In 2021, a second year of dealing with the pandemic, movies tentatively returned to theaters and streaming platforms took the lead in releasing originals. Movies and TV shows in production managed to keep Covid-19 protocols in place to complete projects and some that experienced delays were finally seen either on big screens, small screens or both.
Regardless, the movie goers and TV audiences found places to gather around. This year, global audiences embraced international hits like the thrilling Nigerian sequel, King of Boys: The Return of the King by Kemi Adetiba, the heisty thrills of Lupin and the dismal contests of Squid Game. This year, audiences bid goodbye to series we’ve grown to love such as Insecure. 2021 dubbed the year of movies that speak to our historical relevance which paved the way for conversations, such as Ava Duvernay’s Colin in Black & White or The Underground Railroad by Barry Jenkins. Lest not forget the star studded American revisionist western film The Harder They Fall directed by Jeymes Samuel.
With all that in mind, TANTV’S critics have rolled our movie and television picks into ten deserving— list of the things we most enjoyed watching this year, whether we watched on big or small screens, in or out of the house, with others or on our own.
From Netflix to HBO, here are the chosen 10 TANTV’S favorite Movies & TV shows of the year:
Starring: Sola Sobowale, Toni Tones
Directed by: Kemi Adetiba
Starring: Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme, Vincent Londez, Soufiane Guerrab, Shirine Boutella
Created by: George Kay, François Uzan
Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, Kim Joo-ryoung
Directed by: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Starring: Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield
Directed By: Jeymes Samuel
Starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal, Saniyya Sidney
Directed By: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Stars series regulars Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, Natasha Rothwell, Amanda Seales and Courtney Taylor.
Created by Issa Rae & Larry Wilmore;
executive produced by Issa Rae, Prentice Penny, Melina Matsoukas, Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky, Jonathan Berry, Amy Aniobi and Jim Kleverweis.
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback
Directed By: Shaka King
Created by: Jesse Armstrong
Starring Hiam Abbass, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Peter Friedman, Natalie Gold, Matthew Macfadyen, Alan Ruck…
Created by : Barry Jenkins
Starring : Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton, Fred Hechinger, Peter Mullan, Mychal-Bella Bowman, Sheila Atim
Starring : Jaden Michael, Nick Offerman, Mary-Louise Parker, Colin Kaepernick
Created by: Ava DuVernay, Colin Kaepernick
