2021: The Good, The Bad, The Surprising, & The Disappointing
It’s time to look back on when the year twenty hundred became old enough to drink. The following are my picks for the best and worst movies, tv shows and books that I watched and read in 2021. NOTE: The category of Video Games has been left out, because when writing this and looking back on all the games I played in 2021, I realized I barely played any, and I certainly didn’t play any new ones that came out recently.
To clarify, this is NOT the best and worst of what was released in 2021, but of what I experienced in 2021. Many of these may have come out years prior, but I just now got around to them.
Movies
BEST
Zack Snyder's Justice League
One of the best superhero movies to date, fight me. (See also my posts on Endgame vs. The Snyder Cut Part 1 & Part 2).
Also, I’m very much aware that Spider-Man: No Way Home is awesome, however I have not seen it yet, and my only problem with Dune is that it is incomplete.
Honorable Mention
Space Sweepers
Space Sweepers is a shining example of where foreign films are succeeding while Hollywood continues to play it safe. Hollywood, for all its resources, has become the posterchild of formulaic and risk-averse. They’re hesitant to make sci-fi films that take real creative risks or explore new territory without slapping a franchise label on it. Meanwhile, foreign films like Space Sweepers are stepping in to fill that void—offering up original and better science fiction that doesn’t assume we need everything spoon-fed or dumbed down.
WORST
Monster Hunter
This wasn’t just a bad adaptation—it was borderline insulting. Instead of trusting the source material and its rich, imaginative world, the filmmakers took the lazy route, turning it into yet another bland portal fantasy. Why? Because apparently, they assumed audiences wouldn’t be able to handle being dropped into a fully formed fantasy universe without a modern-day “everyman” to guide them through it. Rather than embracing what made the Monster Hunter games unique, the film strips it all away and replaces it with cliché-ridden storytelling and characters who exist solely to deliver exposition or fire weapons. A prime example of Hollywood underestimating its audience.
Dishonorable Mentions
Infinite
Infinite is the kind of film that feels like it was assembled by an algorithm rather than crafted by storytellers. The execution is so painfully generic that it strips the premise of any intrigue. And Mark Wahlberg somehow delivers a performance even flatter than his usual persona. He plays a character that’s supposed to be grappling with identity and destiny but instead comes across as disinterested and one-note.
Gunpowder Milkshake
A movie so focused on trying to be progressive, it forgot to be good. An all-female ensemble cast, a neon-soaked aesthetic, and a revenge-fueled action premise—Gunpowder Milkshake checked nearly every box, except the ones that mattered.
What really killed it for me was the horrendous action choreography. I got to the bowling alley scene and just couldn’t do it anymore—DNF.
MOST SURPRISING
Skater Girl
I assumed it would follow a familiar narrative: a young girl pushing her way into a male-dominated sport, confronting sexism, and proving herself through skateboarding. And while those elements are present on the surface, the story goes much deeper, because she’s not trying to prove herself as a skater but as a person and an individual. Skateboarding is her means of escape and self-expression in a society defined by generational expectations, cultural restrictions, and poverty. Skater Girl isn’t preachy in the way one might expect; it’s moving, sincere, and far more meaningful than the synopsis suggests.
Honorable Mentions
Free Guy
Free Guy wasn’t a surprise in terms of being good—but it was a surprise in just how thoroughly entertaining, clever, and well-executed it turned out to be. But most importantly, it’s not trying to be anything more than what it is. It embraces its premise and doesn’t overreach or try to be something overly profound. It’s just a fun, slightly silly action-comedy built around a video game world—and that’s it.
Nobody
It may be a John Wick ripoff, but it’s a good John Wick ripoff. If you’re going to follow in the footsteps of a genre-defining movie, this is how you do it.
MOST DISAPPOINTING
F9: The Fast Saga
F9 was more than just a disappointment—it was a letdown from a franchise that had earned the benefit of the doubt. Given the undeniably entertaining legacy of the series, I didn’t just hope F9 would be good—I expected it. The fight choreography and car stunts—usually the franchise’s bread and butter—were plain boring and looked very low-budget. This felt like a painful step backwards.
Dishonorable Mentions
Mortal Kombat
As much as we might want to believe Mortal Kombat was a good movie, the truth is—it wasn’t. But it served its purpose as a necessary evil, laying the foundation for the movie fans actually want, the sequel. The film’s decision to focus on a brand-new protagonist instead of the iconic characters that made the franchise famous was a baffling misstep. Still, it did succeed in one important area: proving that the franchise’s signature violence and over-the-top brutality can translate well to the big screen—and that, at least, gives hope for what comes next.
Godzilla vs. Kong
The cinematic definition of style over substance— literally oversaturated, both visually and narratively. The colors are cranked up to near-cartoonish levels, drowning every frame in neon lighting and digital chaos, as if visual intensity alone could make up for the thin plot.
TV Shows
BEST
Ted Lasso
This show doesn’t need to be justified. This was a rather hard pick to make though, because I do think Arcane was better than Ted Lasso Season 2—but when you take both seasons 1 & 2 of Ted Lasso as a whole, there was simply no competition. Experiencing them back-to-back was like being wrapped in a warm, funny, emotionally intelligent hug.
Honorable Mentions
Arcane
A breathtaking fusion of action, drama, and visual artistry that sets a new standard for animated storytelling. The animation style is bold and kinetic—like a living oil painting that explodes with motion and emotion. And then there’s that soundtrack—a moody, pulse-pounding blend of orchestral scores and modern alt-pop that perfectly underscores the show’s raw energy and heartbreak. As for the ending? It’s jaw-dropping, tragic, and perfectly executed—leaving you breathless and desperate for more. Arcane isn’t just good—I dare say, it’s genre-defining.
