Best Movies of 2021

1: Spider-Man: No Way Home

37 points | 4 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"This is the best live-action Spider-Man to date. At this point, I'm having to ask myself if this is the best MCU film." –Evie Totty (#1 pick)

"I did expect an amazing ode to fans, but what I didn't expect was the absolute heartfelt emotional ride along with it. I left the theater feeling emotionally exhausted, but so very energized." –Matthew Preston (#1 pick)

"I loved it. This was a feast of action, jokes, emotion, and nostalgia." –Scott Hardie (#1 pick)

"Best so far. Really diving into this multiverse thing full-force, aren't we?" –Erik Bates

2: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

27 points | 4 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"I cared about the characters, the story included a lot about family and Awkwafina is now in the MCU. What is there not to love?" –Evie Totty

"Gorgeous production design. I could watch just a 2-hour B-roll of the sets, costumes, and art." –Scott Hardie

"I had to let go of the countless positive reviews and word of mouth I was hearing about this film before seeing it. It set the expectation bar very high." –Matthew Preston

3: In the Heights

19 points | 2 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"I figured if it was Lin-Manuel Miranda that it was bound to be good. And I was right." –Erik Bates (#1 pick)

"I enjoyed the songs here, and even more, the visuals. CGI brings some of the visual concepts to life with magical realism and little flourishes." –Scott Hardie

4: tick, tick...BOOM!

15 points | 2 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"Amazing show, and a beautiful tribute to Jonathan Larson. Tremendous music." –Erik Bates

"I was sobbing by the end. I absolutely loved it. The songs propelled the story instead of stopping it to sing them." –Evie Totty

4: Free Guy

15 points | 2 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"Ryan Reynolds does play himself again, but it works, on so many levels. And holy hell, the performance from Taika Waititi is one of the best I've seen from films this year." –Matthew Preston

"This movie was so fun to watch (and relate to as a gamer). I've been impatiently waiting for it to move to streaming so I can watch again." –Evie Totty

6: Black Widow

9 points | 4 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"The running jokes and David Harbour's comic relief go a long way, and I genuinely cared about the relationships between the main characters and was stirred to hate their awful common enemy." –Scott Hardie

"I enjoyed it. I'm a fan of Florence Pugh, and her role in this, I feel, outshone Scarlett Johansson." –Erik Bates

7: Dune: Part One

9 points | 3 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"I was good with the look/cinematography of the movie. Maybe because it was different. Or maybe because it was made to be like a dream." –Matthew Preston

"I loved many of the film's choices, from the visceral intensity of the knife duel, to the gradual evolution of Timothée Chalamet's performance, to the vastness of the worms and vehicles and palaces." –Scott Hardie

8: Don't Look Up

9 points | 2 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"I very much enjoyed this movie and hope it reaches the same kind of cult status as Idiocracy." –Evie Totty

"A clear and apt social commentary. Fantastic cast, and sadly hilarious." –Erik Bates

9: The Many Saints of Newark

9 points | 1 vote | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"This story does a great job at giving Soprano's fans something new to enjoy, while still creating its own universe." –Matthew Preston

10: Nomadland

8 points | 1 vote | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"Breathtaking shots of the American southwest. It's a well-made thing of beauty and a pleasure simply to take in." –Scott Hardie

10: A Quiet Place Part II

8 points | 1 vote | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"This movie has so many layers to it. I know it's billed as horror, but it's really a thriller with monsters - some of them human." –Evie Totty

10: Encanto

8 points | 1 vote | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"Encanto is a charming tale with, as expected, some great music, and a bit of a tear-jerker ending." –Erik Bates

Honorable Mention: Coming 2 America

4 points | 2 votes | read reviews | read about it on IMDb

"It felt like the cast genuinely enjoyed making this film, which comes through in boosting their performances." –Matthew Preston