Top 68 Ranked

Best 2020 Movies Ranked

Essential Cinema From a Year of Digital Premieres

Explore the best films released during a landmark year for cinema. From psychological thrillers to indie gems, discover the must-watch titles now.

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About Movies in 2020

In the long chronicle of cinema, 2020 will likely be remembered as the year the screen finally moved into our bedrooms for good. It was a period defined not by the roar of the crowd in a darkened theater but by the blue light of laptops and the quiet hum of home projectors. For the first time since the invention of the motion picture, the global industry ground to a halt, leaving tentpole blockbusters like No Time to Die and Dune sitting on shelves while the world grappled with a reality more surreal than any science fiction script. Yet, despite the shuttered multiplexes, 2020 remains a profoundly significant year for movies because it forced us to redefine what a movie actually is.

When the traditional distribution model collapsed, the barrier between prestige cinema and streaming content vanished. We stopped measuring a film's success by its opening weekend box office and started measuring it by its cultural footprint. This shift allowed smaller, more intimate stories to take center stage. Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland became the definitive film of the era, a quiet and meditative exploration of loss and transience that mirrored the collective grief of the audience. It was a movie that might have been overshadowed in a year of Marvel sequels, but in the vacuum of 2020, it became a monumental work of art.

The year was also notable for how it highlighted the resilience of the medium. We saw the rise of the drive-in theater as a nostalgic sanctuary, and we watched as filmmakers experimented with the constraints of lockdown. Spike Lee gave us Da 5 Bloods, a sprawling and urgent historical epic that landed exactly when the world was erupting in social justice protests. Meanwhile, Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman sparked fierce debates across social media, proving that cinema could still drive the cultural conversation even if we weren't discussing it in a theater lobby.

We also saw the definitive arrival of international dominance. Following the historic Best Picture win for Parasite in early February, right before the world locked down, the appetite for global stories skyrocketed. Films like Minari offered a deeply moving look at the American Dream through an immigrant lens, while Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round reminded us of the messy, tragic beauty of human connection. These films felt more vital than the masked superheroes we were used to seeing.

Ultimately, film fans remember 2020 as the year that proved movies are essential. When everything else was taken away, we turned to stories to make sense of the isolation. We remember the thrill of seeing Hamilton on a small screen, the mind bending confusion of Tenet as it tried to save the theatrical experience single handedly, and the colorful joy of Soul. It was the year the industry changed forever, proving that whether on a sixty foot screen or a pocket sized phone, the power of a great story remains indestructible.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

See Top Ten
68
2020 in Mulan (2020)
Mulan
2020

When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Chinese Army to defend the country from Huns, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. She is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. Disguised as a man by the name of Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her innermost strength and embrace her true potential.

Adventure
Fantasy
1h 55m
Niki Caro
Liu Yifei, Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Jet Li
67
2020 in The Photograph (2020)
The Photograph
2020

When famed photographer Christina Eames dies unexpectedly, she leaves her estranged daughter, Mae, hurt, angry and full of questions. When Mae finds a photograph tucked away in a safe-deposit box, she soon finds herself delving into her mother's early life -- an investigation that leads to an unexpected romance with a rising journalist.

Drama
Romance
1h 46m
Stella Meghie
Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield, Chanté Adams, Y'lan Noel
66
2020 in The Old Guard (2020)
The Old Guard
2020

Four undying warriors who've secretly protected humanity for centuries become targeted for their mysterious powers just as they discover a new immortal.

Action
Fantasy
2h 5m
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Veronica Ngo, Matthias Schoenaerts

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65
2020 in Bad Boys for Life (2020)
Bad Boys for Life
2020

Marcus and Mike are forced to confront new threats, career changes, and midlife crises as they join the newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department to take down the ruthless Armando Armas, the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel.

Thriller
Action
2h 4m
Adil El Arbi
Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig
64
2020 in The Gentlemen (2020)
The Gentlemen
2020

American expat Mickey Pearson has built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

Comedy
Crime
Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong
63
2020 in Antebellum (2020)
Antebellum
2020

Successful author Veronica finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it's too late.

Horror
1h 45m
Gerard Bush
Janelle Monáe, Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston
62
2020 in An American Pickle (2020)
An American Pickle
2020

An immigrant worker at a pickle factory is accidentally preserved for 100 years and wakes up in modern day Brooklyn. He learns his only surviving relative is his great grandson, a computer coder who he can’t connect with.

