Streaming services have dominated the industry, with many of them providing the best movies and TV shows on their platform. It has become a new way for casual moviegoers to watch the newest content in the comfort of their homes. Of course, these services continue to grow today.
Many streaming services distributed some of the best movies of 2021, with many already gaining Oscar buzz for the upcoming award season. It just comes to show streaming services are putting the highest quality of content each year, and it only gets better and better. Some streaming services offered the highest-quality movies in 2021, but others were not quite there with critical reception.
Peacock - Score Not Available
Peacock is currently in its sophomore year after making its debut in 2020. Because the streaming service is relatively new, they did not distribute many original movies on their platform in 2020.
In 2021, Peacock showed more effort to release more original movies. Unfortunately, despite releasing five films this year, they did not receive enough critical reviews to obtain a Rotten Tomatoes score. Therefore, Peacock still has a long way to go, but they will have to settle without an average score.
Paramount+ - 46.14%
Although Paramount+ is a newer service this year, this streaming service has been in the streaming business for some time. Initially known as CBS All-Access, this streaming service rebranded as Paramount+ this year to officially enter the streaming game.
In its first year under this new brand, Paramount+ had released ten movies. Unfortunately, only two Paramount+ original films received a fresh tomato score. These films are The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (67%) and Paw Patrol: The Movie (79%). Holding an abysmal average score of 46.14%, Paramount+ hasn't found their footing yet and still has a lot to learn if they want to enter the streaming business as a prominent competitor. They deserve some slack since they are trying to promote under their new brand, and hopefully, they will improve in 2022.
Prime Video - 60.33%
Amazon is one of the biggest competitors in the streaming service with its platform Prime Video. However, compared to the average score of 74.06% in 2020, Prime Video had the most significant drop in their average percentage of all the streaming services, with an underwhelming 60.33%.
In 2021, they had slightly more movies compared to last year, with 21 films. Roughly half of those received fresh tomato scores, but the highest is 98% for One Night in Miami. However, it is unfortunate since Amazon Studios tried to push more award-worthy films like Being the Ricardos (70%) for next year's award ceremonies that. Although a setback, hopefully, the studio will reflect on their inadequate movie quality and improve next year.
Netflix - 61.75%
Out of all the streaming services, Netflix, not surprisingly, had released the most number of movies, with over 60+ films in 2021. Of course, quantity does not always mean quality, such as the case for Netflix.
Nevertheless, Netflix had an improvement this year, with some of their best films, including Power of the Dog (95%), The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (97%), and Tick, Tick... Boom! (88%). Of course, many of the films listed are gaining award buzz, making Netflix one of the most prominent competitors in the streaming business. Of course, Netflix is not perfect, as they also had released some of the worst movies, such as Thunder Force (21%) and Diana: The Musical (12%). Nevertheless, Netflix has the most diverse content of films, which explains why they are leading the way in the streaming service as they have something for everyone.
Hulu - 62.25%
While Hulu provides the best TV shows like The Great and The Handmaid's Tale, this streaming service has been upping its game with the movie branch. In last year's ranking, Hulu had an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 66.71%, and although the percentage is more so a D+, it is still an impressive one.
In 2021, Hulu distributed eight original movies. Unfortunately, Hulu slightly dipped in terms of the quality of its content, with an average of 62.25%. Although this streaming service released a few fresh movies like Plan B (96%) and Boss Level (74%), their lineup of films does not compare to last year's selection. Furthermore, these movies were not the most memorable this year, which is a disappointment for Hulu. However, they did receive some bragging rights, having distributed Nomadland and became the first streaming service to win the prestigious awards at this year's Oscar, including Best Picture and Best Director.
HBO Max - 66.48%
HBO Max was one of the streaming services that pushed their theatrical films to stream, but they conducted their business model differently. Unlike Disney+, HBO Max made a bold decision to simultaneously release all their movies in theaters and on streaming in 2021 with no extra fees to view them. Therefore, on top of the four original movies on HBO Max exclusively, the score includes an additional 17 films available on the service for a limited period.
Although HBO Max ranks with the fourth-highest average Rotten Tomatoes score in 2021, even their slight advantage with their movie model only left them with a 66.48%. Some of the best HBO Max movies included Judas and the Black Messiah (96%), In the Heights (94%), and No Sudden Move (92%). People even loved that they could rewatch the movies during the 30-day duration, such as the case with Dune (83%). Remarkably, HBO Max had 13 films with a fresh tomato score. Unfortunately, they also had some of the worst movies like Space Jam: A New Legacy (25%), Tom & Jerry (31%), and Locked Down (43%), which played a role in their lower than anticipated average score. Nevertheless, like Netflix, HBO Max distributed many Oscar buzz films, but this was a one-time experiment that won't continue in 2022.
Disney+ - 69.75%
Disney+ was the other streaming service that pushed their theatrical films on streaming due to the pandemic. However, some Disney+ movies were distributed with no extra cost, while other movies like Black Widow (79%) and Jungle Cruise (62%) had additional fees as part of Disney+ Premier Access.
Disney+ had released eight original films, but it was enough to secure a 69.75% average score. Their highest-scored films were Raya and the Last Dragon (94%) and Luca (91%), catering to children and families to uphold their family-friendly content. Overall, seven films on Disney+ received a fresh tomato score. However, Home Sweet Home Alone (16%) was the outlier that somewhat decreased the service's average score. Nevertheless, Disney+ brought their A-game, providing the best family-friendly movies in 2021.
Apple TV+ - 75.67%
Apple TV+ is taking things slow with their content, but they are entering the game as a major competitor, releasing more movies with six films. In 2020, they took the title as highest Rotten Tomatoes average score, which showcases the quality of the film they distributed.
Although their average Rotten Tomatoes score declined from 2020, an average score of 75.67% is still impressive. Of the six original films released on their service, five received fresh tomato scores, the exception being Cherry (37%). Of course, they distributed some of the most critically acclaimed films like Come From Away (97%) and CODA (96%), with the latter being an underdog in the upcoming award season. Apple TV+ is continuing to provide the utmost quality films in their movie selection. It is only a matter of time that they become a serious streaming service in the award seasons.
Shudder - 75.93%
Shudder is a niche service that caters to fans of the horror genre. Despite the service creating specific content, they showed no limits in narrating horror content, as their high score of 75.93% speaks of that notion.
Compared to last year, Shudder has been the most consistent streaming service regarding the quality of films they provide. In 2021, they released 15 original movies, with their highest being The Boy Behind the Door (97%) and Slaxx (96%). While this streaming service is not for everyone, Shudder does have something for horror fans to enjoy, and such quality is no different in 2021.