The 34 Best Movies of 2021—And Where to Watch Them

 Scenes from the best movies of 2021 feature Lady Gaga doing a thick Italian accent, Kristen Stewart devastating us as Princess Diana, and Candyman coming to kill us after saying his name five times in a mirror. All of that is to say 2021 gave us range at the movies—from Marvel milestones to groundbreaking docs and, of course, Barb and Star. This was the year we learned the origin story of Cruella de Vil, danced with Anthony Ramos in the heights, and finally—after six years of waiting—took that trip with Zola to Florida. In many ways, 2021 marked a soft return to normalcy, as cinemas opened up for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. And the great movies we got to watch made sitting in those big, comfy reclining seats even sweeter. Below are Glamour's picks for the best movies of 2021—and some helpful streaming links if you're trying to figure out what to watch tonight. Trust us: You can't go wrong with any of these picks. 

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Malcolm & Marie
When burgeoning filmmaker Malcolm (John David Washington) and his girlfriend, Marie (Zendaya), return home from a screening of his newest movie, the tension between the couple boils over as a thank-you speech snub reveals the darker underbelly of their relationship. With star power like this, are you surprised it's one of the best movies 2021 released to the world? 
Available to stream on Netflix

Seacia Pavao2/34I Care a LotI Care a Lot is everything you could have wanted from Rosamund Pike following her turn as manipulative grifter Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. Pike plays Marla Grayson, a corrupt caregiver who forces her elderly clients into assisted-living facilities and drains their bank accounts. Her racket takes a turn, however, when she victimizes a woman with secret mob connections. For Pike's take on these “reprehensible” women that she's so good at embodying, click here. Available to stream on Netflix

Getty Images3/34Framing Britney SpearsThe documentary that started all that discourse (and, eventually, helped free Britney Spears). Technically an installment in an ongoing New York Times docuseries, Framing Britney Spears explores her rise to fame, the legal battles over her conservatorship, and the fan movement to free her from its grasp. This doc is easily one of the best 2021 movies (and perhaps one of the most important). Available to stream on Hulu

©Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection4/34The United States vs. Billie HolidayThe true story of the FBI's attempt to ensnare jazz legend Billie Holiday in a drug sting to silence her when she was speaking out on political issues. This affecting drama is a must-see for fans of Holiday's music, and for the tour de force performance from lead Andra Day, who won a Golden Globe for her work.Available to stream on Hulu

Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection5/34Judas and the Black MessiahAnother true story of Black struggle and FBI sabotage, this time about Black Panther Party founder Fred Hampton, who was spied on, drugged, and murdered by the Bureau. Daniel Kaluuya gives the performance of a lifetime as Hampton. One of the finest new movies 2021 bestowed on us. Available to rent on Amazon©Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection6/34NomadlandWinner of the Academy Award for best picture, Chloé Zhao's indie is about a middle-aged woman who loses her savings in the recession and becomes an American nomad, living out of her van as she traverses the West. Frances McDormand gives one of the best performances of her career, for which she won her third Oscar.Available to stream on Hulu©Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection7/34One Night in MiamiWatchmen and If Beale Street Could Talk star Regina King makes her directorial debut in this adaptation of a stage play about Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke meeting in a Miami motel room to exchange ideas on art, fame, and the role of leaders and celebrities in the movement for Black liberation. It was nominated for three Golden Globes and a slew of other awards.