Comedy
Drama
1h 29m
Brandon Trost
Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook, Molly Evensen, Eliot Glazer
61
2020 in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
2020

Harley Quinn joins forces with a singer, an assassin and a police detective to help a young girl who had a hit placed on her after she stole a rare diamond from a crime lord.

Action
Crime
1h 49m
Cathy Yan
Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett
60
2020 in Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
2020

Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement.

Documentary
1h 47m
Jim LeBrecht
Jim LeBrecht, Lionel Je'Woodyard, Joseph O'Conor, Ann Cupolo Freeman
59
2020 in Black Bear (2020)
Black Bear
2020

At a remote lake house in the Adirondack Mountains, a couple entertains an out-of-town guest looking for inspiration in her filmmaking. The group quickly falls into a calculated game of desire, manipulation, and jealousy, unaware of how dangerously intertwined their lives will soon become.

Drama
Thriller
1h 46m
Lawrence Michael Levine
Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon, Paola Lázaro
58
2020 in Summerland (2020)
Summerland
2020

A woman during the Second World War opens her heart to an evacuee after initially resolving to be rid of him.

Drama
Romance
1h 39m
Jessica Swale
Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Penelope Wilton, Tom Courtenay
57
2020 in Tesla (2020)
Tesla
2020

The story of the Promethean struggles of Nikola Tesla, as he attempts to transcend entrenched technology—including his own previous work—by pioneering a system of wireless energy that would change the world.

History
Drama
1h 42m
Michael Almereyda
Ethan Hawke, Eve Hewson, Jim Gaffigan, Kyle MacLachlan
56
2020 in News of the World (2020)
News of the World
2020

A Texan traveling across the wild West bringing the news of the world to local townspeople, agrees to help rescue a young girl who was kidnapped.

Drama
Western
Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Michael Angelo Covino, Ray McKinnon
55
2020 in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
2020

An imaginary world comes to life in a holiday tale of an eccentric toymaker, his adventurous granddaughter, and a magical invention that has the power to change their lives forever.

Family
Fantasy
2h 2m
David E. Talbert
Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose
54
2020 in The King of Staten Island (2020)
The King of Staten Island
2020

Scott has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He's now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far out of reach. As his ambitious younger sister heads off to college, Scott is still living with his exhausted ER nurse mother and spends his days smoking weed, hanging with the guys — Oscar, Igor and Richie — and secretly hooking up with his childhood friend Kelsey. But when his mother starts dating a loudmouth firefighter named Ray, it sets off a chain of events that will force Scott to grapple with his grief and take his first tentative steps toward moving forward in life.

Comedy
Drama
2h 17m
Judd Apatow
Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley
53
2020 in MLK/FBI (2020)
MLK/FBI
2020

Based on newly declassified files, the film explores the US government’s surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Documentary
1h 44m
Sam Pollard
Martin Luther King Jr., J. Edgar Hoover, Beverly Gage, David Garrow
52
2020 in Miss Juneteenth (2020)
Miss Juneteenth
2020

Turquoise, a former beauty queen turned hardworking single mother, prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the “Miss Juneteenth” pageant, hoping to keep her from repeating the same mistakes in life that she did.

Drama
1h 43m
Channing Godfrey Peoples
Nicole Beharie, Kendrick Sampson, Alexis Chikaeze, Akron Watson
51
2020 in The Lodge (2020)
The Lodge
2020

When a father is forced to abruptly depart for work, he leaves his children, Aidan and Mia, at their holiday home in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace. Isolated and alone, a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters from Grace's dark past.

Horror
Drama
1h 48m
Severin Fiala
Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Richard Armitage
50
2020 in Fatman (2020)
Fatman
2020

A rowdy, unorthodox Santa Claus is fighting to save his declining business. Meanwhile, Billy, a neglected and precocious 12 year old, hires a hit man to kill Santa after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking.

Action
Fantasy
1h 40m
Eshom Nelms
Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Chance Hurstfield
49
2020 in The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
The Dark and the Wicked
2020

On a secluded farm in a nondescript rural town, a man is slowly dying. His family gathers to mourn, and soon a darkness grows, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that something evil is taking over the family.

Horror
1h 35m
Bryan Bertino
Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Xander Berkeley, Lynn Andrews
48
2020 in Amulet (2020)
Amulet
2020

Tomaz, an ex-soldier now homeless in London, is offered a place to stay at a decaying house, inhabited by a young woman and her dying mother. As he starts to fall for Magda, Tomaz cannot ignore his suspicion that something insidious might also be living alongside them.

