As 2021 comes to a close, some of the most acclaimed movies and television shows of the 21st century have come across thousands of screens this year, with 12 movies with a 100% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, and 137 with a score of 90%. 

However, the lack of presence in the movie theaters led to a disappointment in the box office all around the world, with only one film reaching the $1 Billion mark. While the lack of money in theaters proved to be fatal for some theaters, local and national, the outpour of critical acclaim from critics and fans alike are unparalleled to other years. 

Here are some of the top films and television shows of 2021.

• Judas and the Black Messiah

    Set in 1968-1969, Judas and the Black Messiah follows 19-year-old Bill O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), a petty thief who is coerced by the FBI to infiltrate the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party, led by Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).

Kaluuya gives it his all in an award-winning performance that effectively portrays Hampton, not just as the radical leader he was, but as a person who had friendships and relationships (particularly with Deborah Johnson, played by Dominique Fishback). 

His prowess as an orator fuels not only the audiences in the film, but the audience watching, as he truly gives the impression that he will be able to make his “Rainbow Coalition”, an alliance of gangs against a common enemy. 

The climax of the film, which was the December 4, 1969 raid, is effectively both sorrowful and thrilling. O’Neal did his job, but this was at  the cost of losing someone who he had grown to emotionally connect with and trust. 

All in all, Judas and the Black Messiah is a definite recommendation to anyone who is interested in modern history in general, as Stanfield and Kaluuya give stellar performances that will be talked about for years to come.

• The Suicide Squad

James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is one of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU)’s best movies, and is on par with Shazam! as being its best. The story follows a similar plot to the prequel of the movie, where the team is forced to undergo a mission in return for reduced sentences in a max-security prison. 

Idris Elba portrays Bloodsport, a mercenary who takes on a new Task Force X team with Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Peacemaker (John Cena), and Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) among others. Gunn’s directing leads the way with great visual style, humor, and casting, as John Cena as Peacemaker is a fantastic addition to the DCEU. 

The movie was still a box office success albeit not being able to break even, grossing $167 million against a $185 million budget, yet was still the third most streamed movie on HBO Max in 2021. The Suicide Squad is one of the best superhero films this year and should be watched by anyone who is a DC fan.

• Attack on Titan (Season 4)

One of the greatest Animes of all time is said to be the show,Attack on Titan.To put this into perspective, the Show was rated number three  on the website Mal and voted a 9.09 rating. 

MAL (myanimelist) is a website for anime and manga watches to rate the shows and books they have watched across the world. Attack on Titan first came out with their first season on April 7, 2003. The show costs $5 million a season putting it at $150,000 per episode. There are currently four seasons and the upcoming part 2 of season four comes out soon. Season four part two will be on  air January 9, 2022. Since it’s the last part of the series, the hype is crazy.