The Best Films of 2021
by rolandpopp | created - 18 Jan 2021 | updated - 7 months ago | Publicaccording to release dates in Germany (if available)
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1. The Power of the Dog (2021)
R | 126 min | Drama, Western
Charismatic rancher Phil Burbank inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother brings home a new wife and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.
Director: Jane Campion | Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Votes: 193,677
2. Fabian: Going to the Dogs (2021)
Unrated | 176 min | Drama, Romance
1930s Berlin. Dr. Jakob Fabian, who works by day in advertising for a cigarette company and by night wanders the streets of the city, falls in love with an actress. As her career begins to blossom, prospects for his future begin to wane.
Director: Dominik Graf | Stars: Tom Schilling, Albrecht Schuch, Saskia Rosendahl, Michael Wittenborn
Votes: 2,281
3. Another Round (2020)
Not Rated | 117 min | Drama
Four high-school teachers consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives.
Director: Thomas Vinterberg | Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe
Votes: 194,742
4. Drive My Car (2021)
Unrated | 179 min | Drama
A renowned stage actor and director learns to cope with a big personal loss when he receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima.
Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | Stars: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tôko Miura, Reika Kirishima, Masaki Okada
Votes: 65,670
5. Great Freedom (2021)
Unrated | 116 min | Drama
In post-war Germany, liberation by the Allies does not mean freedom for everyone. Hans is repeatedly imprisoned under Paragraph 175, which criminalizes homosexuality. Over the decades, he develops an unlikely bond with his cellmate Viktor.
Director: Sebastian Meise | Stars: Franz Rogowski, Georg Friedrich, Anton von Lucke, Thomas Prenn
Votes: 7,328
6. Dune (2021)
PG-13 | 155 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac
Votes: 852,055 | Gross: $108.33M
7. First Cow (2019)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, Western
A skilled cook has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two collaborate on a successful business.
Director: Kelly Reichardt | Stars: Alia Shawkat, John Magaro, Dylan Smith, Ryan Findley
Votes: 21,942
8. Pig (I) (2021)
R | 92 min | Drama, Mystery
A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
Director: Michael Sarnoski | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin, Cassandra Violet
Votes: 89,413
9. The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
R | 121 min | Drama
A young man searches for home in the changing city that seems to have left him behind.
Director: Joe Talbot | Stars: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold
Votes: 21,952 | Gross: $4.52M
10. The Father (I) (2020)
PG-13 | 97 min | Drama, Mystery
A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.
Director: Florian Zeller | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Olivia Williams
Votes: 192,941
11. Promising Young Woman (2020)
R | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be - she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.
Director: Emerald Fennell | Stars: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown
Votes: 211,511
12. Nomadland (2020)
R | 107 min | Drama
A woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
Director: Chloé Zhao | Stars: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Gay DeForest
Votes: 183,270
13. Minari (2020)
PG-13 | 115 min | Drama
A Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.
Director: Lee Isaac Chung | Stars: Steven Yeun, Han Yeri, Alan Kim, Noel Cho
Votes: 96,846
14. House of Gucci (2021)
R | 158 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
When Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel their legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately...murder.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons
Votes: 159,750 | Gross: $53.81M
15. The French Dispatch (2021)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in "The French Dispatch Magazine".
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux
Votes: 150,455
16. Riders of Justice (2020)
Not Rated | 116 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Markus goes home to his teenage daughter, Mathilde, when his wife dies in a train crash. All appears to be a tragic accident until a mathematics geek, who was also a fellow passenger on the train, and his two colleagues show up.
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen | Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Lars Brygmann
Votes: 63,506
17. I'm Your Man (2021)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In order to obtain research funds for her studies, a scientist accepts an offer to participate in an extraordinary experiment: for three weeks, she is to live with a humanoid robot, created to make her happy.
Director: Maria Schrader | Stars: Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens, Sandra Hüller, Hans Löw
Votes: 12,599
18. Gunda (2020)
G | 93 min | Documentary
Documentary looks at the daily life of a pig and its farm animal companions: two cows and a one-legged chicken.
Director: Victor Kossakovsky | Star: Gunda
Votes: 2,920
19. The Sparks Brothers (2021)
R | 140 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
A musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Beck, Jane Wiedlin
Votes: 6,049
20. Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)
101 min | Drama, History, War
Aida is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp.
Director: Jasmila Zbanic | Stars: Jasna Djuricic, Izudin Bajrovic, Boris Ler, Dino Bajrovic
Votes: 38,188
21. There Is No Evil (2020)
151 min | Drama
The four stories that are variations on the crucial themes of moral strength and the death penalty that ask to what extent individual freedom can be expressed under a despotic regime and its seemingly inescapable threats.