Horror
1h 39m
Romola Garai
Carla Juri, Alec Secăreanu, Imelda Staunton, Angeliki Papoulia
47
2020 in Wendy (2020)
Wendy
2020

A re-imagining of "Peter Pan" from the point of view of Wendy Darling, who finds herself lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued. She must fight to save her family, her freedom and the joyous spirit of youth.

Fantasy
Drama
1h 51m
Benh Zeitlin
Devin France, Yashua Mack, Gage Naquin, Gavin Naquin
46
2020 in The Big Red White and Blue (2020)
The Big Red White and Blue
2020

Two men meet in a hotel room on a historic day.

Drama
10m
Seth Magana
David Carbajal, Jason Lee Boyson
45
2020 in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
2020

Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.

Drama
Music
1h 33m
George C. Wolfe
Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman
44
2020 in Possessor (2020)
Possessor
2020

Tasya Vos, an elite corporate assassin, uses brain-implant technology to take control of other people’s bodies to terminate high profile targets. As she sinks deeper into her latest assignment, Vos becomes trapped inside a mind that threatens to obliterate her.

Horror
Thriller
1h 43m
Brandon Cronenberg
Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Bean
43
2020 in Extraction (2020)
Extraction
2020

A hardened gun-for-hire's latest mission becomes a soul-searching race to survive when he's sent into Bangladesh to rescue a drug lord's kidnapped son.

Action
Thriller
1h 56m
Sam Hargrave
Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda, Golshifteh Farahani
42
2020 in Ammonite (2020)
Ammonite
2020

In 1840s England, palaeontologist Mary Anning and a young woman sent by her husband to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship. Despite the chasm between their social spheres and personalities, Mary and Charlotte discover they can each offer what the other has been searching for: the realisation that they are not alone. It is the beginning of a passionate and all-consuming love affair that will defy all social bounds and alter the course of both lives irrevocably.

Romance
Drama
1h 58m
Francis Lee
Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones, James McArdle
41
2020 in The Booksellers (2020)
The Booksellers
2020

What once seemed like an esoteric world now seems essential to our culture: the community of rare book dealers and collectors who, in their love of the delicacy and tactility of books, are helping to keep the printed word alive. D.W. Young’s elegant and entertaining documentary, executive produced by Parker Posey, is a lively tour of New York’s book world, past and present, from the Park Avenue Armory’s annual Antiquarian Book Fair, where original editions can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars; to the Strand and Argosy book stores, still standing against all odds; to the beautifully crammed apartments of collectors and buyers. The film features a litany of special guests, including Fran Lebowitz, Susan Orlean, Gay Talese, and a community of dedicated book dealers who strongly believe in the wonder of the object and the everlasting importance of what’s inside.

Documentary
1h 39m
D.W. Young
Parker Posey, Fran Lebowitz, Gay Talese, Susan Benne
40
2020 in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
2020

Two small-town singers chase their pop star dreams at a global music competition, where high stakes, scheming rivals and onstage mishaps test their bond.

Comedy
Music
2h 3m
David Dobkin
39
2020 in Gretel & Hansel (2020)
Gretel & Hansel
2020

A long time ago in a distant fairy tale countryside, a young girl leads her little brother into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil.

Horror
Fantasy
1h 27m
Osgood Perkins
Sophia Lillis, Samuel Leakey, Alice Krige, Jessica De Gouw
38
2020 in She Dies Tomorrow (2020)
She Dies Tomorrow
2020

Amy is ravaged by the notion that she is going to die tomorrow, which sends her down a dizzying emotional spiral. When her skeptical friend Jane discovers Amy’s feeling of imminent death to be contagious, they both begin bizarre journeys through what might be the last day of their lives.

Drama
1h 25m
Amy Seimetz
Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Kentucker Audley, Katie Aselton
37
2020 in Pieces of a Woman (2020)
Pieces of a Woman
2020

When a young mother's home birth ends in unfathomable tragedy, she begins a year-long odyssey of mourning that fractures relationships with loved ones in this deeply personal story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss.

Drama
2h 7m
Kornél Mundruczó
Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Ellen Burstyn, Sarah Snook
36
2020 in Relic (2020)
Relic
2020

When elderly mother Edna inexplicably vanishes, her daughter rushes to the family's decaying home, finding clues of her increasing dementia scattered around the house in her absence.

