8 Best Movies of 2011

By Vlad Zakh · July 1, 2026

2011 gave us time-travel romance, tense drama and a brutal sports film. Midnight in Paris has a nostalgic screenwriter transported to the 1920s, Drive has a stunt driver moonlighting as a getaway wheelman, and Warrior has estranged brothers meeting in an MMA final. We Need to Talk About Kevin, A Separation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, The Help and The Intouchables round out the eight.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 93% Metacritic 81

A writer's midnight walks through Paris keep dropping him into the city's glamorous 1920s.

Directed by Woody Allen · 1h 34m · Rated PG-13

Won 1 Oscar26 wins & 103 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A mother grapples with her responsibility for her son's horrific violent act.

Directed by Lynne Ramsay · 1h 53m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Philo, OVID, MUBI Amazon Channel, Fandor Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Drive (2011)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A getaway driver's growing attachment to his neighbour pulls him into a world of brutal violence.

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn · 1h 40m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Warrior (2011)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 84% Metacritic 71

Two estranged brothers with a fractured family history collide in the finals of a mixed martial arts tournament.

Directed by Gavin O'Connor · 2h 20m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 1 Oscar6 wins & 22 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Separation (2011)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 99% Metacritic 95

A couple's divorce drags their family into an escalating moral and legal dispute.

Directed by Asghar Farhadi · 2h 03m · Rated PG-13

Won 1 Oscar89 wins & 52 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 96% Metacritic 85

Harry and his friends make a final stand against Voldemort in the battle for Hogwarts.

Directed by David Yates · 2h 10m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 3 Oscars50 wins & 96 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, HBO Max, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Help (2011)

TMDB ★ 8.2

A young writer works with Black domestic workers to expose the injustices they face in the segregated South.

Directed by Tate Taylor · 2h 26m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, FXNow, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Intouchables (2011)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 75% Metacritic 57

A wealthy quadriplegic man hires an unconventional caregiver from the projects, and the two form an unlikely bond.

Directed by Éric Toledano & Olivier Nakache · 1h 53m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award38 wins & 40 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

8 Best Movies of 2011

Midnight in Paris (2011)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Drive (2011)

Warrior (2011)

A Separation (2011)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

The Help (2011)

The Intouchables (2011)

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