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof | Stars: Mahtab Servati, Baran Rasoulof, Zhila Shahi, Pejvak Imani
Votes: 6,146
22. Last Night in Soho (2021)
R | 116 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Aspiring fashion designer Eloise is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters dazzling wannabe singer Sandie. But the glamour is not as it seems, and the dreams of the past crack and splinter into something darker.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg
Votes: 176,703
23. One Night in Miami... (2020)
R | 114 min | Drama
A fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the Civil Rights Movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.
Director: Regina King | Stars: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
Votes: 34,270
24. The Nest (I) (2020)
R | 107 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
Life for an entrepreneur and his American family begins to take a twisted turn after moving into an English country manor.
Director: Sean Durkin | Stars: Jude Law, Carrie Coon, Oona Roche, Charlie Shotwell
Votes: 18,387
25. Palm Springs (2020)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery
Stuck in a time loop, two wedding guests develop a budding romance while living the same day over and over again.
Director: Max Barbakow | Stars: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher
Votes: 182,513
26. Chess Story (2021)
110 min | Drama, Thriller, War
To withstand the psychological torture of the Gestapo, a lawyer imprisoned by the Nazis finds refuge in the world of chess.
Director: Philipp Stölzl | Stars: Oliver Masucci, Dieter Bernhardt, Elias Gabele, Birgit Minichmayr
Votes: 4,616
27. Sublet (2020)
Not Rated | 89 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A New York Times travel writer comes to Tel Aviv after suffering a tragedy. The energy of the city and his relationship with a younger man brings him back to life.
Director: Eytan Fox | Stars: John Benjamin Hickey, Niv Nissim, Lihi Kornowski, Miki Kam
Votes: 2,965
28. Dear Thomas (2021)
150 min | Biography, Drama
Rebel. Poet. Revolutionary: LIEBER THOMAS is a declaration of love to writer Thomas Brasch, congenially brought to life by exceptional actor Albrecht Schuch.
Director: Andreas Kleinert | Stars: Albrecht Schuch, Jella Haase, Ioana Iacob, Jörg Schüttauf
Votes: 487
29. An Uncertain Border (2019)
118 min | Thriller
A young police officer chases a child kidnapper through Europe - has she lost her way or is she really close to finding the girl that was kidnapped 6 years
Director: Isabella Sandri | Stars: Robert Besta, Moise Curia, Valeria Golino, Klara Höfels
Votes: 44
30. Don't Look Up (2021)
R | 138 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Two low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn humankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.
Director: Adam McKay | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett
Votes: 601,151
31. The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Terror grips a small mountain town as bodies are discovered after each full moon. Losing sleep, raising a teenage daughter, and caring for his ailing father, officer Marshall struggles to remind himself there's no such thing as werewolves.
Director: Jim Cummings | Stars: Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster, Chloe East
Votes: 24,255
32. Benedetta (2021)
Unrated | 131 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling, Daphné Patakia, Lambert Wilson
Votes: 25,463
33. Gaia (2021)
R | 96 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
An injured forest ranger on a routine mission is saved by two off-the-grid survivalists. What is initially a welcome rescue grows more suspicious as the son and his renegade father reveal a cultish devotion to the forest.
Director: Jaco Bouwer | Stars: Monique Rockman, Carel Nel, Alex van Dyk, Anthony Oseyemi
Votes: 6,760
34. The Green Knight (2021)
R | 130 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A fantasy retelling of the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Director: David Lowery | Stars: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury
Votes: 117,850
35. Summer of 85 (2020)
Not Rated | 101 min | Drama, Romance
When 16-year-old Alexis capsizes off the coast of Normandy, 18-year-old David heroically saves him. Alexis has just met the friend of his dreams, who opens his eyes to a new horizon of friendship, art and sexual bliss.
Director: François Ozon | Stars: Félix Lefebvre, Benjamin Voisin, Philippine Velge, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
Votes: 13,324
36. Next Door (2021)
92 min | Comedy, Drama
Explores the subjects of gentrification and social inequality in Berlin.
Director: Daniel Brühl | Stars: Daniel Brühl, Peter Kurth, Rike Eckermann, Aenne Schwarz
Votes: 3,917
37. Run (I) (2020)
PG-13 | 90 min | Mystery, Thriller
Chloe, a teenager who is confined to a wheelchair, is homeschooled by her mother, Diane. Chloe soon becomes suspicious of her mother and begins to suspect that she may be harboring a dark secret.
