The best 2020 films list certainly doesn’t reflect the expectations set at the start of the year. Two MCU films were forced to move to 2021 due to Covid-19, Waner Bros. Pictures moved Dune from a December 2020 release to October 2021 and many other anticipated films were forced to adjust to the pandemic.
Despite Covid-19 changing the movie theater experience, there were some great films this year. Terrific stage adaptations, time loop shenanigans, Pixar and wonderful historical dramas represent some of the best films of the year.
The order of the top 10 films of 2020 is completely random. Here are the 10 best 2020 films along with a few honorable mentions.
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Soul
Soul was delayed from a planned November theatrical release to Christmas Day on Disney Plus. The Pixar animated film was a much needed spark to end 2020 on a lighter note.
In Soul, Joe is a middle school music teacher who lands the gig of his dreams, when he suffers a terrible accident. Joe’s injuries leaves him in a coma, while his spirit travels to The Great Before. A nebulous place between life and death. He’s eventually paired up with Soul 22, a being who isn’t very excited about life on Earth. Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey lead a great voice cast as Joe and Soul 22.
The animation is a set up from Pixar’s Inside Out and the story’s twist sets up an emotional story that will stir even Scrooge’s soul. No ghosts required. The combination of animation, story and terrific jazz music results in the best Pixar film since Inside Out.
Soul’s status as the best animated film of the year makes it a no brainer for the best 2020 films list.
Emma
Emma was released in February of this year and began Anya Taylor-Joy’s fantastic year. Joy was the highlight in two films and Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit miniseries, but her best performance may very well be in this adaptation of Jane Austen’s acclaimed novel.
Set in 1800’s England, Emma interferes in the love lives of her friends as a self-appointed matchmaker Her misguided matchmaking even results in some guttural reactions. Joy’s command of Austen’s dialogue is delightful. Director Autumn De Wilde, Production Designer Kave Quinn and Costume Designer Alexandra Byrne do a great job of bringing the novel and 1800’s England to life. Johnny Flynn turns in a great supporting performance as a frequent verbal sparring partner of Emma’s.
Emma’s status as having the best production design, Joy’s awards caliber performance and brilliant script from Eleanor Catton makes it a worthy inclusion to the best 2020 films list.
Palm Springs
Released on July 10, 2020, Palm Springs is a time loop comedy that examines how a perpetual existence is more palatable when you have the right partner by your side.
Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti are phenomenal in this film. Milioti delivers a breakout comedic performance. Samberg is simply flawless. His comedic talent is on full display, but his dramatic moments in this film are breathtaking. In a year full of great performances, only the late Chadwick Boseman’s performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is superior to the performance turned in by Samberg in Palm Springs.
Palm Springs goes beyond just being the best comedy of the year to deliver one of the most creative films in years, which makes it a worthy addition to the best 2020 films list.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Released on December, 18, 2020, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the final film for Chadwick Boseman. The latest adaptation of August Wilson’s work is fantastic.
Set in 1920’s Chicago, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom follows a disastrous recording session and the tensions that arise.
Viola Davis, no stranger to Wilson’s writing, is great in the title role. However, this is Boseman’s film. He’s magnetic in this role as Levee a musician who has loftier ambitions than just being a member of a band. Boseman’s performance is reminiscent of his charismatic portrayal of James Brown in Get on Up without the constraints of an impersonation.
Boseman gives the best performance of the year and it’s not even close. His award worthy performance is more than enough to earn Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom a spot on the best 2020 films list.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin’s directorial follow-up to Molly’s Game doesn’t disappoint.
Released in October, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a courtroom drama that revolves around the riots that occurred during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. The case revolves around whether protesters or police officers started the riots with plenty of racial tensions surrounding the case. Releasing this film in 2020 was a perfect year for this long-gestating film to hit Netflix.
