2020 was a real kick in the nuts. Just about everything I did was upended in some way; seeing movies more than just about anything. Releases were delayed. Methods of release were change. Productions were shut down. Basically, every list and spreadsheet I have will need an asterisk for 2020 and virtually all precedent was shot to hell. For example, last year, I saw 95 movies at a movie theater. In 2020, it was all the way down to 17. That's the fewest since 2010 when I somehow only saw 11 movies. In terms of 2020 releases, the numbers are low but not quite as grim. I saw 109 movies released in 2019 at this point last year and I'm down to 85 movies from 2020 now. And that's still plenty for a good top movie list.
This is my 10th year doing this, but I still feel the need to review a little about what this list is and isn't. It is a list of all the movies released in 2020 that I have seen, from first to last. I like to include all movies because I don't think a normal top 10 list does much good if you don't know what I have and haven't seen. That way, you don't have to ask things like "Does he hate First Cow and has he just not seen it?" This list is my favorite movies of 2020. I gave up the idea of picking the "most perfect", "most important', or "most revolutionary" movies in a year. I can only answer the question "What movie added more to my year"? This list is a snapshot in time. My relationship with all movies evolves over time. I change and my understanding of movies changes. That's not to say I don't stand by the ordering of my list. Rather, I'm not naive enough to think I'll still have the same list in a few months or years. This list isn't an attempt to appease some sense of what I'm supposed to like. It isn't as definitive in the middle as the top and bottom. Feel free to read into the order of the 3rd and 4th movies. Please don't read in as much to the ordering of the 58th and 63rd movies. Almost by definition, those are movies I don't have a strong feeling about.
The list is a little barer than usual. Many of the biggest movies planned for 2020 were held back. That includes the biggest blockbusters and the biggest prestige movies. I definitely had to round out my year with a lot of movies that look more like TV Movies than theatrical features. I still managed to find plenty of movies to enjoy, but there is a smallness to the overall list that's a little disappointing. And, I guess this is where I should weigh in on the big critical debate of the year: What is Small Axe. Frankly, I don't find this difficult to answer. It's a series and belongs on the movie list like other anthology series. If Black Mirror or The Romanoffs don't go on your movie list then Small Axe has no place on it either. I don't care how high profile the cast and crew are. The only reason someone puts this on a movie list is because they see TV series as lesser. That said, if you are really curious, both Mangrove and Lovers Rock would've been comfortably in my top 10 or 15.
A couple clerical notes. All the theatrical shut downs and release changes have made it tough to determine what a 2020 movie even is. I'm defining a 2020 movie by its public US release. That means its theatrical release or when it was released on a streaming service. I don't care what festival its world premiere was. Since I've posted Reactions about all of these movies, I'm leaving my comments here pretty brief. If you really want to understand my ranking, click on the link.
Finally, check the bottom of the page for my best of the rest. That's where I'll be pointing out the other best movies I saw this year that didn't come out in 2020.
Previous Lists:
1. Palm Springs
Never underestimate the power of a funny and clever movie with winsome leads. Just because it's broadly appealing don't mean it's less than more serious films.
2. Soul
Pixar came in late and hit hard with this one.
So many great performances in this classically appealing courtroom drama.
4. Tenet
One of the few big movies I got to see in a theater. And maybe one day I'll even understand it.
I just saying, if Carey Mulligan only wanted to play wry characters in dark comedies from now on, I wouldn't complain.
6. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
It's amazing how much looser Margot Robbie's performance is when she gets to wear real pants. The fact that I was so surprised to like this certainly helped my overall estimation of it.
Elisabeth Moss' edge-of-sanity performance and a story with just enough twist made this a lot better than I expected for such a familiar premise.
8. The Way Back
I love the way Gavin O'Connor (Warrior) does sports movies, and this one gets one of Ben Affleck's best performances.
What should've felt like an overly on-the-nose "Me Too" movie turned into a tense and quiet thriller thanks to Julia Garner's excellent performance.
While there are a few great filmmaking tricks, no more did a better job showcase the power of good storytelling.
Everything In Between
11. David Byrne's American Utopia
I've been looking for a way to move this exceptional concert doc into my top 10, because it is really something, even if you aren't a huge fan of David Byrne's work.
12. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
I love how much this movie does with little dialogue. I mean, the titular scene features the lead actress only giving one-word answers and it's tells a whole film's worth of backstory.
13. Onward
Quietly a really good year for Pixar, especially if you are into crying and longing. I will say the emotions of this do exceed the creativity.
Most likely to jump up the list with more time. It sort of plays like a self-awarely quirky, bad romance movie, but it really worked for me.
15. Sound of Metal
Riz Ahmed is tremendous in this and the sound in the movie adds so much.
