As 2021 draws to a close, we at The Ringer are reflecting on the movies, albums, TV shows, and more that stood out this year. From high-profile releases to critical darlings, from A-list superstars to newcomers, these are the projects and performances that we’ll remember from this long, strange year.
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December 28, 2021
Comedy’s Post-cinematic Universe
Hastened by the pandemic, a trend that’s been building for years fully arrived in 2021, as funny movies were almost entirely relegated to streaming platforms
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December 23, 2021
The Best Movie Shots of 2021
Adam Nayman reflects on what he considers the 10 best shots featured in film this year
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December 17, 2021
The Things We (Actually) Loved to Watch in 2021
Everyone has that one show, or one movie, or one video snippet, that they love more than anyone else does, hold close to their hearts, and keep a secret while people are having conversations about "the best"
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December 15, 2021
The Best Shots of 2021
Movies mostly returned to the big screen this year, and filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson, Leos Carax, and Denis Villeneuve filled them with scenes of longing, mystery, and stunning scale
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December 13, 2021
The Best K-pop Songs of 2021
From Key to Sunmi, our resident K-pop expert breaks down the tracks, videos, and moments that ruled the year
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December 10, 2021
The Best Performances of 2021
From dramatic turns in cinema to sharp-witted television humor—plus a few unorthodox picks in between—these were the year’s best entertainers
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December 9, 2021
The Best Songs of 2021
Drake and Kanye are both here, but not for songs off their much-hyped releases. Who else made our list of the best songs of a strange year in music?
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December 8, 2021
The Best Movies of 2021
It was a year of octogenarian high jinks, long yet revealing documentaries, and masters reasserting themselves
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December 7, 2021
The Best Albums of 2021
As the music industry regained some normalcy, big-time releases returned. But how many made our list of projects worth celebrating?
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December 6, 2021
The Best TV Shows of 2021
At the end of another long, strange, uncertain year, these are the television series worth celebrating