The year’s best ensemble cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Excellent), Frank Langella (Venomous fits like a glove) and Jeremy Strong. Combining this cast with Sorkin’s rhythmic dialogue is a match made in streaming heaven.
The year’s best cast and Sorkin’s writing is enough to makes The Trial of the Chicago 7 one of the best films of the year.
Tenet
Released in September 2020, Tenet is Christopher Nolan’s best film since Inception.
Tenet combines a beautiful spy thriller with time manipulation to create a film that is exciting and thought-provoking. John David Washington is excellent in the lead role and Kenneth Branagh is terrifying as the villain. Nolan’s visuals are top-notch and Ludwig Göransson’s score provides a propulsive drive the film needs.
Tenet’s status as the best action film of the year makes it a worthy inclusion on the best 2020 films list.
Let Him Go
Released in November, Let Him Go features Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as grandparents after playing adoptive parents in Man of Steel.
After their son dies, Margaret (Lane) and George (Costner) set out to find their only grandson. Costner does wonders with this material as you might expect. Lane is mind-blowing as the willingness to do whatever it takes grandmother. Lesley Manville and Jefferey Donovan (Burn Notice) shine as two of the villains.
Let Him Go is the most under-the-radar great film of 2020 and deserves to be regarded as one of the best films of the year. If you like twisted families and vengeance thrillers, you’ll enjoy this film
The Gentlemen
Guy Ritchie returned to the crime genre in style with The Gentlemen back in January.
Matthew McConaughey plays Michael Pearson, the king of the weed empire in London and must fend off contenders to the throne. Charlie Hunnam plays Ray and is great as Pearson’s right-hand man. Colin Farrell plays a boxing coach who ends up in the crosshairs of this competition. Hugh Grant chews all of the scenery as a reporter looking extort Ray.
The Gentlemen is the best crime film of the year and features some of the best dialogue since last year’s Knives Out, which makes Ritchie’s latest an easy addition to the best films of. the year list.
Full review of The Gentlemen
1917
1917 had its wide release on January 10 and is the best war film since Saving Private Ryan.
Director Sam Mendes’s depiction of World War I through the eyes of two soldiers is horrifyingly gorgeous. Roger Deakins’s decision to shoot the film in a near single take does an excellent job of making you feel the horrors of war. Not to mention, the cinematography and direction makes sure the audience is never ahead of the two soldiers. The bunkers are beautifully brought to life by Production Designer Dennis Gassner. Finally, Thomas Newman’s score deserves to be listened to on repeat.
1917‘s status as the best directed film of the year makes it a worthy addition to the best 2020 films list.
Hamilton
The 2016 Broadway hit Hamilton was released on Disney Plus on 4th of July weekend. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s brilliance may have been understated.
Combining hip hop while telling the story of Alexander Hamilton is amazing and astonishing. The story of two orphans who rose through the ranks using different approaches is some of the best storytelling in any medium. Leslie Odom Jr’s complex portrayal of Burr, the charisma of Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson/Lafayette and Renee Elise Goldsberry’s incredible vocal abilities on “Satisfied” are just a few of the highlights.
Nothing this year has stuck with me like the themes, lyrics and King George III’s saliva. The fact that Hamilton will be a tradition every 4th of July for families for years to come makes Miranda’s masterpiece a worthy addition to the best of 2020 list.
Best films of 2020: Honorable Mentions
Here are five more films that are recommended, but simply didn’t crack the top ten.
- Sound of Metal
- Riz Ahmed is terrific as a drummer who is losing his hearing.
- Wonder Woman 1984
- The best superhero film of the year in what turned out to be a lackluster year for caped crusaders.
- News of The World
- Tom Hanks is fantastic in his first western film.
- Sonic The Hedgehog
- One. of the best video game adaptations in recent memory. Jim Carrey’s throwback mid-90’s performance as Dr. Robotnik is worth the price of admission.
- The Invisible Man
- Elizabeth Moss headlines the best horror/thriller of the year.
What were your favorite films of the year?