Chernobyl
Chernobyl is brilliant precisely because it doesn’t waste time—it dives straight into the disaster and never lets up. Unlike so many other dramatizations of historical events that spend the majority of their runtime building up to the incident and then glossing over the aftermath. It treats the disaster not as a climactic twist, but as the central subject. It focuses intensely on the human cost, scientific horror, and political cover-ups that followed. This approach makes the show devastatingly immersive, forcing the viewer to confront the reality of what happened.
WORST
Jupiter’s Legacy
Netflix’s failed attempt to replicate The Boys’ realistic depiction of what the world would be like with superheroes. Where The Boys thrives on sharp satire, brutal realism, and a cynical but coherent take on superhero culture, Jupiter’s Legacy struggles under the weight of its own seriousness. It tries to explore heavy themes—legacy, morality, generational conflict—but gets lost in clunky dialogue, uneven pacing, and underdeveloped characters. The result feels more like a collage of ideas than a compelling story.
Dishonorable Mention
Alter Ego
The very idea of this show is stupid. It’s nothing more than a baffling entry in the already overcrowded world of singing competitions. The core concept—contestants performing as virtual avatars instead of themselves—is more gimmick than innovation and ends up feeling like a tech demo awkwardly glued to a tired format. But even more so, it begs the question of why add the avatars at all? It’s a flashy distraction that adds noise instead of meaning.
MOST SURPRISING
Squid Game
Yes, surprising. Its explosive global success doesn’t change the fact that it came out of nowhere, defying conventional expectations for what could become a worldwide phenomenon. A violent, deeply allegorical survival drama from South Korea with no big Western marketing push, no established global stars, and a concept that sounds almost too bizarre to work—and yet, it did. Its meteoric rise is a testament to the power of storytelling: that any premise, no matter how culturally specific or seemingly niche, can captivate millions if it’s executed with heart, clarity, and purpose.
Honorable Mentions
My Name
A gripping and emotionally charged Korean crime thriller that plays like a potent fusion of The Departed’s undercover intrigue and Gangs of London’s brutal, bone-crunching action.
Resident Alien
Charming in the most wonderfully awkward way—a quirky, offbeat sci-fi comedy that thrives on fish-out-of-water absurdity. Alan Tudyk’s comedic timing and portrayal is pitch-perfect: deadpan, bizarre, and somehow endearing, even when he's plotting humanity’s extinction.
MOST DISAPPOINTING
The Wheel of Time
Both the writing and production value need to skyrocket if the show is going to last long enough to tell the whole story. A prime example of its short comings can be seen in the very first episode. The village raid scene is an absolute travesty of editing, choreography, and pacing. Reliant to an absurd degree on shaky cam, this sequence is nearly incomprehensible. The camera rarely provides a view of actual substance and instead has multiple instances of literally just being a shot of the ground. But this is just one of many examples of the show not being visually up to par with expectations. For a series known for its world building, there seems to be a lack of effort to showcase that world; for a series known for its detail (specifically in its magic and foreshadowing), there seems to be a complete lack of... well, detail. The show as a whole is bland, formulaic, and lacks any nuance or a distinct vibe. Unless the showrunners decide to completely revamp the tone in order to meet fan expectations, I don’t expect The Wheel of Time to have much of a future.
Books
BEST
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
No book is perfect, but this one is damn close.
True, it may not be as funny as The Martian, but I think the dialed back comedy allowed the story to have the proper impact and made it much more engaging and suspenseful. A book about survival, sacrifice, and the sheer wonder of discovery—wrapped in a high-stakes, first-contact scenario that feels both epic and intimate. SEE FULL REVIEW.
Honorable Mention
The Division: Hearts on Fire by K. C. Wayland
This is a biased pick because I love the game and the lore. It’s the extended universe The Division needs. SEE FULL REVIEW.
WORST
Until Friday Night (The Field Party, Book 1) by Abbi Glines
This might be set in the real world, but somehow, it feels less believable than all the sci-fi and fantasy I’ve ever read. For a book grounded in high school drama and small-town life, its portrayal of teen angst and hormones is wildly exaggerated. The characters speak and behave in ways that don't resemble actual teens so much as adult projections of what teen emotions might feel like if dialed up to eleven. SEE FULL REVIEW.
MOST SURPRISING
Noumenon (Noumenon, Book 1) by Marina J. Lostetter
Did not think I was going to enjoy this one given its unique structure and concept. It started out as what seemed like a classic Big Dumb Object (BDO) sci-fi tale—mysterious alien artifact, long-range space mission, humanity trying to make sense of something far beyond its understanding. I was all in for that. But then the book took a sharp turn that I usually don’t like. It became more about the journey than the mission. SEE FULL REVIEW.
Honorable Mention
13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff
I thought this was going to be a political book, but this book doesn’t take sides, push agendas, or try to assign blame. It ignores the politics and focuses on what really matters: telling what happened from the ones actually who were there.
MOST DISAPPOINTING
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Moby-Dick is less of a novel and more of an endurance test disguised as literature. For all its reputation as a literary classic, it often feels more like an obsessively detailed textbook than a cohesive narrative. Out of its 135 chapters, maybe a dozen or so actually move the plot forward—the rest are a dense collage of whale biology, 19th-century whaling techniques, obscure religious contemplations, and Melville’s philosophical thoughts on… everything. SEE FULL REVIEW.
Dishonorable Mention
What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff & Sharon Mazel
Having a child is supposed to be a gift and a blessing, and while this book is meant to help and encourage you, it does nothing but put the fear of inadequacy into you. Much of the book feels like an overwhelming checklist of everything that could go wrong, everything you might be doing wrong, or everything you're not doing enough of. SEE FULL REVIEW.