Horror
Mystery
1h 29m
Natalie Erika James
Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote, Robyn Nevin, Chris Bunton
35
2020 in The Father (2020)
The Father
2020

A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages and, as he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.

Drama
1h 37m
Florian Zeller
34
2020 in Swallow (2020)
Swallow
2020

Hunter, a newly pregnant housewife, finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession.

Drama
Thriller
1h 35m
Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche
33
2020 in The Other Lamb (2020)
The Other Lamb
2020

For her entire life, the cult she was born into has been all that teenage Selah has known. Along with a band of similarly cloistered young women she lives seemingly unstuck in time, cut off from modern society in a remote forest commune presided over by a man called Shepherd, a controlling, messiah-like figure with a frightening dark side. But when her insular world is rocked by a series of nightmarish visions and disturbing revelations, Selah begins to question everything about her existence—including her allegiance to the increasingly dangerous Shepherd.

Horror
Drama
1h 37m
Małgorzata Szumowska
Raffey Cassidy, Michiel Huisman, Denise Gough, Eve Connolly
32
2020 in The Call of the Wild (2020)
The Call of the Wild
2020

Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. As the newest rookie on a mail delivery dog sled team—and later its leader—Buck experiences the adventure of a lifetime, ultimately finding his true place in the world and becoming his own master.

Adventure
Family
1h 40m
Chris Sanders
Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, Colin Woodell, Karen Gillan
31
2020 in Another Round (2020)
Another Round
2020

Four stagnant high school teachers decide to test out a theory that maintaining a constant level of intoxication will improve their overall lives.

Comedy
Drama
1h 57m
Thomas Vinterberg
Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe
30
2020 in Time (2020)
Time
2020

Fox Rich, indomitable matriarch and modern-day abolitionist, strives to keep her family together while fighting for the release of her incarcerated husband. An intimate, epic, and unconventional love story, filmed over two decades.

Documentary
1h 21m
Garrett Bradley
Sibil Fox Richardson, Robert Fox Richardson, Freedom Richardson, Justus Richardson
29
2020 in Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020)
Vampires vs. the Bronx
2020

Three gutsy kids from a rapidly gentrifying Bronx neighborhood stumble upon a sinister plot to suck all the life from their beloved community.

Comedy
Horror
1h 26m
Oz Rodríguez
Jaden Michael, Gerald Jones, Gregory Díaz IV, Sarah Gadon
28
2020 in Kajillionaire (2020)
Kajillionaire
2020

Two con artists have spent 26 years training their only daughter to swindle, scam and steal at every turn. During a desperate and hastily conceived heist, they charm a stranger into joining them, only to have their entire world turned upside down.

27
2020 in Spree (2020)
Spree
2020

Desperate for an online following, a rideshare driver has figured out a deadly plan to go viral and he will stop at nothing to get his five minutes of fame.

Comedy
Crime
1h 33m
Eugene Kotlyarenko
Joe Keery, Sasheer Zamata, David Arquette, A.J. Del Cueto
26
2020 in Babyteeth (2020)
Babyteeth
2020

A terminally ill teen upsets her parents when she falls in love with a small-time drug dealer.

Drama
Comedy
1h 58m
Shannon Murphy
Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Essie Davis, Ben Mendelsohn
25
2020 in Calm with Horses (2020)
Calm with Horses
2020

In darkest rural Ireland, ex-boxer Douglas 'Arm' Armstrong has become the feared enforcer for the drug-dealing Devers family, whilst also trying to be a good father to his autistic five-year-old son, Jack. Torn between these two families, Arm's loyalties are truly tested when he is asked to kill for the first time.

Crime
Drama
1h 40m
Nick Rowland
Cosmo Jarvis, Barry Keoghan, Niamh Algar, Ned Dennehy
24
2020 in The Way Back (2020)
The Way Back
2020

A former basketball all-star, who has lost his wife and family foundation in a struggle with addiction, attempts to regain his soul and salvation by becoming the coach of a disparate ethnically mixed high school basketball team at his alma mater.

Drama
1h 48m
Gavin O'Connor
Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, Janina Gavankar
23
2020 in Emma. (2020)
Emma.
2020

In 1800s England, a well-meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.

Comedy
Romance
2h 5m
Autumn de Wilde
Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Josh O'Connor, Callum Turner
22
2020 in Athlete A (2020)
Athlete A
2020

Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts.

Documentary
1h 45m
Bonni Cohen
Maggie Nichols, Jamie Dantzscher, Mark Alesia, Rachael Denhollander
21
2020 in Wolfwalkers (2020)
Wolfwalkers
2020

In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.