16. Da 5 Bloods
Yeah. 2 Spike Lee films in my top 20 (Also, American Utopia). It's been a wild year. Nearly as wild as this Vietnam gold hunting movie.
17. Mank
I still don't understand how this movie isn't in my top 5 with the David Fincher, cast (OMG Amanda Seyfried!), and Citizen Kane of it all.
18. Hamilton
My complaint with a lot of film adaptations of plays is that I'd rather just see it as a play. This makes good on that assessment, although maybe I shouldn't even count this in a movie list.
I had some problems with the movie, but mostly, I was just thrilled to see a god's honest tentpole movie in 2020.
20. Emma.
If you don't think Anya Taylor-Joy is a star by the end of this year, then I don't know what to tell you.
21. Eurovision Song Contest:The Story of Fire Saga
Dumb comedy, but I don't get enough Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell in things I like.
Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis as just superb.
23. Bad Education
This is the best HBO movie in quite a while, mostly thanks to High Jackman embraces his inner-scumbag.
24. Greyhound
I'm so sad I didn't get to see this in a theater on a big screen, like it deserved.
I'm still so impressed with how this doc pulls the rug from under the audience by the end. And here I thought this movie about the world's most dangerous waterpark would be all fun and games.
26. My Spy
Who knew that Dave Bautista's best comic foil would be a 10-year-old girl?
27. The Lodge
I enjoy a good atmospheric horror movie. I just wish this one didn't make me feel so cold. Like, wintery cold.
28. Happiest Season
This poor movie got dissected way more than it ever should've. It's a dumb Christmas RomCom and I enjoyed it as that.
29. Athlete A
It turns out that grooming little girls from a young age to be compliant and pretend to be more mature than they are opens them up to some really nasty abuse.
Raise your hand if you have this as the top grossing 2020 release in the U.S. at the beginning of the year.
31. Enola Holmes
It's nice to know that Millie Bobby Brown is a star and not just a case of an actor getting the perfect role (Stranger Things).
32. Work It
This was a throwback to the 90s/00s comedy that I grew up on and I am all for it.
33. Buffaloed
I love seeing Zoey Deutch having a lot of fun. She's honing a great comic persona in real time and I can't wait to see what it leads to.
34. On the Rocks
Sophia Coppola and Bill Murray is always a worthwhile combination.
35. Mulan (2020)
It's very different from the animated movie. I liked that attempt to do something different even if not all of it worked.
36. Gretel & Hansel
This is the year I realized Oz Perkins is a horror director I need to keep track of.
37. The Midnight Sky
Another movie hurt by not getting a real theatrical release as well as just a poorly timed release overall. Still, it's nice having George Clooney back on screen.
38. The Scheme
You know, I'm starting to think it would be easier if they just paid college basketball players.
39. The Outpost
A nice, bare-bones Rio Bravo of a war movie.
40. His House
Using displaced refugees as the starting point for a horror movie was a stroke of genius.
41. The Old Guard
I'm sorry. Who doesn't want to see a movie about Charlize Theron beating up Dudley Dursley?
42. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
It's nice to see someone getting the Christmas movie formula right.
43. Run
By limiting the protagonist to a wheelchair, this horror movie can up the fear factor of certain things that others can't.
44. Like a Boss
Are over-the-top villain roles going to be Salma Hayek's specialty in her 50s? If so, I approve.
45. Holidate
It's a shame they couldn't find a better person to pair Emma Roberts with in this otherwise charming Holiday RomCom.
46. The Grudge
This was the first new movie of 2020 I saw. I remember liking it, although I do struggle to remember much about it now.
47. Extraction
OK, so Chris Hemsworth doesn't need the hammer to be a good action movie star.
48. Crip Camp
Great old footage and a great story, although the two sometimes struggle to meet.
49. Books of Blood
You know what? This was just a solid horror anthology.
While it's true that the only thing better than one Seth Rogen is two Seth Rogens, I do think this comedy takes on a little too much.
51. The Lovebirds
I could be wrong, but I think I'm incapable of not enjoying Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae on screen together for this long.
52. The Gentlemen
This ensemble Guy Ritchie movie feels like it came out several years ago at this point. It's always nice seeing Charlie Hunnam go full Englishman though.
53. 537 Votes
Great opening argument about Elian Gonzalez story's effect on the 2000 election that then falls apart later when it turns into a lazier "evil Republicans" story.
54. Boys State
I went to an All-Boy high school. While it wasn't an awful experience for me, I certainly have no desire to relive it.
55. Underwater
Please don't take away Kristen Stewart from the dumb movies like this. Sure, she's great in the prestige stuff, but she should belong to all movie fans.
