89 Best Movies & Shows Released in 2021 (Page 2)

Hospital Playlist is a heartwarming and engaging South Korean series that follows the lives and friendships of five doctors who work at the same hospital. With its perfect blend of drama, humor, and genuine moments, the show offers an intimate and realistic portrayal of the challenges and joys faced by medical professionals. The characters are beautifully developed, and their personal stories are both relatable and deeply moving. The series strikes a balance between medical cases and the characters' personal lives, creating a captivating narrative that keeps you invested from beginning to end. A must-watch for its heartfelt storytelling and compelling ensemble cast.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Ahn Eun-jin, Bae Hyeon-seong, Cho Jung-seok, Cho Seung-yeon, Cho Yi-hyun, Choi Young-jun, Choi Young-woo, Dae-Myung Kim, Ha Yoon-kyung, Jeon Mi-do, Joo Bo-bi, Jung Kyung-ho, Jung Moon-sung, Jung-suk Jo, Kim Dae-myeong, Kim Dae-Myeung, Kim Dae-myung, Kim Hae-sook, Kim Hae-suk, Kim Hye-In, Kim Kang-min, Kim Kap-soo, Kim Soo-jin, Kwak Sun-young, Kyung-ho Jung, Lee Chan-hyung, Lee Ji-hoon, Lee Ji-won, Lee Jong-won, Lee Noh-ah, Lee Se-hee, Moon Hee-kyung, Moon Tae-yu, Park Ji Yun, Shin Hyun-bin, Yang Jo-a, Yeon-Seok Yoo, Yoo Yeon-seok, Yoon Hye-ree

Rating: N/A

Abbot Elementary is a mockumentary that follows a group of well-meaning but cash-strapped teachers trying to make their school a better place. The premise sounds simple enough, but the show's big heart and sharp observations about the rotting U.S. education system make it a breath of fresh air in the sitcom world. Abbot Elementary's characters are funny and likable, while also being fearless, defined, and nuanced. 

The show manages to do the seemingly impossible: genuinely and lightheartedly uplift the people it represents. It shines some much-needed light on the public service these undervalued teachers provide, without ever sounding too preachy or patronizing: an impressive feat for such a progressive show.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Chris Perfetti, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams, William Stanford Davis

Rating: TV-PG

Genre: Drama

Actor: Geum Sae-rok, Go Min-si, Lee Do-hyun, Lee Sang-yi, Oh Man-seok

This British comedy is about Lady Parts, an all-female, all-Muslim Punk band. Their latest member is Amina, a Ph.D student who is a great guitar player but has a form of stage fright that gives her bursts of diarrhea and vomiting. 

To add to this serious obstacle, Amina is also not very "punk". The reason she joins Lady Parts is to score a blind date with the brother of one of the band members - in hopes of marrying him. 

It's a fun, unapologetic show that, like the Hulu hit Ramy, digs up the humour in the complexities of being young and Muslim in today's world.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Aiysha Hart, Anjana Vasan

As is only appropriate for a limited series about such a horrific period in human history, The Underground Railroad isn't meant to be easy viewing. Thanks to uncompromising direction from Barry Jenkins (the director of the Best Picture Oscar winner Moonlight) and unforgettable images from cinematographer James Laxton, this approaches a level of confrontational storytelling that almost seems inappropriate for the comforts of television. But it's essential viewing nonetheless, and Jenkins makes sure to transform this into a much stranger, more thought-provoking tale beyond the brutality of its first episode.

The Underground Railroad is speculative fiction: instead of being a historical account of the real-life network of routes to help free African-American slaves, it imagines a literal train that swiftly transports Cora (a powerful Thuso Mbedu) from one dystopian vision of white America to another. With every new setting, Jenkins doesn't just talk about slavery; he talks about how America talks about slavery, and how the stories of these Black slaves are constantly reappropriated by white supremacists.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, History

Actor: Joel Edgerton, Thuso Mbedu

In the hands of a lesser artist, something like The Choe Show might have come off as a vanity project or an excuse to show off one's art and one's thoughts about art. But David Choe seems to want the opposite: together with an eclectic mix of guests, he lays bare his most shameful feelings and hardest struggles without ever asking the audience for sympathy and forgiveness—all the while using paint and performance to carve a path toward healing and mutual understanding.

The interviews are already impressive on their own, pitched somewhere between a casual chat and an exorcism of personal demons. But it's around these conversations about addiction, abandonment, and family trauma where the show truly comes to life. With a whole team of animators and illustrators, Choe lets every pointed statement and loaded anecdote leap off the screen. Noise, color, photographs, home video tapes, and performance art footage constantly invade what we're watching, as if the show is being created and reinvented right before our eyes. Fun, chaotic, boundlessly imaginative, and always open to change—if that's how it is with art, that's how it should be with people, too.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: David Choe

Vibrant and quirky in a way that always rings true for its plucky protagonists, this abruptly cancelled children's series embodies the optimism and empathetic spirit that we should all hope to gain from the younger generations. By starting their own neighborhood business, the core characters of The Baby-Sitters Club (played with undeniable star power and chemistry by its young ensemble) learn how to bring joy and healing to others while facing everything from discrimination and generational trauma to their own imperfect family lives. Behind the club's humorous, sugarcoated antics is a real sense of helplessness that each character struggles with—forging ahead and doing whatever they can to fix things that they've been told are out of their control. It's an unexpectedly touching gem of a show that proves kids' entertainment can be truly beautiful.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Kids

Actor: Alicia Silverstone, Anais Lee, Aya Furukawa, Jessica Elaina Eason, Kyndra Sanchez, Malia Baker, Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Feuerstein, Momona Tamada, Shay Rudolph, Sophie Grace, Vivian Watson, Xochitl Gomez

Rating: PG

This underrated, semi-autobiographical series follows Abby (Abby McEnany), a queer person struggling with OCD and depression. She navigates life's ups and downs with humor that is both offbeat and sympathetic, but things quickly take a turn for the romantic when Abby's sister sets her up with Chris, a trans man 20 years her junior. 

Relatable, hilarious, and frank, the miniseries is a tender gem of a show. It's also effortlessly relevant, which checks out: creator and star Abby McEnany mines inspiration from her own experience as a queer artist, while executive producer Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix) reportedly made a big push for authentic trans representation.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Abby McEnany, Celeste Pechous, Julia Sweeney, Karin Anglin, Theo Germaine

Rating: TV-MA