Animation
Family
1h 42m
Tomm Moore
Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney
20
2020 in His House (2020)
His House
2020

After making a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, a young refugee couple struggle to adjust to their new life in a small English town that has an unspeakable evil lurking beneath the surface.

Horror
Drama
1h 33m
Remi Weekes
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Wunmi Mosaku, Malaika Wakoli-Abigaba, Matt Smith
19
2020 in The Hunt (2020)
The Hunt
2020

Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are—or how they got there. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, ruthless elitists gather at a remote location to hunt humans for sport. But their master plan is about to be derailed when one of the hunted turns the tables on her pursuers.

Action
Thriller
1h 30m
Craig Zobel
Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Ethan Suplee, Teri Wyble
18
2020 in Onward (2020)
Onward
2020

In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.

Family
Comedy
1h 42m
Dan Scanlon
Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer
17
2020 in The Half of It (2020)
The Half of It
2020

Shy, straight-A student Ellie is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul, who needs help wooing the most popular girl in school. But their new and unlikely friendship gets tricky when Ellie discovers she has feelings for the same girl.

Comedy
Romance
1h 44m
Alice Wu
Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Enrique Murciano
16
2020 in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
2020

14 years after making a film about his journey across the USA, Borat risks life and limb when he returns to the United States with his young daughter, and reveals more about the culture, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the political elections.

Comedy
1h 36m
Jason Woliner
Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova, Tom Hanks, Dani Popescu
15
2020 in Shirley (2020)
Shirley
2020

A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.

Drama
Thriller
1h 47m
Josephine Decker
Elisabeth Moss, Odessa Young, Michael Stuhlbarg, Logan Lerman
14
2020 in Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
2020

A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.

Drama
1h 41m
Eliza Hittman
Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold
13
2020 in The Assistant (2020)
The Assistant
2020

A searing look at a day in the life of an assistant to a powerful executive. As Jane follows her daily routine, she grows increasingly aware of the insidious abuse that threatens every aspect of her position.

Drama
1h 28m
Kitty Green
Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, Makenzie Leigh, Kristine Froseth
12
2020 in I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
2020

Nothing is as it seems when a woman experiencing misgivings about her new boyfriend joins him on a road trip to meet his parents at their remote farm.

Mystery
Thriller
2h 15m
Charlie Kaufman
11
2020 in First Cow (2020)
First Cow
2020

In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.

Drama
Western
2h 2m
Kelly Reichardt
John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Ewen Bremner
10
2020 in Mank (2020)
Mank
2020

1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane.

Drama
History
Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard
Why it ranks

David Fincher’s meticulous black-and-white craftsmanship serves as a dense, scholarly love letter to the power dynamics of Old Hollywood. Through a fractured timeline and crisp monologues, it interrogates the authorship of a masterpiece with a cynical yet breathtakingly detailed lens.

9
2020 in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Wonder Woman 1984
2020

A botched store robbery places Wonder Woman in a global battle against a powerful and mysterious ancient force that puts her powers in jeopardy.

Action
Adventure
2h 31m
Patty Jenkins
Why it ranks

Patty Jenkins pivots toward an unapologetic, camp-infused optimism that prioritizes moral clarity over the gritty textures of the modern superhero genre. It is an ambitious, neon-hued spectacle that leans heavily into the sincerity and fantastical logic of 1980s blockbuster filmmaking.

8
2020 in Sound of Metal (2020)
Sound of Metal
2020

Metal drummer Ruben begins to lose his hearing. When a doctor tells him his condition will worsen, he thinks his career and life is over. His girlfriend Lou checks the former addict into a rehab for the deaf hoping it will prevent a relapse and help him adapt to his new life. After being welcomed and accepted just as he is, Ruben must choose between his new normal and the life he once knew.

Drama
Music
2h 1m
Darius Marder
Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff
Why it ranks

The visceral sound design transforms the cinematic experience into a punishingly beautiful immersion into a world of sudden silence. Riz Ahmed’s internal, expressive performance avoids every cliché of the 'triumph over adversity' narrative to find a more profound, resonant stillness.

7
2020 in Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Da 5 Bloods
2020

Four African-American Vietnam veterans return to Vietnam. They are in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader and the promise of buried treasure. These heroes battle forces of humanity and nature while confronted by the lasting ravages of the immorality of the Vietnam War.

