from Rosalynde LeBlanc and Tom Hurwitz traces the development of an important artistic touchstone of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s: the ballet "D-Man in the Waters" by Bill T. Jones. In addition to the usual assortment of archival footage and interviews, Can You Bring It introduces the ballet to a new generation by following a group of college dancers in the present day as they learn and perform the piece.

“Death and grief may exist in the soul of 'D-Man in the Waters' but 'Can You Bring It' is full of vitality and energy, a testament to the power of art in the face of tragedy.” —Kimber Myers, Los Angeles Times

Where To Buy