Director: Aneesh Chaganty | Stars: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen, Sara Sohn, Pat Healy
Votes: 95,720
38. The Suicide Squad (2021)
R | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.
Director: James Gunn | Stars: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman
Votes: 409,288 | Gross: $55.82M
39. Synchronic (2019)
R | 102 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Two New Orleans paramedics' lives are ripped apart after they encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.
Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead | Stars: Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan, Katie Aselton, Ally Ioannides
Votes: 40,179
40. Malignant (I) (2021)
R | 111 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White
Votes: 109,068 | Gross: $13.39M
41. Bliss (I) (2021)
R | 103 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
A mind-bending love story following Greg who, after recently being divorced and then fired, meets the mysterious Isabel, a woman living on the streets and convinced that the polluted, broken world around them is a computer simulation.
Director: Mike Cahill | Stars: Owen Wilson, Salma Hayek, Nesta Cooper, Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
Votes: 20,183
42. The Rose Maker (2020)
95 min | Comedy, Drama
Eve Vernet was the largest rose grower. It is now on the verge of bankruptcy, on the verge of being bought out by a powerful competitor. In addition, Véra, her faithful secretary, employed three employees without any gardening skills.
Director: Pierre Pinaud | Stars: Catherine Frot, Manel Foulgoc, Fatsah Bouyahmed, Olivia Côte
Votes: 1,153
43. Cut! (2021)
Unrated | 78 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Marcos, a rather unsuccessful film director, is immersed in the shooting of his new film, a queer giallo, when a series of terrible murders starts to happen in Barcelona, and all of them ... See full summary »
Directors: Marc Ferrer, Laura Ruiz Penacho | Stars: Silvia Alcaraz, Julia Betrián, Zaida Carmona, Manuel Delgado
Votes: 173
44. Nowhere Special (2020)
96 min | Drama
When John, a thirty-five-year-old window cleaner, is given only a few months to live, he attempts to find a new, perfect family for his three-year-old son, determined to shield him from the terrible reality of the situation.
Director: Uberto Pasolini | Stars: James Norton, Daniel Lamont, Carol Moore, Valene Kane
Votes: 6,464
45. Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
R | 126 min | Biography, Drama, History
Offered a plea deal by the FBI, William O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton.
Director: Shaka King | Stars: LaKeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback
Votes: 91,425
46. Free Guy (2021)
PG-13 | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
When Guy, a bank teller, learns that he is a non-player character in a bloodthirsty, open-world video game, he goes on to become the hero of the story and takes the responsibility of saving the world.
Director: Shawn Levy | Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery
Votes: 425,082 | Gross: $121.63M
47. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021)
Not Rated | 106 min | Comedy, Drama
Emi, a school teacher, finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex tape is leaked on the Internet. Forced to meet the parents demanding her dismissal, Emi refuses to surrender to their pressure.
Director: Radu Jude | Stars: Katia Pascariu, Claudia Ieremia, Nicodim Ungureanu, Olimpia Malai
Votes: 10,472
48. Bergman Island (2021)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A couple retreat to the island that inspired Ingmar Bergman to write screenplays for their upcoming films when the lines between reality and fiction start to blur.
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve | Stars: Vicky Krieps, Tim Roth, Mia Wasikowska, Anders Danielsen Lie
Votes: 9,890
49. Schwarze Adler (2021)
100 min | Documentary
The documentary lets black players of the German national soccer team tell their personal stories for the first time. What road did they take and what obstacles did they have to overcome before they got to where we cheer for them?
Director: Torsten Körner | Stars: Guy Acolatse, Otto Addo, Gerald Asamoah, Anthony Baffoe
Votes: 602
50. Ammonite (2020)
R | 117 min | Drama, History, Romance
1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
Director: Francis Lee | Stars: Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones, James McArdle
Votes: 23,313
51. The Trip (2021)
TV-MA | 113 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to reconnect, but each has intentions to kill the other. Before they can carry out their plans, unexpected visitors arrive and they face a greater danger.
Director: Tommy Wirkola | Stars: Noomi Rapace, Aksel Hennie, Atle Antonsen, Christian Rubeck
Votes: 27,265
52. Limbo (2021)
118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rookie policeman Will Ren and his partner, the veteran cop Cham Lau, are pursuing an obsessive and especially brutal murderer of women.
Director: Soi Cheang | Stars: Ka-Tung Lam, Yase Liu, Mason Lee, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Votes: 3,238
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