War
Drama
2h 35m
Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis
Why it ranks

Spike Lee weaves a sprawling, messy, and urgent tapestry that connects the scars of the Vietnam War to the pulse of contemporary racial reckoning. Delroy Lindo delivers a towering performance that encapsulates a lifetime of neglected trauma and patriotic conflict.

6
2020 in Promising Young Woman (2020)
Promising Young Woman
2020

A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who crossed her path.

Thriller
Crime
1h 54m
Emerald Fennell
Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown
Why it ranks

Emerald Fennell’s debut is a neon-soaked lightning bolt of righteous fury that dismantles the 'nice guy' archetype with surgical precision. It functions as a tonal tightrope walk, blending candy-colored aesthetics with a sociopolitical bite that remains long after the credits roll.

5
2020 in Palm Springs (2020)
Palm Springs
2020

When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated when they find themselves unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.

Comedy
Romance
1h 30m
Max Barbakow
Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher
Why it ranks

This razor-sharp comedy subverts the exhausted time-loop trope by injecting it with nihilistic wit and surprisingly tender existential dread. It manages to be both a breezy summer diversion and a cynical interrogation of the monotony found in modern romance.

4
2020 in Soul (2020)
Soul
2020

Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22, a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.

Animation
Family
1h 41m
Pete Docter
Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House
Why it ranks

Pixar ventures into metaphysical abstraction with a visual palette that mirrors the improvisational fluidity of the jazz it honors. This is a rare, sophisticated meditation on the quietude of existence that eschews standard moralizing for something far more soulful and sublime.

3
2020 in The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
The Trial of the Chicago 7
2020

What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.

Drama
History
2h 10m
Aaron Sorkin
Why it ranks

Aaron Sorkin’s rapid-fire cadence finds its perfect vessel in this courtroom drama, where the rhythmic dialogue acts as a sharp weapon against institutional corruption. The ensemble cast navigates the dense political ideology with a theatrical energy that feels revitalized for a modern audience.

2
2020 in Tenet (2020)
2020

Armed with only one word - Tenet - and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

Why it ranks

Christopher Nolan demands total devotion with this architectural marvel of temporal mechanics and sensory overload. It is a cold, calculated spectacle that treats the blockbusters’ traditional logic as a puzzle to be folded back upon itself.

1
2020 in The Invisible Man (2020)
The Invisible Man
2020

When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.

Thriller
Science Fiction
2h 4m
Leigh Whannell
Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Michael Dorman
Why it ranks

Leigh Whannell strips away the camp of classic horror to deliver a harrowing, high-tech exploration of gaslighting and domestic trauma. Elisabeth Moss offers a masterclass in kinetic paranoia, anchoring a film that feels both technologically astute and punishingly intimate.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

The best 2020 movies listicle features a diverse mix of genres, with psychological thrillers like "The Invisible Man," historical dramas such as "The Trial of the Chicago 7," and animated family films exemplified by "Soul." This variety underlines the year's cinematic range despite the challenges faced by the industry.

Several films from the 2020 listicle creatively combine science fiction with other genres, including the thriller "The Invisible Man," the action-packed "Tenet," and the romantic comedy "Palm Springs." This blend reflects the innovative storytelling trends of the year.

Yes, films like "The Trial of the Chicago 7" and "Promising Young Woman" stand out for their incisive exploration of social and political issues, including justice and gender dynamics. These movies highlight the year’s engagement with contemporary discourse through cinema.

Indeed, movies such as "Sound of Metal" and "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" explore themes of mental health, personal identity, and emotional challenges, offering profound insights through their narratives and artistic direction.

The pandemic significantly altered the release strategy for many 2020 films, pushing audiences to experience them via streaming platforms or on home projectors rather than traditional theaters. Despite this, titles like "Wonder Woman 1984" and "Mank" managed to gain critical attention and audience appreciation.

Noteworthy contributions include Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending "Tenet," Spike Lee’s impactful "Da 5 Bloods," and David Fincher’s period drama "Mank." These directors brought their signature styles to filmmaking during a challenging year, enhancing the quality of 2020's cinematic offerings.

Yes, "The Invisible Man" stands out as a psychological thriller and horror hybrid, skillfully merging science fiction elements with suspense and terror. This film exemplifies the innovative genre blending seen in 2020's notable movies.

Indie films like "First Cow," a contemplative western drama, and "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," an intimate drama focusing on young women’s issues, highlight the depth and diversity of 2020's cinema beyond mainstream blockbusters.
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