56. All Together Now
In case you weren't sure, Auli’i Cravalho is an absolute delight.
57. 1BR
As someone who moved into a new apartment this year, I didn't need this horror premise rolling around in my head.
I'm not a fan of the idea that if people complain loudly enough on Twitter, they can cause a movie to change. That said, I very much approve of the delays to change the animation of Sonic in this.
59. Ava
Jessica Chastain needs to kick ass in more movies. I don't mean with stare down (which she's already the best at). I mean actually kick someone's ass. She's good at that too.
60. Taylor Swift: Miss Americana
Here I thought this would be the only thing from Taylor Swift I'd get this year.
61. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
It frustrates me that I had to learn more about the book for this movie to make any sense. Despite the good performances from Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons, there wasn't much about this that really sucked me in.
Please don't get attached to any of the cast members in this movie.
63. To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
At some point, I'm just not the audience for this movie. I still like Lana Condor in the lead role though.
64. Project Power
This is a nice little X-Men knock off from Netflix. This feels like the kind of movie though that I would've ignored if there were bigger theatrical releases out there.
65. Unpregnant
I love Haley Lu Robinson. I really didn't care for Barbie Ferreira's character, and it torpedoed a lot of what I did enjoy about the movie.
I watched this Anne Hathaway thriller a couple too many drinks in. I'll fully admit that I don't remember it well, but I know it wasn't good enough to watch it again to figure out why I don't care for it.
67. Lost Girls
I'll be honest. With a less open-ended ending, I would've appreciated this movie a lot more.
68. Nocturne
Classical music training looks hard. That's the lesson of this movie, right?
69. Downhill
This Force Majeure remake just doesn't work without all the dark comedy.
I absolutely love the idea of a hyper-found footage horror movie that looks so amateurish that it almost has to be real, but this goes too far.
Animated puppies just aren't as cute as real puppies. They should've known this.
With this title, only getting two versions of the wedding in the movie is a massive disappointment.
73. Clouds
I don't like having to complain about a cancer kid. Why are they forcing me to be the bad guy?
74. Godmothered
They miscalculated how to use Gillian Bell best.
While it's not as bad as the other Melissa McCarthy movies directed by her husband (Ben Falcone), that's night a high bar.
Bottom 10
76. Rebecca (2020)
I don't think they understand what made the original movie or book good.
I spent way too much time thinking about the logic of the different magic kingdoms.
I know it will surprise a lot of you that I don't care for a movie that features Post Malone in a supporting role, even though the rest of the cast is as delightfully eclectic.
79. The Witches
Despite how thoroughly gung-ho Anne Hathaway was for her role, this movie did nothing for me.
80. Hooking Up
Perhaps this is on me, but I didn't sign up for a Brittany Snow and Sam Richardson to be this depressing and not funny.
81. Dolittle
This is where the obvious awful movies start on my list. It's hard to find much at all redeemable about this expensive not-quite-flop.
82. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Ok, this is technically a better movie than the others this low, but I hate the Borat style of comedy that much. Maria Bakalova is a nice discovery though.
83. The Prom
This is a staggeringly frustrating movie, although I think a decent amount of the blame goes back to the stage show. I'll never know though, because I never plan to see it.
84. Hillbilly Elegy
If Amy Adams and Glen Close are this desperate for Oscars, can we just give them each an honorary one or something?
85. Artemis Fowl
This edges out some stiff competition for its ability to actually slow down time. I know it says it was only 95 minutes, but I won't believe a second less than 150.
Best of the Rest
By far, most movies I watch in a year aren't new releases. I watched 85 new movies last year and some 229 other "new to me" movies, and where's their list? I won't bore you with a full rundown of all those, since most were quite forgettable. Many were excellent. Easily a stronger batch at the top than the 2020 movies. So, here's a quick selection of my favorites in relative order.
Even removing the single take "gimmick", this is a hell of a "race against the clock" movie.
I haven't fallen this immediately hard for a horror movie in a long time.
OK. I get it now. Katharine Hepburn is a goddess.
Easily the best 80s horror movie made after 2000.
What a jolt of goodness and joy.
I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House
This movie has lingered with me like a spirit you can't get out of the house.
It's official. I need to see all Chinese Jackie Chan movies immediately.
Probably the most surprising entry on this list, since the original ads for it were WAY off what it is.
An understandably perfect companion to Betty. What a great hang.
Not a horror movie as much as a haunting found footage mood piece that a thoroughly enjoyed.
Why doesn't Lupita Nyong'o lead more movies? Even if they are small, funny, Australian horror comedies.
Seriously. I had a great year finding horror movies, although it's better to call this a Korean zombie action movie.
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